Leave your thongs at home: Classy ways to spend Australia Day
Thursday 21 January, 2016
Australia, we think you’re tops! Our crystal clear waters, perennially gorgeous weather and stunning natural resources have helped us produce some of the world’s greatest achievements. We’re the nation that gifted the world with wi-fi, Tasmanian salmon and Elle McPherson circa 1990. So if there’s one thing we just can’t figure out, it’s why every year on January 26th we collectively seem to lose sight of our better selves and fall into very bad habits. Southern Cross bikinis, meat pies and those semi-patriotic singlets that cut all the way down to – who knows where, we’re sorry to say it friends but it’s time to get the scissors and cut it out for good. Let’s put a little class back into your Australia Day in Brisbane and spend it at Darling & Co with some true-blue Aussie icons.
The Wine
From the pristine rolling hills of the Yarra Valley to the spectacular untamed wilderness of South Australia’s Riverlands, if there’s one piece of iconography that this great country can boast, it’s our ability to produce a quality drop. Whether it’s a fruity and fragrant Sauvignon Blanc from the exceptional crew at Adelaide Hill’s SC Pannell, a ballsy, full-bodied small batch of chardonnay from Save Our Souls in the Yarra Valley, or the peppery youthfulness of Kaesler’s Barossa Valley Grenache, it’s easy to remember why we’ve been labelled “the lucky country.” Until the third bottle is ordered, that is, then we might struggle to remember which country we’re in at all.
The Food
We might be an island nation stuck below the equator but when it comes to world-class quality produce, the land down under always comes out on top. It would be a shame to assault your palette with a backyard snag this Australia Day when you have exquisite delicacies like locally sourced Noosa spanner crab, perfectly plump Mt Zero olives and Sunshine Coast yellow fin tuna tacos to sample instead. Brimming with ethically sourced and sustainable produce, our seasonal menu is more than just delicious, it’s a homage to everything great about this country – minus Kylie Minogue.
The Venue
Most importantly, an elegant Australia Day in Brisbane is just not complete without a venue to match. Forget the local barefoot bowls club, this is your nation’s birthday we’re talking about, and that requires just a little glamour. How about wiling away your afternoon in the city’s newest icon, Darling & Co? Tucked away in the charming and historical suburb of Paddington and just a hop, skip and high-heeled teeter from the CBD, our freshly renovated premises is the perfect balance between old world glamour and new world sophistication.
Don’t fall into the same patriotic slump this January 26th, join us at Darling & Co for an Australia Day in Brisbane with a whole lot more panache.