Shumpty Eats: Sprout Cafe

June 3, 2012 By in Shumpty Eats Tags: , Leave a comment

I love food: anyone who is my size only gets to this size if they do. It would be fair to say that I have fairly eclectic and limited tastes: but as the saying goes “I like what I like”.

Last night I ate at Sprout Cafe in Auchenflower, Brisbane. The immediate impression one gets when you walk into the place is that the room is small. It struck me that there looked like there was just one too many tables in the room: more about that later.

To the food first: for entree I ordered the onion soup with a cheese and crouton crust. It was nothing short of excellent. There was just enough onion without it being too overpowering. If I had to be critical I would say that there could have been a little more cheese in the crust but all in all I was left very content with the opening culinary salvo of the evening.

For main, and unusually for me, I stayed on the vegetarian side of things and ordered the Romana Gnocchi with stuffed capsicum. This was a delight, small but a delight. The gnocchi was perfect and melted in the mouth. The capsicum, which was roasted and stuff with lentils and mushrooms (though I can not be sure: am no gourmet as I have attested to above), I had been worried about but the flavours were perfectly mixed and made it the star of the dish.

Those of you who know me well will know that normally I eschew deserts. Having seen the words “pistachio” and “creme brûlée” in the same sentence on the desert menu, last night I made an exception. I was glad I did because, and I am saying this a lot in this review, it was excellent. The brûlée was perfect with the pistachio flavour more subtle than overpowering. The accompanying passionfruit sorbet was just that: an excellent accompaniment.

So, it is pretty clear from the foregoing, that I can not say a bad word about the food. If only that was the whole story though.

As excellent as the food was my experience at Sprout will forever be tarnished but the service we received. I will not get into chapter and verse; rather I summarise the service experience as follows:

1. Delays: whilst our entree and main order was taken with alacrity and our food came out swiftly, when it came time for dessert, despite our menus being provided some 5 minutes following the main, it then took 35 minutes for our dessert order to be taken.

2. Corkage: I love a BYO restaurant. I repeat: I love a BYO restaurant. What I do not love is paying corkage when the wait staff do not deign to pour drinks. In the end I ended up being our drinks waiter for the evening. To add insult to injury paying corkage for those who do not drink (as a teetotaller this issue arises often) is something I can not say impresses.

3. Because the room was over full our table seemed to be wedged against a wall, which lead to the waiter needing to hand our food to us rather than place it. Not a big issue for me but one that raised many comments around the table.

Now I am abundantly aware that in isolation any of these issues would not wreck the dining experience for many and to raise them individually could be considered petty. However, these factors in concert really took the gloss of the dining experience. The service questions were made all the more grating because it seemed like the restaurant was over staffed.

I will go back to Sprout: the food is too good to ignore BUT I will be going back on a Tuesday night when the restaurant is less busy (I presume).

Summary:

Food: 9 out of 10 Great menu, great food and chef must be congratulated.

Service: 4 out of 10 Poor: enough said as it may have just been an off night for them.

Price: 8 out of 10 Excellent value for money. The pricing structure is set so if you have two courses it is $55 or three course is $70. I love this idea and think the value for money was great. Corkage of $5 is not bad save for the issues noted above.

Overall: 6 out of 10.

Sprout BYO French Cafe on Urbanspoon

Shumpty’s Punt: addendum

June 2, 2012 By in Shumpty's Punt Tags: , Leave a comment

Well the Super 15 multi has gone out the window after results last night but it was an exhilarating night of rugby nonetheless.

Just wanted to add to the horse racing tips from yesterday by adding the horse of my friend Mindy Pawsey (@MKPS001 … Follow her: she rocks) which is running for the first time in town today. Definitely worth a look at Lucymaylyn at Warwick Farm in Race 3.

Get on board the “Lucy express” today!

Shumpty

Shumpty’s Punt: Queensland Oaks Day and Sport

June 1, 2012 By in Shumpty's Punt Tags: , , Leave a comment

This is the first Shumpty’s Punt for a while. To be honest I have only been sporadically on the punt of late and mainly have been betting more on whim rather than with a defined plan.

Having had a rest day from work today I have had some time to consider some bets for the weekend.

Horse racing in Queensland heads to Eagle Farm for the Treasury Casino Queensland Oaks Day. The weather has been rotten in Brisbane over the last couple of days and with more showers expected, coupled with Eagle Farm’s notoriously poor drainage, a wet track can be expected. This makes it a tough day for selections and thus I have only come up with three races in which I will be passing on a tip:

Race 5 (Dane Ripper Stakes 1400m)

In this race I am going to go with one of the “southern invaders” from the Waller Stable in the form of Red Tracer (7). This horse has been freshened for this race, has never been worse than second over the distance and is undefeated on slow / heavy tracks. Everything is falling in its favour to win this.

Race 6 (Queensland Guineas 1400m)

If the track is still heavy at this point my money will be on Boys on Tour (7). From the Patinack yard, this horse loves the track and is a noted mud lark. It rattled home last start and if the conditions suit should be right in the mix in this race. If the track has dried out to anything better than a slow 7 I will not be betting here.

The Queensland Oaks follows the Guineas and I just can’t pick anything out of the large field here to be confident enough to tip a winner. I will have a small wager on Dowager Queen (2) just to keep some interest.

Race 8 (QTC Cup 1300m)

In the “get out stakes” I have gone searching for a bit of each way value and the more I looked at the form the more I kept coming back to Meet George (8). It rattled home last start and likes this track at this distance. If there is some give in the ground by this point in the day it will not worry it.

This weekend also brings us the last round of Super 15 Rugby before the break in hostilities in that competition (check out my full preview at pinkrugby.com). My sports betting will be on the rugby only this weekend, as it has been the last couple of weekends. I am avoiding the Bulls v Stormers match from a betting perspective but implore everyone to make sure they are near a TV set for this game. I will be having a multi made up of the following legs:

Chiefs to defeat the Blues by 13 points or more
Hurricanes to defeat the Waratahs by 1 to 12 points
Crusaders to defeat the Highlanders by 1 to 12 points
Sharks to defeat the Lions by 13 points or more

It will, as always, be a cracking weekend of sport. If you are having a wager, then, as always, do so responsibly. As with all tipping, whilst I take the utmost care in giving these tips I take no responsibility for losses.

Have a great weekend!

Shumpty

I have a beard and I am proud!

June 1, 2012 By in Shumpty's Beard Tags: , 4 Comments

It would be fair to say that right from the first moment my mother mistook my burgeoning fuzz on the top lip as news print on my face I have been regularly lax with the removal of stubble from my face. I have over the course of my 22 years since that memorable day variously worn my facial hair as a goatie, a soul patch, a moustache, the “Elvis” and of course with a beard.

Until probably 4 years ago my shaving routine and my regular sprouting of stubble in various shapes and forms was principally the result of bone idleness on my part and my never ending quest to find new and different ways to irritate “the Red Baron” (for new readers my mother).

I come from a long line of moustached and bearded men: for the first 16 years of my life my Dad has a moustache and my Uncle Greg (Dad’s little brother) has had a beard for as long as I can remember and in every photo (save for photos of Dad and Greg as kids) I have seen of him. I never really got the “why” part of them having such facial additions going on until four years ago when, during another period of bone idleness that had lead to about a 5 week growth, I had an epiphany: simply put “BEARDS RULE”.

And here is why I think so:

1. My beard keeps my face warm in winter.
2. My beard protects my face from sunburn.
3. My beard, in the words of one my nephews, makes it look like I have more hair.

That being the case, I am again (after a hiatus from the beard for around 12 months and various periods of idleness that lead to the perception of a beard forming that were mere flirtations) growing my beard. This has lead me to the realisation that I ought set some guidelines for again wearing the beard. So here is Shumpty’s guide for beard growing:

1. Commitment is the key: going into growing a beard if you are not committed will lead to the inevitable removal of the beard during the period referred to in rule 2.
2. Your beard is going to itch for the first 2 to 5 odd days: stay strong as once you are through this period you will have few more issues.
3. Every grower of the beard is entitled to impart their own style on their beard. Be it a full Ned Kelly or a regularly trimmed back (a 3 blade normally works for me) growth go with what you are comfortable with.
4. A limitation to rule 3 is that manscaping your beard so that it is just a line of stubble around the jawline means you do not have a beard and you have far to much time on your hands.
5. Hair dyes and gels should never touch your beard.
6. The individual grower of their beard has the right to determine in what circumstances they will shave off their beard (if ever).

I hope these guidelines help anyone thinking about growing a beard with their decision but if you are considering going down the path to bearddome remember Rule 1: commitment is the key!

Now I know that many of my twitter followers, family, friends and work colleagues do not like the beard. Whilst I respect the opinions of all and sundry, my beard is my choice, I like it and it is here to stay for a while … at least until the end of winter.

Shumpty’s Punt: 27 April 2012

April 27, 2012 By in Shumpty's Punt Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Happy Friday everyone!!! Given that it is Friday this means that before us we have 2 and a half days (if you include Friday night) of wall to wall sport to watch, analyse, tweet about and, for those minded, have a wager on. 6 games of Super 15 Rugby, 5 games of NRL, 8 games of AFL, the cricket from the West Indies, MLB and NHL from the US, ANZ Championship Netball, the EPL from the UK and horseracing from all major centres including Black Caviar going around.  If you can’t find something to watch and a winner out of that lot you are not trying hard enough.

For the sporting bet fans, my best bets for the weekend are:

  • In the AFL, I like Freemantle to beat the Blues with a margin of 1-39 points (pays $2.85).  Ross Lyon has the Dockers playing a grinding defensive brand of football that I expect to stifle the Blues midfield and let’s be honest, if the Blues midfield is not firing they usually struggle.
  • I have not really followed much of the NRL this year, aside from watching the mighty Raiders play, so I am steering clear of any bets on the NRL this week.
  • The Super 15 presents a number of close games and a number of mismatches.  I like the Stormers to put a score on the hapless Force and think the Stormers by 13 points or more is a good bet ($2.75).  Also, I can not believe that the Reds have been posted as $3 outsiders for tonights fixture against the Blues.  Some of my hard earned will be going on the Reds as well!
  • It wouldn’t be a weekend of sport’s betting without having a little wager on something in the EPL.  I think the Swansea v Wolves game presents some easy money and will be taking the $2.30 on offer for the Swansea half time / full time double.

On Saturday, most eyes will be on Black Caviar at Morphettville but I think there is some good value in a few races around the country that some attention should also be given to as follows:

  • Many seem to think the Sydney Cup (SR6) is a race in two between Niwot and Permit but I am steering clear of both in this one and will be going with Older than Time (#9).  Gai Waterhouse is on a roll again this Sydney Carnival and I think this race is made for this horse.  She will be near the front and will be tough for the main chances to run down particularly if the sting is out of the track.
  • In the Queen Elizabeth Stakes that immediately follows (SR7) I am again steering clear of the favourite, More Joyous.  I concerned about whether she will run the trip and that has me leaning towards Manighar.  Americian is also in this race but, converse to the More Joyous concerns, I do not think this race is long enough for him.  Manighar, with Oliver in the saddle out of the Moody yard, will be primed in this one and has been in brilliant form this preparation.

I have avoided Brisbane at this point because the variable weather at the moment looks like giving us a heavy to slow track and I would rather not nail my colours to the mast on that meeting just yet.

Hope you all have a great weekend whatever it is your doing.  I, as you have probably already gleaned, will be in front of the TV watching sport, glorious sport, for much of it.

Good luck and good punting.

Shumpty