Stage Right Restaurant - Gympie Music Muster

In just a few weeks Capelli Foods are packing up the kitchen, the restaurant and all of our restaurant staff and heading out to the bush for a week at the Gympie National Music Muster. From 24 - 29 August 2010, come and join us at the Stage Right Restaurant. You can also say hello to Basil, Sybil and Manuel as they present The Faulty Towers Dining Experience - and no, Mick is not Manuel! 

When you're at the Gympie Muster, be sure to come and say hello, get the best steak out of town and enjoy a good belly laugh.

Yesterday, Sunday, 15 August was another Long Lunch, our degustation style leisurely dining experience at Capelli on Duke Restaurant. We'll let you know when the next one will be so you can book at seat at the table for a delicious feast.

Posh Plate

Last week, at Capelli on Duke, we hosted another successful Posh Plate evening. Send your saliva glands into overdrive and take look at the menu. Michael is dreaming up the menu for the next Posh Plate on Tuesday 5 October. Seating is limited, so get in quick, gather some friends, share some delicious taste sensations, fine wine and great company.

Jamon Crostini
Guinea fowl dumplings in consommé with crusty Capelli bread
Steamed Hervey Bay scallops with salmorejo
Prawn croquettes with fresh corn salsa and balsamic reduction
Braised rabbit with semolina gnocchi
Twice baked beef short ribs on chickpea skordalia with braised baby fennel
Capelli Petite Fours
Cheese and fruit paste. 

Sunday Lunches at Capelli on Duke Gympie

Capelli Foods recently donated a long paella lunch for the winners of the Gympie Women in Business debate. Ten women came to our restaurant, Capelli on Duke and enjoyed a lovely lunch on the outside deck. They tucked into a fabulous authentic seafood Spanish paella whipped up by chef, Michael Hehir.

We are open for lunch on Friday and Sunday from 11am with a full restaurant menu available or book a table for a special group of up to 8 people and enjoy your own Paella Long Lunch from $25 per person. We are now a fully licensed restaurant, take a look at our new restaurant wine list and choose the perfect accompaniment for your Paella Long Lunch at Gympie's favourite restaurant - Capelli on Duke.

Gympie Restaurant Dining Club

Our second Posh Plate at our new Gympie Restaurant, Capelli on Duke was another huge success. When we get feedback like "as good as any Michelin star restaurant that we have eaten in" Michael and I get very excited! For those who haven't heard, Posh Plate is Capelli on Duke's dining club that meets once a quarter for a wonderful degustation feast. These evenings are becoming very popular, so make sure you get in early and book for our next one Tuesday, 3 August.

Get together with fellow food lovers and email Carolyn to secure a seat at a table in our Sunshine Coast restaurant for our next Posh Plate. Here's the menu of our May Posh Plate to get your taste buds tingling. 

Duck empanadillas served with a quince salsa
Pimientos de pequillo stuffed with braised beef cheek
Zampone (braised cotechino filled pigs trotter) served with a warm autumn vegetable mirepoix
White Spanish anchovies served on a warm salad of artichoke hearts, red wine soaked queso de cabra and broad beans
Slow roasted pork belly with a spiced nut crust and Mediterranean vegetable vinaigrette
Pedro ximenez and couveture chocolate jellies finished with  white chocolate crème fraiche

Michael is busy in the kitchen putting together a delicious menu for our August Posh Plate, stay tuned to our blogs and we'll let you know when it's complete.  

Personal Chef Sunshine Coast

Earlier this month Capelli Foods chef, Michael Hehir, packed up the Capelli catering van and headed down to Minyama on the Sunshine Coast to be a personal chef for ten. Michael wowed the guests with seafood hot pot, prawn ravioli, pork belly and a scrumptious dessert of baked ricotta cheesecake and chocolate terrine. There is nothing quite like a night at home with your favourite people with a personal chef to cook a mouth watering meal and do the dishes and the tidying up afterwards.

A few of the regular users of our personal chef get together regularly for a dinner club and split the costs between them. It's an affordable way to have a great experience for food lovers and friends. Take a look at our Personal Chef Menu to activate your saliva glands, gather a gaggle of your favourite folk and give Capelli foods catering a call to book your Personal Chef for the night.

Based in Gympie, we take our Personal Chef services all over the Sunshine Coast: Noosa Heads, Maroochydore, Nambour, Sunshine Beach, Tin Can Bay, Maryborough, Caloundra and all around, phone Capelli Foods for a free quote.

Our Gympie Restaurant 2010 Posh Plate

We all had a wonderful night at Capelli on Duke restaurant with the launch of the 2010 Posh Plate. There were plenty of friendly familiar faces and new Posh Platers joining us for our very own food lovers' feast. What a tough job I have hosting such a tasty event! My favourite was the Quail, deboned whole and looking ever-so edible sitting there with its little legs relaxed just asking to be eaten. Being wrapped in Jamon, has got to be the best way to eat quail ( I, personally, could eat anything wrapped in Jamon – a Spanish Prosciutto).

We have now opened the night to casual diners and extend an invitation to all of you to join us at our new Gympie Restaurant, Capelli on Duke. 

Please email Carolyn to let us know if you would like to attend one of the following dates:

Tuesday 18th May
Tuesday 3rd August
Tuesday 5th October

Take a look at the Posh Plate menu below to get your taste buds tingling, Michael and Lisa have outdone themselves. Fingers crossed that some of the dishes make it onto the Capelli on Duke Winter Menu.

Posh Plate March 2010

Ajo Blanco (Spanish garlic and almond soup) finished with red grapes

Braised Octopus served warm with a daikon remoulade, wild Mt Zero Olives and a micro herb salad

Jumbo Quail marinated and filled with Capelli signature stuffing wrapped in jamon and served with locally grown del soto baked figs

Locally caught Red Emperor fillet on palettes de ajo dulce finished with parsley coulis and lemon dust

Lamb Raviolo slow braised with capers, anchovies and fresh herbs

White chocolate and vanilla tart encased in 75% couveture pastry finished with liqueur oranges 

Catering Gympie Film Festival

At Capelli Foods we are very excited to be catering for Gympie's very own international film festival 'Heart of Gold' from 11 - 14 March 2010. This spectacular event is one of Gympie's greatest annual events attracting film lovers from Noosa Heads, all over the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Queensland and Australia.  

Come down and sample our yummy catering, view some of the world's most extraordinary and uplifting films, meet filmmakers and attend seminars and special events. Take a look at the Heart of Gold International Film Festival website, book your tickets and prepare yourself for a sensational weekend in Gympie, Queensland.

We look forward to seeing you all there.

Valentine's Day at Our Sunshine Coast Restaurant

Valentine's Day (Sunday, 14th February - for those who need reminding) is just around the corner and what better way to spend it than booking a table at our restaurant on the Sunshine Coast, Capelli on Duke. Enjoy a romantic dinner for two in the main restaurant, in the bar or enjoy the gorgeous Queensland weather by dining alfresco on our terrace. Capelli on Duke will be open for lunch and dinner and we will be serving a five course meal, the menu will be available below in the shake of a lamb's tail.

With only just over a week until Valentine's Day, you'd better get in quick with your booking as the restaurant is filling up fast. If you've left it too late to get a babysitter bring the kids along and they can choose something yummy and nutritious from our Kids Menu.

Thank you to all of our valued customers for supporting Michael and I in our new Gympie restaurant, it's great to see the restaurant full every night with happy customers enjoying our food and new location. For those of you who haven't managed to get to the new restaurant just yet - maybe Valentine's Day is the perfect time.

See you all at Capelli on Duke Gypmie very soon.

Sunshine Coast Catering, Cooking Classes and Take Home Meals

With the opening of our new Gympie restaurant, Capelli on Duke, we thought it was a good time to remind our loyal customers of all the services that we provide at Capelli Foods. We are still Sunshine Coast caterers servicing Gympie, the Sunshine Coast and South East Queensland including Hervey Bay, Rainbow Beach, Tin Can Bay, Noosa, Noosa Heads and Maryborough. Wedding catering, kids' birthdays, parties, corporate events, gourmet barbecues, platters, tapas and fully catered dining.

One of our more popular services are our personal chef and cooking class experiences. Michael can come to your house and prepare and cook a delicious meal (and clean up!!) for you and your friends or he can teach you new techniques in your own personalised cooking classes. These make a great present for valentine's day, a wedding present or birthdays for any passionate foodie.

If christmas and the school holidays have left you with cooking fatigue, try one of gourmet take home meals. Take away doesn't have to mean compromising on taste or quality, take a look at our take home meal menus (self-catering, curries, mains and desserts), phone and place your take away order. If you just need some delicious condiments to compliment your own cooking, sample some of Capelli Foods Produce: comfit duck, aioli, chicken stock, dukkah and more.  

Cooking Classes on the Sunshine Coast

One of our more popular requests at Capelli Foods catering is for our private cooking classes. Michael will come to your house anywhere on the Sunshine Coast (Gympie, Hervey Bay, Noosa, Rainbow Beach) and hold cooking lessons in the privacy of your home. Gather together your nearest and dearest and have a dinner party with a difference. Your guests will create their own delicious dishes while learning new skills and techniques - you can even have a cook-off competition! Then you all sit down and enjoy the feast together.

Consider a Capelli Foods cooking class as a Xmas present, a great night in with a hands-on approach. Suitable for both small and larger groups, Capelli Foods cooking classes are personalised, informative and great fun. Phone and talk to Carolyn or Michael about booking your next big night in with a Capelli Foods cooking class. See you soon.

Capelli on Duke, Gympie Restaurant Open for Business

It's been a crazy couple of weeks but finally the big night is here for our Gympie restaurant opening. We are all busy running around putting finishing touches on the restaurant while Michael and the kitchen staff are busy prepping for the rush of cooking tonight. The restaurant is looking absolutely fantastic and we can't wait until it is bustling with happy, chatty customers full of Christmas cheer, celebrating and sharing our big night with us.

Our first night is fully booked and the restaurant reservations are coming in thick and fast for the weeks leading up to Christmas. Thanks so much to all of our beloved and loyal customers for supporting us, we look forward to giving you a night to remember now that we finally have our new restaurant. Enjoy some shared plates in the bar or book a big table for a large Christmas get together.

Even though we are busy with the restaurant we are still taking orders for Christmas take home meals right up until Friday, 18 December. Make this Christmas a relaxing one, leave the catering to the team at Capelli Foods.

Restaurant Update and Christmas Catering

As we reach the final couple of weeks before the new restaurant opening there is a mad flurry of activity down on Duke Street. The painters are touching up, the kitchen and bar will be fitted out this week and the floors are being sanded. Jack the builder is busy finishing the deck, stairs and roof. After all the stomping feet of contractors and labourers the garden is getting some last minute TLC to get it looking gorgeous for the big opening.

The doors to Capelli on Duke restaurant will be open to the public on Thursday, 10th December. Yahoo!!

Have a Capelli Christmas this year, and leave your Christmas catering to Capelli Foods. Take a look at our Christmas take home meal menu and email your orders. With yummy Xmas goodies such as turkey, crispy rolled pork, fresh prawns and even some stuffing, jus, condiments, dessert and mince pies you will have a finger-licking Capelli Christmas! 

Gourmet Barbecues on the Sunshinecoast

Michael was off to Noosa yesterday to cater for 26 people at a Gourmet Barbecue. With our daughter as his assistant and a menu including rump steak, Fraser Island Garlic Prawns and grilled Atlantic Salmon it was a great success. Now that summer is upon us it is the perfect weather to host a barbecue, and our Gourmet BBQ menus will leave you drooling. A great way to celebrate the end of the business year, a work Xmas party or the joy of summer. A catered Capelli Foods Gourmet BBQ will mean no more burnt chops and sangers in bread! Leave the catering to us at Capelli Foods. Check out our Gourmet BBQ menus and get in quick with your bookings as we are getting very busy coming up to Xmas and the New Year. 

Verandah Finished on the Restaurant

Many of our catering customers have been asking about the progress of the restaurant, so here's an update. The veranda is finished and the roof goes on at the end of the week, I can picture it being filled with happy customers enjoying a pre dinner drink. The furniture has been ordered and we are up to our eyeballs in crockery and cutlery samples trying to choose the perfect plates to complement Michael's cooking. With a bit of struggling and straining our retro bar fridge was moved in and it looks fantastic - it will look even better when stocked with delicious wines and beer. 

We are madly doing all the prep work for the painting, filling every crack in the tongue and groove on all the walls. I think, if we weren't so passionate about getting this restaurant up and running we would make great apprentices!

Our new seasons menus are being finalised and will soon be up on our web page, the restaurant is well on its way to opening next month. In the meantime, have a look at the canapés, they are perfect for a xmas get together with drinks. As hard as it is to accept, xmas is just around the corner, so let the team at Capelli Foods lighten your load. Xmas canapés, platters, tapas or even our Gourmet BBQ menus have some great options for christmas catering and entertaining.

Decorating our Gympie Restaurant

While Capelli Foods' new restaurant is slowly taking shape I have been busy scanning every op shop on the Sunshine Coast sourcing funky fittings and furnishings to bring it all together. EBay is like Aladdin's Cave, full of treasures and fabulous items. There have been many nerve-wracking, nail-biting moments with frantic bidding wars in the family office trying desperately to nab a bargain. I never thought the day would come when my heart would palpitate anticipating the delivery of a light fitting.

We are very much looking forward to putting all of our purchases in the completed restaurant and seeing how it all works together. While we and our faithful customers await the restaurant completion, there is no need to go without Michael's delicious food. For those who simply can't wait for a booking at our brand new restaurant in Gympie in November, Capelli Foods is still providing catering, take home meals (curries, soups, desserts), cooking classes and produce.

Capelli Foods Restaurant Queensland

The Capelli Food Gympie restaurant continues to slowly creep along – it’s not looking too bad for a house full of saw dust with only 3 walls! We are still awaiting the building permit from council so that work can start on the outside deck and kitchen extension. As anyone who has ever built a house knows – this is a lesson in patience.

Jack the builder is busy building the restaurants' interior walls, toilets, bench seats for the wine drinking area and flooring for the kitchen. Meanwhile, we are all scratching our heads and wondering just how we are going to get the huge old bar fridge into the bar area.

The staff at Capelli Foods are getting excited as our restaurant slowly develops, our chefs are busy making big plans for menus and delicious desserts. We have already taken a few bookings from eager customers for Xmas and hope to open our doors by November. Stay tuned for further updates of the Capelli Foods fine dining restaurant in Gympie.