Eating Out: Hay Gurl, Grill'd, The Pick Up Joint (Indooroopilly)

Hello friends. It has been a couple of weeks I know! I was really into the rhythm of my three times a week blogging for a while there, but earlier this year I was struggling with some pain flares and also some crappy mental health, so I took a little bit of time off. Easing myself back in with a post about eating out.

The 14th of January was 8 years since Gizmo passed. I really can't believe she has been gone from me so long. I always take this day off work every year, and spend the day doing something nice and thinking about my sweet girl. This year I needed to be out of the house early, so I put together a nice little plan for the start of the day.

Indooroopilly is a suburb that I rarely if ever am in. The most I have been there in the last several years was to occasionally drive through it on my way from one place to another. I knew I wanted to go and see CATS (for the second time, I love that movie!), so I was looking for early session times in cinemas that were close to food. Originally I had planned to go to my beloved Flora By Greenhouse for breakfast... BUT THEY HAVE CLOSED! Very sad. So plans had to change.

I'd heard about Hay Gurl, a vegan cafe in Indooroopilly, and it was on my radar of places to go. So why not! Google Maps gave me a bit of trouble getting there. But if you go, it is in the same complex as Spotlight, and is tucked inside the main entrance doors. They have a lovely small menu, as well as a selection of baked goods and some housemade cheeses and mayo for sale. I started with a delicious hot chocolate (made on Bonsoy) and enjoyed their amazing chickpea-based Omelette. It had almond feta, smoked carrot, tomato, spinach, and avocado. Plus some fresh dill, my favourite herb. It was delicious! I also picked up a slice of banana bread to take home, which I forgot to get a photo of.





Even though it is a bit of a drive, I definitely want to go back there. Look how cute some of the seating is!



After breakfast, I headed to the cinemas at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre. It has been decades since I have been there, I think the last time would have been in high school maybe, and it has had some major renovations. It is now HUGE! Four floors of shops, during school holidays. But thankfully it wasn't as crowded as it could be. And I went and I saw CATS again. Have you seen CATS? I am a huge fan of the musical, and I couldn't wait to see the movie. I know it got terrible reviews, but I heard a lot of people talking about how great it was. The first time I saw it my brain was really just trying to make sense of this uncanny valley... are they cats... are they humans... why do they walk on two legs sometimes and sometimes on four... why do they have human hands and noses... but their CGI cat ears are so good... So many questions, but really enjoyable. I definitely wanted to see it again, and the second time I loved it still! Anyway, if you are after some wonderful, weird, musical, escapism, I highly recommend it.

After the movie, I popped into Grill'd, conveniently located right next to the cinemas, to get some lunch. I've been to Grill'd lots of times before, they have great chips and vegan burger options. A while ago I had made the Beyond Burger at home, and wasn't a huge fan. The cooking process and smell was a turn off. Grill'd has beyond burgers, so I thought I'd try one that I didn't have to prepare. I had the Vegan Beyond Garden Goodness, which had the Beyond Burger, beetoot, lettuce, relish, vegan cheese, avocado, and vegan mayo. Be sure to specify vegan if you are ordering it! And look, I still don't really like the Beyond Burger. Which is fine, I don't need to. Lots of other people do, which is great. And I can enjoy the regular veggie pattie in the future. Of course I got a side of their amazing chips, with some tomato relish. I ordered the regular size, and I forgot how big it was! But all delicious.



After lunch, I jumped on the escalator to start working my way back down to the car. The escalator from the movies goes down into the third floor food court, and what did I see right as I stepped off? A sign saying 'all vegan'! Turns out The Pick Up Joint was having a pop up for the month of January. I'd been to their physical store in the Valley once before, but had no idea that they were doing a pop up.



I got a selection of goodies, including (clock wise from top left) a strawberry short cake, chocolate orange curd brownie bomb, wagon wheel, and a gingerbread cookie. As well as being vegan, they are also all gluten free. The shortcake and the brownie base definitely suffered from that sort of really dense, slightly dry fate of some gluten free baked goods, which was a shame. But the orange curd was amazing. The wagon wheel was filled with aquafaba marshmallow and jam, and the gingerbread cookie was amazing (definitely my favourite). I also got a strawberry iced tea.



Hay Gurl - Shop 2/34 Coonan St, Indooroopilly

Grill'd Indooroopilly - Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, 322 Moggill Rd, Indooroopilly

The Pick Up Joint - 97 Kennigo Street, Fortitude Valley

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Of course, I have to share a photo of Gizmo for this post. How has she been gone for so long? I miss her sweet, calm, healing presence, and her epic purr. Time goes so fast, and I don't like that it keeps taking us further apart. When I got home, I lit a candle for Gizmo and spent some time snuggling with Dim Sim and thinking about my girls.