Monday 9 May 2016

OzComicCon Adelaide 2016 (Part 3)

Friday dawned, with official OCC duties starting that afternoon. Still, I had the morning and early afternoon to myself to explore and eat. I headed back to Argos with a specific breakfast plan: waffles! Argos has vegan waffles loaded with toppings. There are two combinations on the menu - salted caramel and chocolate bomb. Neither of these appealed to me for breakfast, so I requested mine to be topped with fruit salad, peanut butter and maple syrup. They were delicious! I also had a Green Hulk Juice (apple, fennel, cucumber, spirulina, spinach and chia).

Waffles at Argo Espresso


Green Hulk Juice at Argo Espresso


After breakfast, I went for a stroll up to the State Library to have a look at a local Fantasy Art exhibit, and then poked around Rundle Mall for a bit. Rundle Mall has super cute piggy statues!

Pigs in Rundle Mall


I was tossing up where to go for lunch, but someone recommended Veggie Velo, a vegetarian burger food truck. I checked their FB page and, as luck would have it, they were in the vicinity. I got a yummy marinated tofu and pumpkin burger with satay sauce to take away.

Pumpkin and Tofu Burger from Veggie Velo


The afternoon was spent doing a walk-through for the venue, but we had a couple of hours between that and having to turn up for the cocktail party that night. Bliss Organic Cafe is an Adelaide institution, and certainly the place in Adelaide I have heard about for the longest. They are only open for dinner on Friday nights, and they were very close to where I was, so it was the perfect chance to try them out. They are very famous for their Bliss Burger, however as I had just had a burger for lunch, I ordered a Curry Bake with Salad. It was a huge and delicious bowl of piping hot curry and mash, so good. They also had apple and cinnamon infused water available, which was so refreshing. I also had a chai latte. Then it was back to the hotel to get ready for the cocktail party.

Curry Bake from Bliss Organic Cafe


The next morning was the Saturday of OCC Adelaide. Breakfast started at the hotel with some hot oats (it was too chilly for overnight fridge oats) and a banana, and continued at the venue with (you guessed it) fruit salad and a juice I had brought along. For lunch I had bought a wrap from Argos the day before called the Soul Cleanser (beetroot, cabbage, avocado, spinach, sprouts, carrot, LSA, pepitas, gojis, hummus and tahini), which was a OK but mostly just a slightly fancy salad wrap, and some fruit salad. I was a bit under the weather and really would have liked something a bit more substantial.

For dinner, I was terribly anti-social and declined the offer of joining people for dinner at a non-vegan place because I really wanted to go back to Two Bit Villains. I am so glad I did! The first time I went, they were all out of their mac and cheese. But this time they had it! It was yum! And I also had the Fowl Play Burger (panko 'chicken, sweet potato mash, baby spinach, gravy... on a burger... yes) and a really refreshing Turkish Delight Iced Tea. It was glorious! I also got dessert, their Apple Pie (which was really an apple crumble) served with soy vanilla ice cream. I finished up with a soy chai latte, which was disappointing because it was just really sweet. The rest of the meal was great!

Turkish Delight Iced Tea at Two-Bit Villains


Mac and Cheese at Two-Bit Villains


Fowl Play Burger at Two-Bit Villains


Dinner at Two-Bit Villains


Dessert at Two-Bit Villains


Sunday followed a similar food patter for breakfast and lunch, except I had a bread roll with hummus at lunch instead of a wrap. Because Sunday has the pack down at the end, it was a long day. Once I got back to the hotel, I hightailed it back down to Veggo Sizzle before it closed. It was the only vegan place that was still open at that time. I was still under the weather, so I got an Immunity Juice (carrot, apple, ginger) and the peanut stir-fry with coconut rice. The stir-fry came loaded with capsicum, which wasn't in the menu description, so I picked it all out.

Immunity Juice at Veggo Sizzle


Peanut Stir-Fry and Coconut Rice at Veggo Sizzle


The next day, Monday, we were all heading home. But there was time for breakfast! I popped by Argos and got a juice, I can't remember exactly what I ordered, but it was meant to have beetroot, carrot, celery, ginger and something else in it. But they were out of celery so they put some apple in. I was a bit miffed, because I paid an extra $1 for extra ginger, but it was in no way gingery enough for me. Next time I will ask for $5 worth of extra ginger. I want my throat to burn.

Beet Juice from Argo Espresso


A short walk away from Argo was Fair Espresso, so I went there for actual food. They have a vegan big breakfast that had toast, mushrooms, spinach, tomato and avocado. They also have vegan juices, smoothie and acai bowls, vegan wraps, and vegan pies from Cherry Darlings available.

Vegan Breakfast from Fair Espresso


Then it was off home to Brisbane. I ended up absolutely loving Adelaide for the food there. So much so that I will be back there in November for their World Vegan Day Festival and my birthday. I am looking forward to eating a lot of ridiculous food, and some not-so-ridiculous food. There is a really good balance in Adelaide between indulgent and healthy.

And so ended my first Perth and Adelaide OCCs. I had such a great time! It is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun, and I am so happy that this is a group I get to be a part of. Next OCC adventure will be Melbourne in June!

Cute Kitty Photos of the Post

Sahara


Dim Sim


A special treat, two photos today! Both photos sent by my mum while I was away of my sweethearts fast asleep.

14 comments:

  1. Uhhhhh that mac & burger looks AMAZING. So many places for you tro try out on your trip, it seems!

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    1. Adelaide surprised me with the amazing food. Two-Bit Villains is definitely worth a visit.

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  2. I love the pig statues, especially the one rooting through a trash can, or whatever that is. The tofu burger looks excellent, and the Fowl play burger? Yes please! Hope your feeling better, and as always love seeing your kitties!

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    1. The trash piggy was my favourite too. Lots of people taking photos of it.

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  3. Adelaide seems like a cool place for vegans. They have a Cake Liberation Front group there too. They have a facebook page, you should check out if they have a meetup when it's time for your birthday trip :)

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    1. I remember hearing from your blog (I think) that there was one in Adelaide. That is a good idea! I'll be down there for the vegan festival on that weekend, so I wonder if they will have a stall or some sort of event on for it? I will look them up and say hi. :)

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  4. Looks like you had a nice balance of healthy and decadent meals. That's the best way to do it! Balance! That meal from Two Bit looks epic. I want that burger!

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    1. I'm going to Melbourne in June... my food from there will not be quite so balanced. It will be fun, but I will not feel the best for it. So having a good balance in Adelaide was a bonus!

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  5. I really like juices that are gingery! I would have been so disappointed to pay extra and have a drink that has too little ginger.

    The mac n cheese meal seems fabulous.

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    1. I find that even when I ask for extra ginger, so few places really understand what I want. To pay the extra, and for it to be nothing, so sad.

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  6. The bun from the veggie food truck looks so big and yummy!

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    1. It was good! I loved the pumpkin on it as well.

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  7. Piggies!!!!
    The bowl from Bliss looks so good! My favourite restaurant in the area I live is called Bliss Café - it kind of reminds me of it =)
    I would have definitely opted to be anti-social so I could eat vegan food - good choice ;)
    It looks like you had some really nice eats while you were away. I really like finding good vegan food while I'm away from home to the point of planning my vacations around it.
    World Vegan Day? That sounds very cool! They combined it with your birthday, did they? =)

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  8. WVD is the 1st and my birthday is the 7th, so the weekend festivals often fall around it. Especially for the last few years.

    I definitely plan vacations around food!

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