http://www.alfredandconstance.com.au/
In a very short period of time Alfred & Constance has become a place to see and be seen. It's no surprise really, a lot of planning went into A&C by owner Damien Griffith and he has done so to perfection. One of the best things about A&C is that it is many things to many people; It has The Vanguard, which is a beer garden and restaurant (which I checked out on opening night, you can see the post here); White Lightening Tiki Bar, the obligorary cocktail bar; Alfred's Cafe for those who want a simple bite at lunchtime and finally the Late-night Dessert Cafe which is self explanatory!
It was the Late-night Desert Cafe that had me out on a weeknight to check out the latest offerings and sample some of the lovely desserts. It was an interesting mix of people I would be hanging with on the night, included a fashion photographer, a well known local book retailer and business owner, a stylist from a well known magazine, a hair dresser and a public relations specialist!
I was the first to arrive at A&C which gave me the opportunity to wander around and take some photos of Alfred's Cafe, which doubles as the Dessert Cafe after hours. There was a really comfortable feel with dimmed lighting and heaps of comfy looking chairs and couches spread out over the floor. I also noticed a mishmash of retro chick items placed around the walls with one of the walls essentially being a stack of old stereo speakers....
As the rest of the night's party started to assemble we were greeted with what seems to be the cocktail of choice in Brisbane at the moment, some espresso martinis! I'm not a big drinker, so I politely sipped at mine for a bit and as far as cocktails go, it was good, really good. We spent some time sipping espresso martinis and getting to know each other a bit, and exchanging twitter and instagram details, before we moved over to our table and were presented with a small but diverse dessert menu.
The idea behind Alfred & Constances dessert cafe is to provide some alternatives to the well established dessert bars around town, not that there are many of them. While the menu is not extensive, there are quite a few classic and contemporary dessert options, all of which look fabulous. The plan for the night was for a selection of desserts to come out and for our table to sample each.
All of the desserts were brought out at the same time and, as a new group of friends are, politely passed the desserts around to have portions cut for our plates. First up for me was the sticky date pudding with butterscotch ice cream and vanilla sauce. I must admit to not being a fan of sticky date puddings and often take every opportunity to avoid them. After sampling the A&C version of a sticky date, I am wondering if I have been missing out all along! It was stunning, with soft moist sticky date cake bathed in a bed of vanilla sauce. When I mixed the pudding and sauce together, the dessert elevated to an amazing level. It was not the prettiest of desserts to look at, but boy it was sensational.
Next up was a more refined looking classic creme caramel with orange segments. Again, I am not normally a huge fan of creme caramel, with many I have tried being too sickly sweet with caramel. The A&C version of the dessert was not overly sweet, with what sweetness there was being offset by the slightly acidic orange flavour and orange segments. The custard was set beautifully and had a deliciously subtle flavour that was not overpowered by the sauce. So far two for two!
The soft centred chocolate putting with almond praline and vanilla ice cream was next and heralded the return of a very rustic looking dish. In the same way that the sticky date pudding was not the prettiest of dishes, the chocolate pudding was delicious. This time the dessert was richer than the previous samples and had that bitter chocolate flavour that indicates a large amount of real cacao. While I really enjoyed the chocolate pudding, my only complaint was that it didn't have the soft centre as promised, so it was just a few minutes too long in the oven. Not a huge problem, but I do wonder what it would have been like with an oozy chocolate centre.....
Continuing the trend of desserts that I normally don't order or like was the pear and plum crumble with vanilla bean ice cream. It may be hard to believe, but I don't remember ever having had a crumble in my life! I'm not sure why, but I have always avoided them on menus, but I sure am glad this dessert was on the table. Without doubt it was my favourite dessert of the night and I know I won't be avoiding crumbles in the future. The pear and plum had a lovely mix of sweet and tart and in combination of the crumbly coating on top, was a perfect mix of flavours and textures. Again, it was a rustic looking dessert, but this only added to it's charm. Alright, I'm going to say it omnomnom!
I had a great time at Alfred & Constance's Late Night Dessert Cafe and before I knew it, it was 10:30 and time for me to call it a night (it was after all a work night). My new friend the fashion photographer was keen to take the night upstairs to the Tiki bar, which would have been fun, but I needed to call my ride!
While I only sampled four of the desserts on offer, there were quite a few more that looked interesting and would definitely be on my 'must try' list. There was one in particular which has piqued my curiosity and must be tried, the meyer lemon and polenta cake with rose jelly and pistachio ice cream.
My last trip into the valley for dessert in a more established dessert bar did not go so well (you can read about it here), so I am really pleased that there is a new option in the heart of the city's party district. The A&C dessert bar will essentially stay open until the last person leaves, so that leaves plenty of time midweek or weekends for you to get in and try it. I know where I will be going the next time I have an after dinner desire to satisfy my sweet tooth!
@FoodMeUpScotty
** I was a gust of Alfred & Constance and Lucid Media for this event
In a very short period of time Alfred & Constance has become a place to see and be seen. It's no surprise really, a lot of planning went into A&C by owner Damien Griffith and he has done so to perfection. One of the best things about A&C is that it is many things to many people; It has The Vanguard, which is a beer garden and restaurant (which I checked out on opening night, you can see the post here); White Lightening Tiki Bar, the obligorary cocktail bar; Alfred's Cafe for those who want a simple bite at lunchtime and finally the Late-night Dessert Cafe which is self explanatory!It was the Late-night Desert Cafe that had me out on a weeknight to check out the latest offerings and sample some of the lovely desserts. It was an interesting mix of people I would be hanging with on the night, included a fashion photographer, a well known local book retailer and business owner, a stylist from a well known magazine, a hair dresser and a public relations specialist!
I was the first to arrive at A&C which gave me the opportunity to wander around and take some photos of Alfred's Cafe, which doubles as the Dessert Cafe after hours. There was a really comfortable feel with dimmed lighting and heaps of comfy looking chairs and couches spread out over the floor. I also noticed a mishmash of retro chick items placed around the walls with one of the walls essentially being a stack of old stereo speakers....
As the rest of the night's party started to assemble we were greeted with what seems to be the cocktail of choice in Brisbane at the moment, some espresso martinis! I'm not a big drinker, so I politely sipped at mine for a bit and as far as cocktails go, it was good, really good. We spent some time sipping espresso martinis and getting to know each other a bit, and exchanging twitter and instagram details, before we moved over to our table and were presented with a small but diverse dessert menu.The idea behind Alfred & Constances dessert cafe is to provide some alternatives to the well established dessert bars around town, not that there are many of them. While the menu is not extensive, there are quite a few classic and contemporary dessert options, all of which look fabulous. The plan for the night was for a selection of desserts to come out and for our table to sample each.
All of the desserts were brought out at the same time and, as a new group of friends are, politely passed the desserts around to have portions cut for our plates. First up for me was the sticky date pudding with butterscotch ice cream and vanilla sauce. I must admit to not being a fan of sticky date puddings and often take every opportunity to avoid them. After sampling the A&C version of a sticky date, I am wondering if I have been missing out all along! It was stunning, with soft moist sticky date cake bathed in a bed of vanilla sauce. When I mixed the pudding and sauce together, the dessert elevated to an amazing level. It was not the prettiest of desserts to look at, but boy it was sensational.
Next up was a more refined looking classic creme caramel with orange segments. Again, I am not normally a huge fan of creme caramel, with many I have tried being too sickly sweet with caramel. The A&C version of the dessert was not overly sweet, with what sweetness there was being offset by the slightly acidic orange flavour and orange segments. The custard was set beautifully and had a deliciously subtle flavour that was not overpowered by the sauce. So far two for two!
The soft centred chocolate putting with almond praline and vanilla ice cream was next and heralded the return of a very rustic looking dish. In the same way that the sticky date pudding was not the prettiest of dishes, the chocolate pudding was delicious. This time the dessert was richer than the previous samples and had that bitter chocolate flavour that indicates a large amount of real cacao. While I really enjoyed the chocolate pudding, my only complaint was that it didn't have the soft centre as promised, so it was just a few minutes too long in the oven. Not a huge problem, but I do wonder what it would have been like with an oozy chocolate centre.....
Continuing the trend of desserts that I normally don't order or like was the pear and plum crumble with vanilla bean ice cream. It may be hard to believe, but I don't remember ever having had a crumble in my life! I'm not sure why, but I have always avoided them on menus, but I sure am glad this dessert was on the table. Without doubt it was my favourite dessert of the night and I know I won't be avoiding crumbles in the future. The pear and plum had a lovely mix of sweet and tart and in combination of the crumbly coating on top, was a perfect mix of flavours and textures. Again, it was a rustic looking dessert, but this only added to it's charm. Alright, I'm going to say it omnomnom!
While I only sampled four of the desserts on offer, there were quite a few more that looked interesting and would definitely be on my 'must try' list. There was one in particular which has piqued my curiosity and must be tried, the meyer lemon and polenta cake with rose jelly and pistachio ice cream.
My last trip into the valley for dessert in a more established dessert bar did not go so well (you can read about it here), so I am really pleased that there is a new option in the heart of the city's party district. The A&C dessert bar will essentially stay open until the last person leaves, so that leaves plenty of time midweek or weekends for you to get in and try it. I know where I will be going the next time I have an after dinner desire to satisfy my sweet tooth!
@FoodMeUpScotty
** I was a gust of Alfred & Constance and Lucid Media for this event
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| Such a cool mix of seats and weird and wonderful wall items |
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| The Dessert bar and cafe |
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| Thee is also a wide range of cakes and other offerings that change daily |
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