delicious. 100: Where the Queensland food scene glitters

A NEW breed of restaurant has hit southeast Queensland, turning out some of the best food in the state, offering cuisines from pan-Asian eateries to authentic Italian pizzerias.

Owners Shannon and Tim Stewart at The North Room. Picture: Adam Head

• Queensland’s delicious. 100
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THE Gold Coast’s food scene is shining brighter than the Glitter Strip itself.

From pan-Asian eateries to authentic Italian pizzerias, a new breed of restaurants has hit the beachside city, turning out some of the best food in Queensland.

In fact, an impressive 24 restaurants have made the inaugural delicious. 100 list of Queensland’s 100 most delicious restaurants, which will be published in Stellar magazine in tomorrow’s Sunday Mail.

Gold Coast Tourism boss Martin Winter said there had never been a better time on the Coast for food than now. He said the dining sector was valued at hundreds of millions of dollars and growing.

“There is now a raft of choice right across the dining spectrum from fine dining right through to casual, hip experiences,” he said.

“This is a whole new breed of food outlets, which sort of reflects the whole sophistication of the Australian food scene. No longer is it good enough to have a pizza place unless it’s wood-fired. The bar’s been lifted.”

Driving the impressive increase in quality, Mr Winter said, was the Gold Coast’s thriving industrial and business sector. He said it was bringing new visitors and residents from interstate and overseas to the region with higher expectations.

“(Venues) are trying incredibly hard for what is a pretty cashed-up clientele,” he said. “The Gold Coast has a lot of people who are prepared to pay more if they get really good food.”

One restaurant at the front of the pack is The North Room, at Mermaid Beach, which opened in June. It has been named in the delicious. 100 for its simple, produce-driven dishes and exceptional service.

Chef-owner Tim Stewart said the Gold Coast food scene had become highly competitive with new restaurants opening almost every second week, forcing restaurateurs to be at the top of their game.

“It’s been a long time coming for the Coast. You knew it was going to happen, it was just a matter of when the Gold Coast was ready for it, and it is,” he said.

* For the full list of delicious. 100 restaurants, pick up tomorrow’s Sunday Mail.