Leonards Mill with Fleurieu Living Magazine

That one time when on a shoot, I got adventurous. And ate pigs head. (It’s the crumbed balls and actually tasted ok).

A great place to eat while on a day trip down at the Fleurieu Peninsula. Just make sure you book first. I went down with Fleurieu Living Magazine and photographed staff, food and venue. Here are some of the pics…

www.leonardsmill.com

Eating and drinking my way around Fremantle...

When in Rome... or, as it is for me, when in Fremantle...

After visiting art studios, walking, cycling and swimming the waterfront and hanging out at Fremantle Arts Centre, it's time to refuel. The choices are plenty. And the yumminess factor high.

Here are some of my faves. 

Lapa Brazilian restaurant

Don't eat before you go - be hungry. Very hungry. The food is good, and I have trouble saying no. I prepare myself to roll out the door. Even though on arrival it seems all a bit haphazard, this restaurant has the service down.

All my faves like cheese bread and black beans are being served along with a constant offering of 16 different kinds of meat.

Drink coasters serve as signals to the waiters if I want more meat or not. Green 'yes please' or red 'no thank you'. I should have gone red long before I did, but what does one do when they are enjoying? 

 

Little creatures and Creatures Next Door

The place to chill, watching boats cruise in and out of the harbour as the sun sets. In fact, I feel like I am on a ship, especially while sitting on the front deck. The architecture mimics a ship very well. Live music and ultra friendly staff complete the setting.

It attracts a laid-back crowd of varying ages. We enjoy a game of Connect 4 and Guess Who while sipping wine. Yes, it’s not all about the beer. 

Raw Kitchen

This food is seriously delicious. I’d eat here every day if I could. We top our lunch off with yummy raw cake… think carrot cake and lime avocado slice that's like cheesecake. Yum. And not so guilty after my bean sprouts, quinoa, tofu and pickles bowl. 

It's housed in a big 1920's warehouse with lofty ceilings and retro furniture. Think old event chairs that can click together, bus seats, shipping container booths and long communal tables. It keeps me well entertained looking at everything, discovering new things. 

Bread in Common

Let's talk about bread. It's all about the bread. Well not really, but the bread is very good. I'm not meant to eat gluten but decide to suffer after one heavenly morsel. 

Bread in Common is a restaurant and bakery within an 1898 heritage listed building. The kitchen is open, and you can see the chefs working hard at your food while you sit with wine. The food is designed to be shared, and you sit at long communal tables. 

And did I mention the bread... delicious. With salted butter, olio or white bean dip - it goes down too well. 

Moore and Moore

A recurring theme - this place is located in an old building. The heritage-listed Moores building to be precise. Once I'm done (and it takes a while) looking around at all the gadgets and art stuff in the various rooms, I look at the menu. Biodynamic pancakes, vegan paleo bowl, halloumi burger all sound yummy... but I eventually decide on Mexican Florentine. A plate full of poached eggs, jalapeno & lime hollandaise, Moore’s baked beans (the best!), avocado, rocket and turkish toast.

Washed down with a seriously good strong coffee. Good morning! 

I think Fremantle suits me. I should come back more often. I know there are more places just like these to discover.

Any faves you visited? 
 

Recharging at South Beach, WA

The streets of Fremantle.

Where?

A little area between Coogee and Fremantle in Western Australia. Next door to Fremantle with better beaches and quieter pace, but still easy access to all the cafes, drinking holes and shops.

The crowd?

A mix of snobby upper class through to happy hippies. The upper crust walks past with their little pooches while hippies play congas in the parkland and backpackers munch on picnic style tea in the back of their station wagons. Of course, I love it.

Why?

A relaxed vibe of coastal living. Close to Fremantle but far enough away to escape the crowds. Cafes, cove beaches, fitness scene, cycling, and a great walking path along the coast. Not to forget the people watching either. 

What am I doing here?

I am spending the first week of 2018 here. Swimming, relaxing, reading, eating and drinking. It is the perfect excuse for me to step away from work and enjoy a guilt-free recharge. For anyone that knows me, you know how hard this is for me. I didn't even bring my laptop. Big deal, for me. 

How am I going with it?

Surprisingly well. I have loved my time not 'needing' to do something. I've relaxed into reading and finished two magazines and started on two books. I've wandered on the beach and splashed in the water just because. I've sat and done nothing. We've laughed hard playing Cards of Humanity. And I've eaten and drank way too much. 

And I've had time to think. I can get lost, and scared when I have time inside my head. But I know it's important. I don't allow myself this time too often, but its something I have realised and is improving. Working out what I need, what I want and what I need to do. Important personally and in business. 

So what else to do here, apart from being involved with your thoughts? 

Cycle the coastal path.
We ride from South Beach down to Woodman Point passing derelict old buildings, new Coogee development, family-friendly man-made beach, scrub, country style beaches and many parks. 20 km return. And of course, the path also heads north. We also ride this, heading towards Perth along the river. It's a very scenic and entertaining way of burning off some excess calories. 

Coastal path south of South Beach.

Bathers Beach House
As the sun sets, this is the place to be. Sun loungers line the small cove, with drink service. One of the very few places in Australia that offer service on the beach. Pretty sure I read it's the only place to legally be served an alcoholic drink in Perth. Tourists and locals alike line the waterfront for sunset photos but tonights isn't very spectacular. We enjoy our cider while laughing with our French waiter and again, people watching.

Sunsets and cocktails at Bathers Beach House, Fremantle.

Linger on the beach
I meet, and see, all sorts on the beach. Friendly locals are walking their pooches, random lounge chairs complete with a lamp sit on the beach, kitesurfers scream along the waves and families laugh and splash about in the water. Clear turquoise water, soft sand and warm sun complete the picture. 

The random things you find on the beach at South Beach. I was told it had been there for two weeks. The next day it was gone. 

Fremantle arts centre
A great place to see a variety of different art but also live music. The New Years Day concert attracts a well-rounded mix of people from chilled hipsters to the 60 plus-year-olds that love to kick off their heels and boogie. Soukouss Internacionale is my fave with their afro rhythms and got me up dancing while the other bands had me chilled and relaxed. Every Sunday afternoon the centre has live music. 

Soukouss Internacionale at Fremantle Arts Centre. 

Restaurants and drinking holes
There are many options in the Fremantle area. I eat in The Raw Kitchen, Bread in Common, Lapa, and Moore and Moore. We have drinks at Bathers Beach House and Creatures NextDoor too. All great. 

Start the day right with Mexican Florentine at Moore and Moore.

Of course, there is much more to discover in Fremantle, but that would require too much time off my sun lounger. I am, after all, meant to be relaxing. Discovering new things is exciting and quite possibly, lead me to work. Can't have that now...

CLIENT SHOWCASE: Leonards Mill

I got an email from Hayley a few months back. She said, 'you probably don't remember me, but you photographed our wedding in 2008...' 

Of course, I did remember. It was a beautiful day. And they had just bought Leonards Mill, a restaurant just up the road from where they were married at her parents home. 

After nearly ten years, I saw them again. It didn't feel that long. They are a really easy couple to get along with. I had so much fun photographing Leonards Mill and their staff for them one morning... 

www.leonardsmill.com

Food photography on the run

Dish by www.foodaccordingtobree.com for Fleruieu Living Magazine using only natural light with a white reflector.

1. Sit by a window
- Easiest and most flattering way to light your food. 
- Place your dish near the window, without direct light falling on it. 

2. Use your white napkin to bounce the light back into the food
- Hold your white napkin upright, as close as you can to your plate of food. The napkin should be on the opposite side of the plate to the window. The light coming in from the window will now bounce back onto the plate. 

3. Re-arrange the food to look even yummier
- Look at your dish. Is there an overcooked broccoli head or soggy chip? Get rid of the ingredients that don't do the dish justice. Spin the plate around also - it may look better from the other side. 

4. Photograph from different angles
- If it is a 'stacked' dish, perhaps get down to photograph the layers.
- If it is soup or casserole, you could shoot from above and show the crusty bread roll, etc.
- Lots of dishes look great from a 45-degree angle. 
- Experiment!

Way out west. A slice of WA.

Perth has been on my travel radar for a while now. Lots of people have come back raving how great it is. But to get there - it's an effort. The cost of flights, the travel time, and then, hate to admit it, the unknown of whether I would like it. After all, it is a city. And cities don't normally leave me 'wow, I love this city'. 

Ok, so I admit. I still don't know what Perth is like as a destination - unless you consider going to a Convention at the Crown complex with an outing to a bar one night, an experience. But I did stay in Fremantle. And there is so much to do there, that four days just wasn't enough. Talk about the conference revealed Fremantle was on the down slope - shops closing, not much happening, lacking atmosphere. So, driving down the main road on a Wednesday night, cafes buzzing, people wandering - I was lost. Is this the same Fremantle? 

For the following couple of days, I did a cafe tour. Ootong and Lincoln and The Raw Kitchen for healthy yet delicious treats. Little Creatures (downing about a schooner of beer tastings before realising it wouldn't be gluten free) for some culture and Saturday afternoon vibe. Ruocco's Italian for the best calamari I've eaten. Indian and some very yummy Lebanese. And let's not forget Third Wheel at South Beach Cycles in South Freo - a trendy little spot for coffee mid-morning while the pug gets watered after her short stroll. My taste buds are alive.

There are some honest people in Fremantle. On ordering my coconut milk short latte and offering to buy my cousins, I reach for my money in my pocket. No money to be felt. And I did put it in there. Damn. I must have dropped it along the way when I took my phone out. I ran back along the esplanade, not hopeful but having to give it a try, and found the colourful $20 note sitting near the footpath. People must have passed, as there were people everywhere - good karma was with me that day. Thank you, Fremantle peeps.

Freo would be a great place to live - casual vibe, artists, beach (and surf beach nearby), and of course, the choice of eateries. My place. Just need to find that in Adelaide. Hmm.

Atmosphere @ Eat at Whalers

On the waterfront at Encounter Bay, backed by the bluff, this is a perfect spot to end the day. Indoors or outdoors, the views are only interrupted by the palm trees swaying out front in the carpark.

I've been twice recently, both thanks to Fleruieu Living Magazine. As a guest at a launch, and then to photograph two chefs and their delicious creations. Both days were packed. Day or night, the atmosphere is beachside calm and trendy. Nice.

www.whalersinnresort.com.au

www.fleurieuliving.com.au

Cash Store Cafe, Gilles Street ADL

This cute cafe at 269 Gilles Street in Adelaide is a tiny treasure. The Lemonade sign is enough to get me in. And the old wooden doors that lead in. Then there are the salads. I order a chicken salad, and get all the trimmings. Yummo. $11 for a salad and drink,  yes please.

I am introduced to this character by a friend who works nearby. And it seems all who work nearby know about this place. Lunch trade is rockin'. As I bite into my fork full of sundried tomato, avocado, and chicken - I realise why.

Same time next week?

Lucky Lupitas... lucky us.

 

What do you do when you can't escape overseas? Go eat out, on international food. I haven't been to Mexico, so can't comment on the authenticity - but damn, this is fine food.  Lucky Lupitas.

In an unfortunate location perhaps, just outside of Flinders Medical Centre, with not much parking. This little cantina packs a punch. So many rave reviews. Frequent waits for tables.

Why? No bookings. Fresh, basic, tasty food. Casual and friendly service.

Cute mismatched cutlery and glassware to match the granny tables. Green walls. Funky lightbulb feature lights. Rustic. Music. Music that my three year old daughter bops to. A vibe to comfort and relax.

Yuca Fritas - taking me back to Brazil.

Hamburguesa Hogao - converting me to the meat in bun meal

Elote - the tastiest corn and condiments I have ever eaten.

And I think we all loved the crsip, salty, every so just right, papas fritas.

We went for our eight year wedding anniversary. At home, we watched our wedding video. We saw us speaking of our travels, watching a belly dancer perform, and us dancing salsa and merengue to Turkish music. How cultural.

Next?