Last weekend when I was back in Brisbane to celebrate my birthday with old friends and see Fame with my parentals, I was delighted when Dad suggested doing dinner at Jeremy's Espresso Bistro in Albert Street, near the Brisbane botanical gardens. A family favourite for many years, Jeremy's never fails to impress me and stand out from what is unfortunately still a city with relatively sub-par CBD dining. I have eaten at Jeremy's for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the last few years since discovering it way back when I first moved to Brisbane for uni. Not once have I had an unpleasant experience. The food is outstanding and the service is beyond excellent.
On this occasion, we rocked up at an early 5.30pm with ravenous appetites after having a late Saturday breakfast and skipping lunch. We were welcomed immediately by our delightful waiter who had the thickest Italian accent I have heard. He ensured us the best seats in a cosy corner of the restaurant (I do love cosy corners!) and gave us his undivided attention all evening - I suppose one of the benefits of getting in super early! To start, I had a glass of pinot noir (I can't remember the rest of the details) and we were presented with a complimentary appetiser, a spoonful of tender marinated lamb and pinenuts atop a creamy parsnip puree. It was an explosion of flavour in one tiny mouthful...what a treat!
On this occasion, we rocked up at an early 5.30pm with ravenous appetites after having a late Saturday breakfast and skipping lunch. We were welcomed immediately by our delightful waiter who had the thickest Italian accent I have heard. He ensured us the best seats in a cosy corner of the restaurant (I do love cosy corners!) and gave us his undivided attention all evening - I suppose one of the benefits of getting in super early! To start, I had a glass of pinot noir (I can't remember the rest of the details) and we were presented with a complimentary appetiser, a spoonful of tender marinated lamb and pinenuts atop a creamy parsnip puree. It was an explosion of flavour in one tiny mouthful...what a treat!
For entrees, we shared a plate of melt-in-your mouth seared scallops on potato blini with sauce veirge along with some crusty toasted sourdough, a generous helping of juicy kalamata olives and a fruity Italian extra virgin olive oil. As if on cue, our waiter launched into an animated story about his family's olive oil business back in Italy and his love of one of my favourite things in the world: olive oil with bread. Yuuuum. I could totally live off that delightful little combo. None of this butter business, I'm all about the olive oil.
Our mains were served quickly after, and proved yet again that Jeremy's can do no wrong. Dad and I ordered the special: Beef Eye Fillet with Truffled Mash, Roasted Beetroot and Beef Jus. The thick cut of steak was cooked perfectly medium rare - we suspected first in the steamer and then in the pan to seal in the juices - and the buttery mash had a beautiful, silky consistency that complimented the sweetness and texture of the roasted beetroot wedges. Mum, who has a restricted diet due to health issues, had a generous helping of Chicken and Vegetable Scotch Broth and an enormous plate of fresh and colourful stir-fried vegetables. Yet another reason I love this place: the staff don't cringe when Mum has to explain that she is unable to eat most of the items on the regular menu. Many restaurants put her in the 'too-hard basket' and she ends up going hungry to avoid making a fuss. But Jeremy's chefs embrace the challenge and give her extra special treatment rather than complaining that she is a difficult customer. By all reports, both her meals were fantastic.
For the final course, I lashed out and went chocolate-crazy with the Chocolate and almond brownie with Valrhona chocolate sauce and vanilla bean ice cream. It was as decadent as it sounds and every bite to die for. The brownie was moist with a slight crispiness on the outside, and the perfect nutty texture inside was just the way I liked it! The chocolate sauce had a very dominant cocoa flavour and virtually no sweetness at all. This was unexpected at first but after a few more mouthfuls I decided it really balanced out the sweetness of the icecream and brownie itself. Jeremy's is elegant and sopisticated without being pretentious. This combined with the relaxed vibe and friendly atmosphere makes this Brisbane restaurant a winner in my books!
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