Alto Cucina & Bar

Shop 47, The Oasis Shopping Centre

Victoria Avenue, Broadbeach Mall (beach end)

Broadbeach, Queensland

Australia

This was my first venture “out to brekkie” since I arrived back home from Afghanistan. To tell you the truth, it was long overdue. One of my closest friends recommended this place and seeing as though I was in that part of the world, I thought I’d give Alto a crack. It was a beautiful Queensland winter’s morning. The sun was just breaking over the trees leading to the beach and the market vendors had been selling their wares for a good couple of hours already.

Before I get into the food, I really have to mention the service at this place. In short, it was flawless. To be welcomed with such warmth and enthusiasm was refreshing to say the least. We chose a table outside in the sun and got down to ordering through our bubbly and relaxed waitress. What happened next will need some back-story so please bear with me. I thought I had some time to answer the call of nature so I departed the scene leaving my friend at the table. Two busted/closed/engaged toilets – and about ten minutes – later I returned to the restaurant. I was told that the food had already come out and when the waitress had noticed that I wasn’t at the table, she took both meals back to the kitchen to be placed under the warmers and she promised she’d keep an eye out for my return. I was sitting down for less than twenty seconds and our food was in front of us. First goal kicked.

Now down to what you’re all eager to hear about, the food. I ordered plain-old-run-o’-the-mill bacon and eggs. They come as you want them and with additional sides that are very reasonably priced. My meal was in the ballpark of seventeen bucks plus a couple of coffees. So here we go:

Bacon and Eggs @ Alto

Mushrooms – Perfectly seasoned and cooked. As you all know I’m a fun-guy (ahem) and could’ve eaten a whole bowl of these bad boys.

Hash Browns – Not as crispy as I’d like however pleasant and tasty nonetheless.

Bacon – Lean, beautifully cooked and not a hint of grease. Really hit the spot.

Eggs – I asked for poached and I was very happy with them. Not poached in the “traditional” way in water but in an egg poacher. Turned out very well with a firm white and silky, runny yolk.

Turkish Bread – Another option you can choose for a small increase in price. Perfectly toasted and -what I appreciated – butter on the side. I don’t usually have butter on toast with eggs so it was nice to either take it or leave it for a change.

Large café latte – This was a highball glass showcasing a double shot of the most awesome coffee I’ve had in a long time. It had the perfect temperature, smooth taste and just large enough to not want another one….although I did, so I did.

So there you have it. One of my most memorable brekkie experiences in recent times. The food was well above standard however as I alluded to earlier, the real winner here was the service. If all brekkie cafes were run like this, the world would be a far better place. Bravo Alto, I now have another reason to spend the night at the Gold Coast.

Breakfast in the line of duty

Low Impact vs High Impact Brekkie

US Army Dining Facility, Somewhere in Afghanistan

It is a widely known proverb that “an army marches on their stomach”. For mine, this brings forth images of the early 20^th century in the theatres of war around Europe and the South Pacific of soldiers tucking into their far-from-delicious ration packs of bully beef, hard tack and biscuits you could use to chock the wheels of a Jeep. Times have certainly changed, with the ration packs being super charged with carbs and sugar to keep the energy levels up for the gun slingers out in the wilderness, fighting the good fight.

For those of the armed forces and support staff that aren’t taking the fight “outside the wire”, there is the dining facility (or D-FAC for short) to get your three squares a day. Generally the food is of a good quality considering where you are in the world and how many personnel the caterers are serving on a day-to-day basis.

Approaching the half way mark of my four month deployment, I have been moved to the night shift. Because my working day is now from 2300 to 1100, I have the opportunity to partake in my favourite meal of the day and give as much attention to the Morning Glory as it deserves.....

My first venture into the morning meal was what I’ve coined as the “Low Impact Brekkie”. Back home this would be the daily staple for the majority of the population to get their day started, a balanced meal loaded with carbs to give you energy throughout the day.

So here we go, the Low Impact Brekkie:

Kellogg’s Special K with red berries:

This is an old favourite of mine from my two tours in Iraq. I was very happy to see this on the shelf at the D-FAC and jumped at the opportunity to blog about it. The strawberries are super-dried and the trick is to put the milk into the bowl and leave it for about five minutes, ensuring that all strawberries are suitably submerged. The downside to this bowl of cereal is that it provides nearly 25% of your daily intake of sodium and worth 240 calories. I know that I don’t EVER bang on about calories and salt when it comes to breakfasts however if this is what you’re going to be eating on a daily basis, you might want to look for a less saltier/sugary alternative. For those of you playing at home, those alternatives are few and far between, with even the bread being sweeter than what it is back in Australia. Fruit salad may be your only option in this dilemma.

Blueberry Bagel with butter:

Australia doesn’t do bagels like the yanks, and it’s a pity because they’re just so damn delicious. There was little evidence of real blueberries in these particular ones however the artificial flavouring and colouring were there in all their glory. Not that I gave a toss, I had a hankering for bagels and they certainly delivered. They were lightly toasted on the outside to give the crispness against the doughy inside, the salty butter complimenting the sweet flavours of the faux-berries made it all come together. As a result, I’ve regained my crack-like addiction to bagels and there’ll be some cold turkey to deal with when I get home. Just think “Trainspotting” crossed with a Jewish bakery and you’ll get the idea.

Apple Juice:

It’s in a box, nothing new to report here.

Results:

Overall I was super-satisfied with this start to the day. Wasn’t too light, filled a hole and put me in good spirits as I was fighting back an attack of the yawns in my eighth hour of work.

As I put off my coffee until I got back to my workshop (read my thoughts on American coffee in the “Great Hawaiian Disappointment” of 2009) I didn’t feel as if I was going to explode on the walk back to the car. However that feeling may be reserved for my attempt at the High Impact Brekkie tomorrow morning.....

Friday, 14 May 2010. 6:30am. I knew this was coming. I had been gearing myself up for this for the past 24hrs and knew that I couldn’t let the fans of the blog down. Putting my own health at risk, I attempted one of the largest brekkies I’ve ever had. I had the option of going for the American-style bacon, however those of you who’ve read my work before would be well aware of my thoughts of their style of the cured meat of cloven hoof. I took in a deep breath, closed my eyes and concentrated on masticating for the Morning Glory.....

High Impact Brekkie:

Omelette with everything (and they’re not kidding):

This was my first venture into the realm of “everything”. I usually limit myself to one omelette per week containing the obligatory ham, cheese and tomato. For you guys though, I went the whole hog and ordered everything. The young man from the sub-continent looked at us and with a broad smile, said “yes, everything for you”. Sure it’s powdered eggs, but you’re in the middle of a war zone and you’ll find the ‘harden up pills’ over next to the teaspoons of cement (take one of each). On went the orange American Jack cheese, jalapeños, tomato, spring onion, mushrooms, tomato and ham....handfuls of the stuff! Once it was cooked and folded, it took up over half of my plate. To tell the honest truth, it tasted amazing. I’m not sure if it’s because my standards have lowered over the past two months because of where I’ve been working, however the flavours that exploded in my mouth were a refreshing surprise. The slight sting of the jalapeños, the mild mushrooms and the melted cheese had me forgetting that I was eating something that was near-on the size of my head surrounded by people who’d prefer to remove it.

Hash Browns:

Deep fried to perfection. Sure they were once frozen, but like I’ve said before, you’ve got to remember where you are.

Plain bagel with strawberry and blueberry jam:

I cooked this myself so if there was anything wrong with the preparation of the bagel, it’d be my fault. In light of this, it was awesome. Like crack to me, remember?

Strawberry Milk:

Nearly O.D’d on coffee last night so I thought I’d go with something without caffeine. It’s UHT milk, it’s artificial strawberry. You deal with it.

So there you have it. I challenge anyone to find a breakfast review from the middle of a war zone. I’m quietly confident that this is the first time in the history of the world that it’s been done and I’m privileged to be able to provide it to you. I mean, if you’re going to make anything your first, the best option is to go with an old friend, your Morning Glory.

Mum's Magnificent Gluten Free Muesli

As much as I would like this to be a world where eating nothing but full English breakfasts and Pancake stacks, would have no physical consequence. The reality is, we can't eat that every day. We need vitamins, amino acids, essential oils, fibre etc. to keep our bodies in tip-top shape. This is why I'm introducing you all to my staple, something I eat for breakfast most days of the week.

After my morning workout I sit at my desk and chow into this. Often getting many questions as to what it is. Those who know their shizzle with food ask about it enthusiastically. Those who think white bread is gourmet, look at it like it's an alien.

So first of all, this muesli is gluten-free. For some, gluten is an irritant to their bodies, so this muesli works well for just about everyone.

This recipe makes 12 litres, 2-3 months supply for two people.

Now there is quite a few ingredients in this muesli so I'll break it down.

First, there are the fruits & nuts

• 500g of Macadamia's
• 250g of dried Paw Paw
• 250g of dried Peaches
• 170g of Craisins (Cranberries)
• 250g of dried Pineapple
• 2 x 375g packs of dried Pineapple
• 600g of Dates
• 200g of dried Apple

Now for the grains and seeds

• 250ml of Prune juice (yes I know its fruit but its in this pic)
• 450g of Organic Quinoa flakes
• 500g of Pepita's (Pumpkin Seeds)
• 500g of raw Buckwheat
• 500g of Gluten free Rice Bran
• 250g of puffed Millet
• 250g of puffed Brown Rice
• 200g of puffed Amaranth
• 250g of puffed Quinoa

Pre-heat the oven to 150c

Line baking trays with baking paper

Chop dried fruit and nuts into bite size pieces

Put into a massive bowl the chopped fruit

In a second bowl put the Macadamia's and half the cereals. Mix with half the prune juice.

Add the rest of the cereals and prune juice and mix.

It's easy to pull up from the bottom. Use double prune juice if you wish to make it wetter.

Lay cereal mix onto baking trays.

Cook for 20 mins per batch. You may like to vary the cooking time depending on your tastes.

note: The mix goes crispy as it cools.

Add dried fruit and mix together well.

Let cool in open air and then put into airtight containers.

This is a recipe that you, of course, can add what you like in the quantities that suit you.

It's perfect with yogurt with fruit or honey. You could also mix it with oats (no longer gluten-free due to contamination) and may great oatmeal/porridge.

So there you have it! A healthy nutritious breakfast. You only need a small amount to keep you going all morning.

Let us know if you give it a go and any variations you do.

Enjoy!

Keffi - Atlantic Eggs

I honestly believe I was a Bear living up in the top half of North America in a past life. Such is my love for Salmon. I also growl and like to sleep.

Whether it be smoked, baked, BBQ'd or as Sashimi, it is a marvellous fish.

Frequenting my regular, Keffi, I was surprised by a special called "Atlantic Eggs".

Eggs, Atlantic smoked Salmon and balsamic cherry tomatoes. I saw Salmon and ordered.

A word of warning, if hung over, this could be too much. It is very rich.

Don't get me wrong, it is a lovely change from smoked salmon benedict style dishes, but its not one for the weak stomach.

The smoked salmon was lovely, as were the tomatoes, tart with the balsamic and really balanced the richness of the salmon nicely.

The eggs were superb, but a lot. My only questioning thought, the english muffin. Why? The dish would be best without, or at least without the second half. Both people who bought this dish, did not use it.

This feed my body and brain with rich Omega 3's and the high protein filled me up for the day. Recommended!

Hog's Breath Cafe

Our "Guest Blogger", Corey, got such a good response, he has decided to join us here at Morning Glory.

Welcome aboard, Corey. We all look forward to more of your amusing posts in the future.

What springs to mind when you think of a themed franchise restaurant? Same measured food, same price, same staff, same nostalgic crap on the walls.

The same can be said for Hog's Breath Cafe, Morayfield in Queensland. This is my local HBC franchise and this was my first venture into the establishment for brekkie. Not all of the franchisees choose to serve “the cornerstone meal of the day” over the weekend however I'm happy to say that the management have kicked a goal.

As you would expect, there's a skeleton staff on hand (big thanks to the Australian Government for abolishing time-and-a-half and such for the service industry. This isn't a political blog so I'm just going to leave that there for you to ponder) and the place was dead quiet. There were six of us - three hungry adults and three active kids who spent more time at the adjacent playground than at the table - a father and daughter enjoying an early lunch and a young family inside. Might have been busier earlier in the day as we arrived at about 10:30am, bordering on the brekkie/lunch handover.

Lets have a look at the fare on offer:

Boss Hog's Big Breakfast:

Vienna loaf – Toasted lightly and crisp

Two poached eggs – Weren't traditionally poached in water/vinegar but still good and runny

Three hashbrowns – Deep fried to perfection

Bacon – Leaning towards “American style” however didn't have so much fat as to make you feel dirty by eating it

Breakfast steak – Thin and tender, an excellent effort and well complimented with the bbq sauce provided

The rest: Caramelised onions, cheese, lettuce and a freakin' mountain of mushrooms (these were the stand out. I've not had mushrooms this good for a long time)

So what can I say. Don't order this if you're expecting to eat lunch....or even dinner. For a smidge under twenty bucks this is a shitload of food. I'm sorry to express it in such a vernacular however this is the only adjective that's suitable for this effort. I'm partial to a large-ish brekkie on the weekend however this knocked me for six. The mushrooms were amazing and everything on the plate went very well together. This dish just worked. Having breakfast steak so thin, yet so juicy and tender is a feat unto itself. On the downside, the first cafe latte was weak and made me feel a little less of a man, however I ordered the next one with a double shot and all was good in the world.

Our waitress was friendly and never too “in your face”. Checked once if we were enjoying our meal and was never too far away for coffee or clearing plates when we were done. Funny part was that she referred to past patrons and “patients” - turns out her other job is at a dental surgery - and we weren't sure if we needed to make a stop at the hospital on the way home.....

Hog's Breath Cafe. Same measured food (mountain of it), same price (very reasonable), same staff (friendly and down to earth), same nostalgic crap on the walls (you get the idea).

If a HBC franchise does weekend brekkie somewhere near you, I suggest you go check it out.

Guest Blogger – Corey Wilson

Sheraton Kaiulani Princess – Honolulu, Hawai’i

In my line of work, I’ve been sent to some pretty unsavoury places on our planet, so it was a nice change to attend a conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Not only did this give me the opportunity to spend a week on a lonely rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean during the southern winter, but to add some length to the Morning Glory by my own hand...

Ahem.

The clichés have been used ad nauseam with a certain meal being ‘the most important of the day’. The proof is in the poached eggs when you see the science on how a kick-started metabolism is the cornerstone of weight control and if you’re trying, weight loss. As this is a tourist-town in an annexed part of the USA, it’s not surprising that the only thing you can get for breakfast here is - you guessed it – American Style.

First cab (and might well be the last one) off the rank was at my motel, The Sheraton Kaiulani Princess in Honolulu. The cost of breakfast in my own hotel was the first thing to get me offside - twenty dollars (US of course) for a smorgasbord that only provides powdered eggs served as either scrambled or an omelette – of sorts. So let’s go through the items on my plate in no particular order of preference:


Powdered egg omelette: Contained diced bacon, onion, jack cheese, mushrooms and tomato.

Verdict – Wouldn’t feed it to a brown dog.

Turkey links: You can’t screw these up.

Verdict – As dry as the previous night’s martini.

Bacon: American style.

Verdict – Crispy and caused me to overdose on ‘meh’.

Hash browns: Made fresh with shredded potato.

Verdict – Undercooked and no where near enough seasoning.

Coffee: For my 20USD I was expecting a decent coffee. Not today. Americans seem happy to be over sugaring and guzzling crap-in-a-cup with non-dairy creamer.

Verdict – As bitter as a divorced lemon.

So there you have it. I know I might’ve come across as a bit of a bitch for my first Morning Glory entry (snigger) however I pride myself on giving credit where it’s due. That’s why The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is getting none from me following this piss-poor effort.

The Canadian Breakfast Experience

One of the benefits of being in love with a Canadian is experiencing Canada and all it has to offer.

Certainly one of the things Canada does well is breakfast and awesome ones at that. In fact it could very well be the home of the big breakfast. What other country is known for bacon that is named after itself (Canadian Bacon)?

The Canadian Breakfast Experience blogs are not so much of a review, I was having too much fun to critique, so therefore the below places wont be rated. They are an insight into the breakfast experience Canada has to offer.