Heather’s House of Cake, Belconnen

I hear a lot how people would love to see better use made of beautiful Lake Ginninderra. More recreation. A variety of accessible water sports. More sophisticated paths and cycleways.

But the number one desire seems to be for restaurants and cafes – existing or new – to make better use of the lake. Along Emu Bank, many of the restaurants face the street, not the lake. (Ha Ha Bar and La De Da are notable exceptions.) The access point for the restaurants is from the car park next to the road, not the boardwalk which frames the water. People find the lake paradoxically energising and relaxing: there’s more and more going on around the lake, and it’s fun to be part of it, and to watch it – not to mention just enjoy the beautiful views.

I’d heard rumours about Heather’s House of Cake opening up for a little while. You might recognise the name: Heather’s been around the market scene for quite a while and creates – as you might have guessed – a wide range of pretty cakes. On the Friday of its opening week, I walk around the building which also houses 2 Yummy, Princes Palace, Sanur’s Balinese and London Burgers to the side which has Up 2 You restaurant.

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Chatterbox Espresso Bar – Redux

My review of one of Belconnen’s breakfast/brunch locations Chatterbox was one of my most read posts in 2014. But I have mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand, I’m so pleased that it’s been of such interest to people, and I know my recommendations about Chatterbox – on social media generally, and also through the review – have encouraged people to get along, and inevitably they keep heading back after they experience it for themselves.

On the other hand, it’s taught me just how a review in the first few weeks of a cafe opening can quickly become inaccurate, and I cringe re-reading parts of it. The review talks about how the avocado isn’t particularly generous and the potato is a little stodgy, but soon after I posted the review, owner Charlie took that feedback on board: for a year now the avo helpings have been enormous, and the potato rosti is one of the most popular orders.

And while I’m overly picky in that first post, for all of 2014 Chatterbox has consistently been our go-to. In fact, anytime I suggest we go elsewhere I get a look from Boyfriend and usually a declaration at the end of the other establishment’s meal that it wasn’t as good as Chatterbox and why do we even bother trying elsewhere?

So, a year later, it feels time to re-review.

La De Da Sunday sesh*

*In The Taratory is a sponsor (non-financial) of La De Da’s Sunday seshes.

I’ve made no secret how big a fan I am of Ha Ha Bar and its upstairs venue La De Da in Belconnen Town Centre. Ever since I first set foot in La De Da I thought it’d be a great place to have a Sunday sesh (for the uninitiated: drinks on a Sunday afternoon), but for a long time its opening hours were restricted Wednesday-Saturday nights. Well, that was the case until one night, deep in the winter blues, Belco bloke James Tew (the mind behind Tweet Canberra and the Social Media Revolution) and I started a small social media lobby for it – and suddenly, it was happening!

What was proposed was even bigger than I expected: not just opening up the venue on Sunday arvos, but launching it with a six week competition for singer-songwriters playing 15 minute sets to be in the running to win a recording contract with local business Studio Sixty-Eight. I love the idea of supporting local, and so the opportunity to be a sponsor of a Belco event run by Canberra locals, showcasing local artists and giving them an opportunity to record a single with a local business was an absolute no-brainer. Plus: Sunday sesh!