We try to get out of our comfort zone whenever we can for lunch, seeing as one can only have so many Bristol Farms sandwiches and Whole Foods salad bar tubs before feeling as though life exists only in offices and grocery stores. But this time, when we ventured far and wide, we came up with sore tummies and sad faces.

Australia’s pies are quite a known thing – I’ve had them on sets, for lunches, I’ve even made my own (to limited success). The key is to use the seasonings and combinations that make the Aussie Pie experience so unique: from chicken curry to herbed chicken to steak and shiraz (that’s an Aussie wine, see?), it’s imperative that these pies make use of flavors endemic to Australia.

Fork-In Aussie Pie Kitchen, as this place is known on Yelp, follows this rule perfectly. With a flaky crust surrounding creamy mirepoix and tons of chicken, with a strong tarragon flavor, my pie should have been perfect. I chose to add minted mushy peas as my side, and to top it all with mushroom gravy.

The peas were bland and decidedly not minty, the gravy was cold, and the pie filling was rather dry. All this was forgiven because of the free Lamington that I got by checking in on Yelp.

The cake (top photo) was moist, fluffy, and just sweet enough to satisfy my desert craving. I shared it with the ladies at the office, who all agreed it was tasty.

Sadly, though, most of us went to bed or woke up the next morning suffering from upset stomachs. We suspect that it had something to do with cold gravy, as all of us were affected to some degree, and it’s the only thing we all had in common (save for pie crust).

Sad to say, but we’re crossing this place off our list for future gabby girl lunches…

#lunchfail