Walter's Steakhouse | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
It was noon and I was en route to a date set at Walter’s Steakhouse, my favourite steak restaurant in Brisbane. Situated in the Old Mineral House on the corner of Edward and Alice Streets, Walter’s overlooks the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens and the moment you walk in, it’s as if you have been transported to New York.
My date was right on time and dressed sharp in a jet black suit. I caught a whiff of him as I leaned in for a kiss on the cheek. Aqua di Parma Colonia, nice choice I thought. I showed the maître d’ the booking confirmation from the OpenTable app on my phone, she smiled and led us to our table, which coincidentally or not, was the same table that we had the last few times we dined at this gem. I booked the date within seconds on the OpenTable app which is seriously so convenient as the app provides restaurant recommendations tailored to you based on your past bookings, favourite restaurants and dining preferences. Once settled, our waiter quickly came over to introduce himself to us and without wasting any time, we ordered what we would always get at Walter’s; their house special - prime Australian grain-fed beef, dry-aged and cut in house ($59 pp), with a side of Walter’s chopped salad ($16) and potatoes Romanoff ($12).
Before the food arrived, we were given some freshly baked bread with cultured butter and Walter’s Steak Sauce. Yep, steak sauce to dip your bread in. Extremely decadent, I know. A short while later, we were presented with a plate of juicy looking meat that was perfectly charred and seductively placed in a puddle of bubbling golden liquid that consisted of fat, butter and steak juices. Our waiter picked up a piece of meat that was still pink in the middle, gently rubbed the fat on the plate before placing it in front of me. The meat sizzled against the hot plate, releasing a thin swirl of smoke. I started salivating and made my move on the meal as soon as the waiter left the table. It was perfection. I highly recommend the chopped salad - lettuce and radicchio topped with macadamia nuts, salami, provolone, pepperoncini, onion, tomato, finished with an oregano dressing, as it was a great way to balance the richness of the steak.
The other travel Bunnie asked if I wanted dessert, but I simply couldn’t eat anymore after a satisfying feed. Oh wait, didn’t I mention that my date was my hubby? I did mention that dates are hard to come by these days, didn’t I? After all, taking care of a pre-schooler takes a lot of time and effort, and with hubby often busy with work, we hardly ever get some time to ourselves. So sometime last week after I put Minibun George to bed, I grabbed my phone and booked a date on OpenTable within seconds.
You see, way before we started dating, the other travel Bunnie and I bonded over food. Let me tell you just how grateful I am to have found a man who loves food as much as I do. A partner who appreciates fine dining but would also happily roll up his sleeves to devour a plate of fried chicken and waffles dripping with sticky maple glaze, or stand by the side of a busy street somewhere in Asia eating skewers of BBQ meat.
So often I hear friends telling me that they get caught up by the nitty-gritty of daily life that they feel like there’s no more spark in their relationship, that life has become so mundane and routine. This is exactly why I think it’s so important to always stay connected with your significant other. It doesn’t take much, because like a third (32%) of Aussies, we agree that regular date nights are one of the most important things to do together in order to maintain a strong relationship. Unsurprisingly, Australian couples believe date nights are beneficial in bringing their relationships happiness and relaxation and helping more than half of us feel closer and more ‘in love’ with their partner (51%).
Searching for your next dining venue can be easily done via the OpenTable app which offers a personalised experience and provides users with a platform to discover new restaurants. Yes, the hard work is done for you as the app provides restaurant recommendations tailored to you based on your past bookings, favourite restaurants and dining preferences. In Australia alone, there are more than 1700 restaurants that use the OpenTable technology so the choices are aplenty, and since it launched in Australia in 2015, OpenTable has seated over 16.5 million diners.
As we don’t have date nights as often as we used to, it’s incredibly handy that the app provides reviews and ratings of the restaurants by diners so that we can avoid potential disappointment and have a great meal out together. As always, we found old fashioned service and impeccable food at Walter’s Steakhouse, and I already have our next date booked. To book your next date night, be sure to visit www.opentable.com.au.
Disclaimer: this post is sponsored by OpenTable, please note that the views and opinions expressed in this post are as always, my own.
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