ginadit

I was a bit underwhelmed when we turned up for dessert. The service is a bit dry and uninviting and could be improved. The creme caramel was awesome! Lots of sauce and served with a big dollop of fresh cream. I also ordered a cappuccino but it was undrinkable because it tasted scorched.

I'd return to try some of the other menu items, perhaps for dinner, but I'd really like to feel more welcomed next time.

The Taverner was a nice surprise, especially as it's tucked away in Brisbane's northern suburbs. Our first experience was the warmest of warm welcomes from Ashley, our waitress. She was helpful, accommodating and always smiling.

First up we had a huge bowl of chips with aioli and for once, the aioli wasn't like a little sample dish. There was plenty of it to last the whole bowl of chips and it was tasty too. I had tempura prawns with an Asian salad. The prawns were fantastic but the salad was a bit lacking; not much flavour and not enough of it to be a substantial vegetable accompaniment.

My friend had the Lemongrass and Chilli Bisque which was festooned with halved yabbies. Unfortunately it was difficult to eat and there was very little evidence of lemongrass or chilli in the bisque.

The wines were great and there's also a pretty decent cocktails menu on offer. The atmosphere is pleasant and spacious with seating available inside or outside.

The best thing about our visit was the service but I did love those prawns too. Oh, and the chips ;)

Took my son here for his 16th birthday and when we walked in, the first thing he said was: "It smells like Nonna's house!" That's high praise indeed. In fact, the home made bread at Stella Star was indeed just like Nonna bakes.

We enjoyed some lovely dishes including a caprese salad with the freshest buffalo mozzarella, home made bread with three dips, spinach and ricotta cannelloni with bechamel and napoletana sauce and veal scallopine with mushroom sauce.

The crepes suzette was to die for! Very buttery and citrusy, delicious!

The wait staff including the owner, Louie are attentive and friendly. All in all we enjoyed our lunch and look forward to returning some time soon.

Such a lovely lady serving behind the counter! Sometimes when you ask for something to be freshly cooked but there's already some in the bain marie, you get awful looks. This lady was different though :). She didn't mind cooking up a fresh batch and she was very pleasant and chatty as well.

They do the best potato gems and gravy!!

Frankly I don't know how the food court at Centro Lutwyche survives but I'm glad it does.

There are always lots of goodies to browse at on the way in. I like to have a look when I have time to kill. There are recipe books, novels, gift items and even Darrell Lea chocolates (for who knows how long?).

The staff are friendly, you can do all your Lotto/Pools and scratchies, as you'd expect in any newsagent. They also have a big range of magazines, greeting cards, stationery and office supplies.

The very first thing you notice at King Ludwig's is the wholeheartedly warm welcome! We happened across the restaurant on a day trip to Maleny and we were particularly looking for somewhere to eat that was 'country', with great food, mountain views and where we could buy alcohol to enjoy with our meal.

We ended up at King Ludwig's and can't rave highly enough about it! Barbara welcomed us at the door with open arms as though we were old friends and when she told us the restaurant was almost fully booked, she apologetically told us that the only table available was on the verandah. No apology necessary!! It was exactly the table we would have asked for! Being the verandah, temps can be a bit cool at this time of year so each chair is draped with a blanket for the patrons' laps. Additionally, there are plastic pull-down 'blinds' that keep out the cold but which don't hinder the view at all. The views are magnificent, right across the entire Glasshouse Mountains landscape and beyond!

The food was absolutely delicious. We had a roast pork dish and a coral trout dish plus a side of the pan fried potatoes. My friend had a large German beer and was thrilled with it.

We lingered for a couple of hours, chatting and taking in the views and we were checked on several times to ensure we didn't need anything else.

The whole atmosphere at King Ludwig's is convivial and relaxed, as though you're at a family occasion where you don't have to cook or wash up.

We can't wait to go back again to repeat the experience!! Thank you to Barbara and staff for a wonderful afternoon :)

Valentino's has been around since 1985 (their cups say so!) and in all that time, the coffee has never wavered. It's always top quality, made with pride by the cafe owners.

They have a coffee loyalty e-card for which you can download an app and every time you buy a coffee, you scan the QR code to tick off another cup. I think your tenth cup is free.

The staff are friendly and there's always plenty of room to sit as the cafe is located in the food court. They also offer a pretty decent range of Italian food and sweets.

I've dealt with Carmel from Budget Bitch on a number of occasions. She has helped me with questions I've had concerning personal finances and one day the phone rang in response to a question I'd posed on Facebook. I thought it was such a silly, basic question that I was almost embarrassed to post it but Carmel saw it as the perfect opportunity to help.

Despite her 'colourful' business name, Carmel doesn't belittle people or make them feel inadequate. There's actually nothing bitchy about her and in fact, she's empathetic and compassionate, although firm and fair.

If you seriously want help with your budgeting and personal finances, get real and call Budget Bitch :)

The presentation of the store and things like the menus is impressive. The ice creams all look utterly delicious in their tubs and the menu items on the big, lit-up display board are very tempting. The ice cream itself is, I think, nothing too special but obviously people must love them because they're expensive and yet, Movenpick is still popular and growing.

The staff at Emporium Movenpick were very nice ... helpful, friendly and efficient. The location is pretty good for the Valley, considering there is free parking and lots of other dining options before going to Movenpick for dessert.

The store is clean, well maintained and there are gas heaters outside to keep patrons warm.

Only Oz (or Only Australian) is a grocer that stocks ONLY Australian products. You may or may not have noticed but Coles and Woolworths simply don't stock some brands anymore and refuse to get them in. One example is Poppy Custard Powder which I can now only purchase through Only Oz. Another example is that I couldn't find a tube of cleaning cream for my iron. Found that at Only Oz too.

The range is ever expanding and you might even find some nostalgic brands that you'd almost forgotten about.

Shipping is cheap, packaging is excellent and the service is always reliable and prompt. If you'd prefer not to give your credit card details online, they offer a range of payment options. You can even go into their business at Enoggera and buy what you want in person.

It's very refreshing to see a business that stocks only Aussie products, especially when the Big 2 refuse.

Support a good, family-run business that has our best interests at heart.