Sometimes it can be downright difficult finding restaurants that are delicious and healthy. Thankfully there are places like Amphora that not only serve nutritious, scrumptious food, they also provide inspiration for making these things at home.
My friend Elizabeth introduced Bear and I to this wonderful little spot in St. Lucia (Brisbane) last weekend. I immediately fell in love with the serene interior: cool white linens, turquoise chairs, and shuttered windows letting in a soft glow of light. I felt like I’d been transported to springtime Greece instead of wintry Australia.
Amphora is a BYO (bring your own) restaurant. We’d anticipated this and bought two bottles of wine for our celebratory meal. Alas, we managed to leave them chilling nicely in the fridge. 🙂 Thankfully there was a wine shop just around the corner, so Bear nipped out and brought back a bottle of Riesling and nestled it into the bucket of ice our waitress provided for us.
Then we examined the menu, oohing and aahing our way through it as we read descriptions of pork loin breaded with rosemary and macadamia nuts and duck glazed with berry sauce. We couldn’t settle on any one thing, so we ordered a myriad of items via the Mezethes Platter along with a starter of fried Kefalotiri cheese with caramelized figs.
I’d never heard of Kefalotiri cheese, but it was fantastic – firm and salty and perfect with the sweet caramel figs. Swoon. I will definitely be picking some up the next time I’m at the Greek deli.
And then the Mezethes Platter arrived. Oh. My. Word.
This is my kind of eating. A massive platter filled with little bites to share – each one distinct in flavor, texture, and even temperature.
We ate our way through tender calamari (I confess I judge a restaurant by whether their calamari is like rubber or velvet), dolmades, slices of chorizo, smoky grilled peppers and eggplant, fried haloumi, salty feta, savory meatballs in tomato sauce, fresh veggies, and warm pita bread to dip in tzatiki, hummus, baba ghanouj (eggplant dip), taramosalata (fish roe dip), and skordalia (potato and garlic dip).
The dips were especially wonderful and I’m excited to try making the latter two at home soon.
It was all delicious and such a lovely meal to linger over, visiting happily and sighing contentedly over each bite.
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, our waitress brought us complimentary Turkish delight to go with our coffees. Soft, gooey, with just a hint of roses, it was a splendid bit of sweetness to end the meal.
With full bellies and beaming smiles, we lingered long over our coffees: Long Black, Flat White, and Cappuccino.
Should you find yourself in Brisbane craving beautifully prepared Mediterranean food, give Amphora a ring. Reservations are vital.
Amphora
Address: 36 Hawken Dr, St Lucia QLD 4067
Phone:(07) 3870 0788
What is your favorite restaurant to go to for inspiration?
Awesome meal! I love discovering a new restaurant and when it is healthy too, it is a bonus. Looks like you and the Bear had a wonderful meal.
Isn’t it fantastic, @4051406338aaef5dd8bf9775f8ab662d:disqus ? I was so happy to find it. Such a lovely break from the usual fish and chips fare. 🙂
What a perfect lunch and a wonderful celebration of Greek Food! Bear did a great choice with Brown Bros Riesling also.
I was impressed with his wine choice too, @bc700f7a2dff994b6fd7a151d97f18ce:disqus 🙂 Mmm, it went beautifully with the Greek food. 🙂
Looks like the type of restaurant where ‘gluten free’ or ‘lactose free’ would be no problem. I also commend the Brown Bros choice – fine Victorian wines we first discovered when we lived in Melbourne, before no. 1 daughter was born 🙂
You are so right, @ken_powell:disqus There;s something for every diet here. 🙂 So glad you recommend Brown Bros too! I really don’t know much about Australian wines so it’s been trial and error for me. 🙂
This reminds me of restaurants in Israel – similar food, and similar large portions! It’s my kind of place. By the way Krista, thank you so much for your comment on my ‘Care, care, care’ post, it means a lot to me.
I have so loved your Israel posts, @bcdeb9873aa58892d29aa565c71353f5:disqus 🙂 One day I WILL visit that country and eat my way through. 🙂 You are so welcome for the comment. You are able to articulate these things so brilliantly and I’m so thankful there are people like you who write about painful things with such clarity and heart. xo
Oh boy does the food look good! It looks fresh and flavorful! I have never seen such amazing greek food in a restaurant. Wonderful! Now I want to go out to eat. Lovely meal.
I hadn’t either, @71eb07213759ab4e5611e1dd9f1df8a7:disqus It was REAL Greek food – made from scratch with amazing ingredients. I just loved it. 🙂
What a beautiful meal…and your foodtography was/is spectacular! Thanks for sharing.
You killed me with this post! It is 5:30 a.m. in Seattle and my mouth is watering for a bit of everything you showed us. I enjoyed your meal almost as much as I bet you did!
What a fantastic meal and you captured it so nicely with your camera. You’ve given me some great ideas for at home meals. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary
love the fig and k——– idea. this looks yummy, yummy.
as for inspiration restaurants?! too many to count, i hope to keep saying that for a very long time!
http://mlleparadis.blogspot.com
Wow! Look at that platter… I could dive right in!
That looks delicious Krista. Photos are terrific! You & Bear have some great adventures. I am going to put ‘Amphora’s’ number in my phone now. I find it difficult to know where to eat in Brisbane. 🙂 .x
wow, what a lovely meal. I used to live not far from Brown Brothers – love the stuff. 🙂
This meal looks amazing. I want to lick the screen 🙂
You found a real winner in this restaurant…everything looks wonderful.
This meal has me giddy!
Wooooow, that meal just looks amazing and I’m the same as you, if the calamari’s not cooked right, I’m not a happy bunny. 🙂
Julia
I agree that it’s difficult to find healthy restaurants, and especially ones that serve for alternative diets. I’ve just recently been forced onto a gluten and dairy free diet and so far it has been interesting…going out to eat is a challenge. There is usually only one or two things I can have on the menu…sign
Everything in those pictures look so delicious and mouth-watering. I live in Sydney. I visit the place often. My next trip I am trying out this place for sure.