Brisbane - Samson Seafood; Bayside Seafood; Tanja's Cafe

Every year or so, we fly up to Brisbane to visit my oldest brother and his family. They live in a lovely bayside area, where the air is incredibly clean and refreshing. The locals are friendly and laid back, and the houses all so groomed and well-maintained - I find it fascinating that there is hardly a footpath in sight with the lush green lawns of front gardens growing straight down to meet the road.

Here are a few of my favourite local haunts:

Samson Seafood
Shop 25/152 Shore Street,
Raby Bay Harbour,
Cleveland, QLD 4163
(07) 3488 2088
Food: Seafood Cafe, Takeway, Hamburgers, Fish and Chips

It has become a tradition that during every stay, we indulge in a feastly dinner of fresh seafood, chips  and salad from the local Fish and Chippery, Samson Seafood. It sits right by the water in the Raby Bay Harbour complex, amongst other restaurants and an ice-cream parlour. The place is usually packed to the rafters every night of the week, especially during the hotter months, so we usually just call up to order take-away, to pick up 20-30 minutes later.

Samson's offers a plethora of fresh, filleted local fish including Hoki, Cod, Flake, John Dory, Sea Perch, Whiting, Barramundi, Snapper and Atlantic Salmon. All can be crumbed, battered or grilled, to order, and served with chips, salad, tartare sauce and lemon. The usual 'fish and chip' fare is also available, with burgers, chicken nuggets, dim sims, kabana, chicko rolls and pineapple fritters on the menu.

Cold Seafood Platter for Two with Garden Salad - this is the sort of food you really need to get your bare hands into to savour the flavours. The oysters had an incredibly refreshing and delicate mineral-like taste of the sea, the prawns plump and juicy and the crab was full of sweet, meaty flesh.

Hot Seafood Platter for Two with Thick-cut Chips - freshly crumbed and battered calamari rings, prawns, roe-on scallops and fish cocktails. Each bite was a great trigger to the senses, with a crunch from the crusty batter into the yielding seafood inside, followed by sweet juices trickling out and the smell of golden-brown deep-fried goodness mixed with a clean, ocean salt after-taste.

Our cheat's dessert of Sara Lee Apple Custard Crumble Snack Pies - oven-baked  with a warm centre of custard and diced, pink lady apples. Delish!

Bayside Seafood
360 Main Road
Wellington Point, QLD 4160
(07) 3207 2530
Food: Fresh fish and seafood wholesaler

I love Bayside Seafood for its guaranteed, freshly caught sandcrabs, at just $4.50c each! Mum and I always return to my brother's place from here, laden with a bagful of these suckers. We spend a great deal of time, eating our way through the sweet, succulent flesh of the crabs, making sure not to miss any meaty bits. They taste superb on their own, but for extra flavour, I dip the crabmeat into a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice, sea salt and white pepper. Mm mmm!

Tanja's Cafe Restaurant
372-374 Main Road
Wellington Point, QLD 4160
(also at Caloundra (QLD)
(07) 3207 3120

Food: Cafe, Breakfast, Modern Australian, Meditteranean, Seafood, Pizza

Sometimes, on our 10 minute drive to the scenic Wellington Point, we fuel up at Tanja's for a scumptious feed before continuing on (down the road) to our destination. With its fresh, organic produce-burdened menu and alfresco dining space, Tanja's makes you feel right at home with its down-to-earth staff and family-friendly atmosphere.

Hot Seafood Platter for Two with Chips and Salad - crumbed prawn cutlets, battered calamari and freshly grilled scallops, fish fillets and local Moreton Bay bugs.

What a beautiful day it is to be at Wellington Point!

Going for a saunter in the cool seawater at low tide