tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732086571079935672024-02-19T15:59:34.281+11:00Breakfast in the S.K.Y.M & R check out the breakfast delights in Seddon, Kingsville & Yarraville.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-1672861942802417302011-08-15T18:19:00.006+10:002011-08-15T20:04:40.553+10:00July<div><div><div><p align="left"> </p><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu0QjVBsg3bcEDFt6JZPQthWlJICqgSaKdicnXJYKaCbjdFMia2CWgKh9VP9V6xa5JpDZERvW4pUPPy-izGjwDRwaK3lAXZCfTi3yg7hZbTWuSi9guv3qDHqVEj9FeIk6mtarsDA6BeM/s1600/re_java_1.jpg"><div align="left"> </div></a></div><div>Java</div><div> </div><div>It's been two years since I have blogged about Java. In that time I have been in there for a few cups of chai after a movie but that is about it. To be honest it was hard for me to walk in. In fact Java was not my first destination, the new cafe where Funky Monkey was for 2 minutes last year was. Needless to say it was not open and I could not even find it's name. What happened to Funky Monkey??? It was sooooooo hard not to walk into the Corner Shop and just have some lovely baked eggs and a pot of their chai. But in fairness to SKY and the Blog and I thought it was time I gave Java another go.</div><div> </div><div>The menu is the result of being a member of the Red Engine Group. Nothing new, nothing exciting, very similar to the Gravy Train. The Red Engine Group is a company that owns quite a few cafes around SKY and surrounding areas. It creates spaces which are very humdrum in my opinion. Their cafes are money making machines in great locations with buying power which makes them cheaper than other cafes. Although the menu at Java is basic my breakfast was delicious. I ordered the mushrooms, spinach and fetta on sour dough. However the white bread they call sourdough doesn't taste like sour dough to me . Still this is great value at $10 and shows you how effective buying power can be. Serving all the usual suspects Java does not pull any punches with the menu. You can the pancakes, the porridge, Muesli, French Toast and Eggs with all the sides. Still serving tea in the old canteen pots Java's Chai is surprisingly good. Not as good as across the road but better than a lot in SKY. Chai is also great value at $3.50.</div><div> </div><div>If you want to taste real sour dough then hop on down to Victoria St to the SourDough Kitchen. Also read on after review as I have just recently been there(at least once or twice).</div><div> </div><div>Java is not an inviting space. Some love and attention to the interior would really benefit the atmosphere and ambiance. As I sat there on a very cold morning, with the door wide open I could not help but notice the paint peeling off the walls, the floors looking very unswept and a lot of cakes sitting in the deli fridge looking quite tired.</div><div>It is a toss up when deciding where to eat breakfast, I guess everyone is looking for something different and it hugely depends on time and money in your pocket. It you are a bit skint Java with fill your belly but probably not your soul.</div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 293px; height: 220px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641007482401628882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu0QjVBsg3bcEDFt6JZPQthWlJICqgSaKdicnXJYKaCbjdFMia2CWgKh9VP9V6xa5JpDZERvW4pUPPy-izGjwDRwaK3lAXZCfTi3yg7hZbTWuSi9guv3qDHqVEj9FeIk6mtarsDA6BeM/s320/re_java_1.jpg" /></div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641009347207110450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwJeXqqDwPJPFj4HBKUEALAA-xonTR_XIS7x7pn6Wb8bMzmyoJXPhLX0r-wJPfCp_OrjwRnYBITOu-HV6ffZ3oDtmINaNhk3450fyuF5uvzqelPvx-iQzgTo4tubeydIqiy0QDzCpZqw/s320/IMG_0525.JPG" /></div><div> SourDough Kitchen</div><div>172 Victoria St</div><div>Seddon</div><div> </div><div>Breakfast here is a very casual, non egg event. Should I have a chocolate croissant or a plain croissant. I thought this would be the extent of my decision but when the young chap threw a plum jam croissant into the mix, I knew which way I was going. You must go and have a plum jam croissant! Yes YOU must! </div><div>The Chai is not bad here served a little bit different from everywhere else but nice and goes with the plum jam croissant..</div><div> </div><div>A little Tibit - There is a new Italian style deli, fruit and veg and butcher going into the old furniture shop in Victoria St. Very Exciting SKY Goss!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>MAISON AMA LURRA</div><div> </div><div>123 Howard st </div><div>North Melbourne</div><div> </div><div>It is always nice to have a change from SKY and see what else is happening in the surrounding suburbs. North Melbourne is and always has been a leader in the establishment of new cafes.</div><div>Ama Lurra is certainly a new approach to cafes, whether you like it or not is again dependant on your own style. A warehouse conversion, with polished floors and steel furniture your first impression may be that it is quite cold and clinical. However I did not feel like that once I was seated on one of the couches with the sun shining in. With mags and newspapers at my disposal I was quite comfy and warm. There is the potential for a lot of customers, however on the day I was visiting it was quite empty and echoey. The menu is quite small but very French and all sounded delightful.. French open sandwiches and Platters of Charcuterie. On display were some macarons but really the display needs to be jazzed up. I had the Croque Maiden Ama Lurra. Really, just an open toasted ham and cheese sandwich with some house made relish. However the ham was off the bone and the cheese was more than tasty. It was a quality toastie served with a lovely light green salad.</div><div> </div><div>Now you know that I am a tea drinker! I have been enjoying chai for some time as I had become tired of drinking English Breakfast out. Well, I have found that the tea at Ama Lurra is certainly one of the best. Imported from France, Mariage Freres, makes a beautiful French Breakfast Tea. In the menu description I was a bit dubious as the tea was described as having hints of chocolate and orange. I asked the waitress and she said you can't actually taste these flavours. It does have a beautiful chocolate and orange aroma . It was a lovely subtle tea to drink with no particular flavour . Don't be alarmed if your tea does not arrive within 5 minutes. Part of the process with these teas is that they are brewed for 9 minutes.</div><div> </div><div>On further research I have found that Mariage Freres is a Tea House in Paris opened since 1974. The teapots are just gorgeous and the best I have experienced in Melbourne. quite exciting really, a little bit of Paris in Melbourne! I look forward to going back to Ama Lurra for more tea and perhaps trying the macarons.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 216px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641020076115942162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7myHb8aETeY4OMCPG71I-thdQK_X1Rr9kRPkWg-stxJJXXC0vxfGVLwZK_T4lWHXPCLWWdGsxXaSqebxHF96nCk9bC2U2zdoY3epbnXuLWxbU3xL_S0KhFf6BdgTZXUmW9sngr2DMwo/s320/Mariage-Freres-pots.jpg" /></div></div></div></div>Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-40412718928601656092011-07-03T11:50:00.007+10:002011-07-10T22:55:42.612+10:00Living and Eating in Gamon Street<div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYTp-vz7pHgvKaVCFzzJuItIhOiqs6VMIEtfkWOQ3f_990MIqKzzjfp3B7TxsBWELlbSkaZeg9_mh9vJh6O62zVKvzXZGrhbnUD4vfeQB0wXWp6pm-X8SAfzryB2kanZwbcinrNVxlaQ/s1600/IMG_0483.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627697492356248498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYTp-vz7pHgvKaVCFzzJuItIhOiqs6VMIEtfkWOQ3f_990MIqKzzjfp3B7TxsBWELlbSkaZeg9_mh9vJh6O62zVKvzXZGrhbnUD4vfeQB0wXWp6pm-X8SAfzryB2kanZwbcinrNVxlaQ/s320/IMG_0483.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div>Oh my Lord! It's July!</div><div> </div><div>It's been a while since I've Walked Gamon St. There's a new cafe, which I wrote about in May, Cafe Advieh, but mostly we have the established Businesses, such as Gourmet on Gamon, The Gravy Train and Le chien. As Well as the Cafes we have Sedonia, for a spot of jewellery/homewares shopping, we can buy our pets treats at Pets @ Gamon Street and we can beautify our selves at Wax and Relaxed. We can also take our kids to the park at Harris Reserve, we can buy Pizza from Cuoco's or we can hang out at Sabrosso's on a beautiful sunny afternoon on a bean bag with a glass of sparkling. A whole day could be spent walking from one end to the other. First I would start with Breakfast. After visiting each of the cafes offering Breakfast I have decided my preferance, but would that be yours? As alway food is personal and everyone's personal taste is different. </div><div>It's about 10 years since breakfast has taken off to the extent of the popularity it has today and in that time Breakfast dishes have evolved. But do you like the original Brekkie? The Eggs, Bacon and sides of mushies, tomatoes and spinach! If you do then my suggestion is Gourmet on Gamon. They do a fantastic traditional breakfast, which is perfectly cooked and presented. They also do a chai latte which at the moment is my choice of hot drink, which is fairly standard as well. From a premix. The day I visited the cafe was fairly busy but the service was very friendly and I didn't wait too long at all!</div><div>The latest breakfast Spot is Cafe Advieh. I had lunch here in April and I have to admit I was really looking forward to my first breakfast here. I was not dissapointed! The food here is really delicious. Simple fare with a twist of mediterraen/middle eastern. Yummo! I ordered the Avieh which consisted of 2 fried eggs, grilled haloumi, tomatoes , olives, cucumber and turkish bread. The turkish bread was slightly toasted in olive oil, exactly the way I like it. A fantastic start to the day, a perfectly cooked breakfast. I love that it is almost like a standard breakfast but it's not! My guest ordered the Turkish Omelette, which was thouroughly enjoyed and I was texted 8 hours later saying that she was still enjoying the flavours of breakfast, especially the Turkish sausage. The Lingering taste says it all. My biggest issue was the emptyness of the cafe. It was 9am but it was cold and empty.</div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627702378039365698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uCo9n-lEH9lqjuinTWs7mSMnUOaTbHjJVtxhbAyffdGYeU2cNHTxePLrTjpxo3Gl8nBUvoUyGDk72xrPclPoRNY4iWykqTIgU39TG77TspgVL-uKeiVr-JNuK_W_DlmbJErqyGPrVzw/s320/IMG_0486.JPG" /></div><div>Where are you people? It is definetly worth a visit! I finished this breakfast off with a Morroccan Mint Tea which was absolutely refreshing and served in a traditional pot and glass! Loved it!</div><div> </div><div>Over at the Gravy Train on another cold winters day I was looking for something sweeter. I think the Gravy Train has the biggest Breakfast Menu. Big to me can often mean average! It means that the chef has a lot of preparation to do instead of doing just a few things really well. My breakfast was an example of this.</div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 213px; height: 264px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627703059512416786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqBfUWr1t305fm8UhXgiAwaeVhJWr5XdOqnH56pbgrZbvopsu6WCqryY4IjBmnesVs2KjYFy5_fE3nENYyymQ1jaAdUwteuxF5UqGI1XBu1KG6TpQlEshUqz3oZ0lGLNWSiGrudELMlw/s320/IMAG0042.jpg" /></div><div>I had the french Baguette, stuffed with banana and topped with marscapone and maple syrup. As you see from the photo you can see that it is huge. I found that off putting to start with and I really wish that cafes/restaurants would halve their serves. All they have to do is reduce their prices by a third and they would make more money and have less wastage. We do not need to eat that much food. But back to their variation on French Toast. The Mascapone(?) was overwhipped and was off putting. It was nice to have some banana but really I did not enjoy this dish at all. I don't think it worked the way it was put together it was just too chunky. The Chai latte was in one of those dreadful canteen pots and a Kraft sachet of honey was on the side as well as hot milk to add. A different way again of serving Chai but not unpleasant.</div><div> </div><div>Last but least is Le Chien and the Promite Special. Where would Seddon be without the P.Special. I have to say that on certain days I wake up craving the P.Special, I just walk myself down there to indulge in the perfectly ripe avocado with perfectly runny poached eggs with the tomato(sometimes a little under ripe)and the parsley, of course on top of the ciabatta toast with butter and promite(the perfect amount spread). And don't forget the squeeze of lemon. </div><div>This is a CLASSIC dish and should be considered along side such famous dishes as Eggs Florentine or Eggs Benedict! Because of the obsession I have with this dish, of course I have failed to try other dishes on the menu. I remember once trying something else and wishing the whole time that I was eating the P.Special. Any Suggestions on other dishes that could surpass the P.Special? As I am going throught the Chai Spell I ordered one here with great apprehension as I have had very average chai's here.This day was no exception . Warm milk(not hot, like I like it)with very faint suggestions of cardamon, cloves and cinnamon. MMMmmmm wish it was better. On the positive side I preferred this to the other offerings on Gamon St.</div><div>So in which one of these cafes would you have breakfast, in which one does your personality shine and which one is you local? </div></div></div></div>Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-31905918619283889172011-05-05T21:13:00.007+10:002011-05-05T23:22:32.893+10:00The Month of April<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkJeLtSa8b_aQQYfxoeOsRqqbwVdFmGoQrNjpky8adn2xthKcJQyCPeo-q68lxmKOfTERNoRbNx4vFWQCaOWZs4He-giCircfA3FRVcNP1DiSmkCuBtBzfoYO0hrXgbtQ5MfvriRrFPY/s1600/IMG_0375.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603200144294099250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkJeLtSa8b_aQQYfxoeOsRqqbwVdFmGoQrNjpky8adn2xthKcJQyCPeo-q68lxmKOfTERNoRbNx4vFWQCaOWZs4He-giCircfA3FRVcNP1DiSmkCuBtBzfoYO0hrXgbtQ5MfvriRrFPY/s320/IMG_0375.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>I have to say that after March it has been a very quiet month. However there has been a few exceptional breakfast mornings and an evening of gastronomic highs in a very very cheap Chinese restaurant in the city.<br /></div><br /><div>Firstly the local news. New in Sky is <strong>Wee Jeanie!</strong><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Wee Jeanie</strong> - 50 Anderson St Yarraville - 9687 7187<br /></div><br /><div>Opened for approximately a month now I was lucky enough to have brekkie there in the first week of opening. Running Completely different to Iain and Claires Cornershop, Wee Jeanie is more a quick stop with a quick coffee and bite to eat, rather than the lets hangout atmosphere of the cornershop.</div><br /><div>I had the delicious Welsh Rarebit, which had just the right bite. The breakfast menu is limited with simple and fast options. So tempted was I to sit and try more of the display I had to drag myself away. In the display is a variety of delicious looking quiches, salads, cakes and slices. A great courtyard out the back with a common table looking over the yarraville station provides a different view than the regular in SKY.</div><br /><div>I also had breakfast at the cornershop this month and I tried the delicious black rice, rhubarb, strawberry, yoghurt and palm sugar. Served like a breakfast trifle I can only say it was delectable and I think it should be at Wee Jeanie as well.</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>Lunch today was at the newly opened<strong> Cafe Advei</strong>(sorry if the spelling is incorrect) in Gamon St. This was only opened two weeks ago and is being run by a Yarraville Family. You may have noticed the blue Mediterranean tiling on the outside, the paper on the windows and the blue doors. I was very excited when the doors were opened and was finally able to sit down and eat there. They do have a breakfast menu, which looks delicious and I will go back to try it, but today was about lunch. As you walk in there is a display counter, with middle eastern looking salads, felafels and other delights. We seated ourselves straight away and were presented with a menu almost immediately. The lunch menu consisted mainly of the displayed items, but also a number a yummy sounding wraps and foccacia's. My guest and I decided to share a felafel plate, which came with 3 felafels with hummus and our choice of 3 salads. We chose the lentil, the silverbeet and couscous and the mediterranean. Everything was so scrumptious. We also shared a zuchhini pancake which was also nice but a little too salty.<br /></div><br /><div>The mood of the cafe was one of a new venture. It was obvious that these people were a bit green, but they are on the right path. They need some proper signage on the windows, as it is hard to see the name of the cafe from a distance, they need some heating, cos although today was not very cold, it was cold in there and they need credit card facilities.</div><br /><div>I do wish them luck and success. If all the food is as good as what I had today then I think they will make it.<br /></div><br /><div><strong>A Seddon Food Crawl.</strong><br /></div><br /><div>One friday night went like this!<br /></div><br /><div>1.<strong> Sabrosso's</strong>- French Champagne<br /></div><br /><div>2. <strong>Seddon wine bar</strong> - more French Champagne but this time with the most perfect parmigianno reggiano on one board and a delicious duck liver pate with sour dough from the Sour dough kitchen across the road on another board.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>3. <strong>Tin Pan Alley</strong> - in Victoria St, just down from the Sourdough Kitchen. Pizza and Pinot Noir.Heavenly Pizza's.<br /></div><br /><div>4. <strong>Sabrosso's</strong> - More red wine and Dessert. Dessert was of course, churros with chocolate sauce. There were other dishes on the plate but you will have to forgive me because by that stage at least 5 hours had passed since that first glass of champers, and things were becoming a blur.</div><br /><div>Highly recommend this evening out but do warn that the next morning could be fogggy.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Lastly I would like to share my discovery of the <strong>Shanghai Noodle house</strong> in Tattersals Lane in China Town, Melbourne.<br /></div><br /><div>We were trying for Camy Shanghai Dumpling and Noodle House but the line was so long we just walked into the next restaurant that we could see with a free table. Not very often do you walk out feeling you have just won the lotto.<br /></div><br /><div>We had so much food, too much, because we didn't realise how big the serves would be. Every dish that we ordered was undeniably superb. Dumplings, not a measly 4 per serve but 12, and so fresh. The noodle soups , the other dishes we ate I don't even know the names of, because really you just point and order and hope for the best.<br />The English language is not well practiced in this restaurant so don't be surprised if what you thought you ordered hasn't arrived, it probably won't, but whatever does comes I promise you will be delicious. There are a few details to overlook, such as a bit of grubbiness, no selling of alcohol(byo is allowed), and no credit card facilities.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We paid $72 for 4 of us and we could have ordered half. Just Amazing!</div>Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-40314676882505191102011-03-30T14:12:00.006+11:002011-03-30T18:06:09.327+11:00Melbourne Food FestivalI get very excited in March when the announcement of the Melbourne food and wine festival is made. I download the program and start planning. I'll do this lunch with this friend and I'll do this lunch with that friend and with the family, we can attend this event. Perhaps with my husband I'll go here and the list goes on. Any excuses to try as many express lunches in 10 days as possible as well attending other events. I've chosen 3 events to discuss that stand out. <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>Libertine</strong></span> <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 318px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 261px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589753112934575874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxHHHIjlxbmsllb2EDtwdkPjr36Lx43yGae-AEEQ9qarU1O0OKgNwb68yAvFzIekZscH-esUsDnuHxnDy8eFzsiyMBSYu2sO6H1N70i-PYlI3n7dnyk85f6hcWWCyaQcmSpaNMdaZbBk/s320/IMG_0208.JPG" /> </strong></span>500Victoria st Nth Melbourne 3051 9329 5228 I've heard about Libertine for along time and was very excited that they were included in the express lunch. Express lunches are 2 courses with a glass of wine and a coffee or cup of tea. For this you pay $35. (that's right!). On being seated the lovely waitress(not sure if she was the owner or not(Zoe Ladyman, a local Yaravillian, I hear) did not waist any time in giving us our menus and asking us what wine we would like. She also explained for an extra 10 dollars we could have 3 courses. And of course I straight away went yes that's for me. The Ambience in Libertine, is just lovely. It feels very French and old world. My entree was a cuttlefish salad with turtle beans and mint which was devine. It presented like a freshly bloomed flower and tasted light and sublime. For Mains again I had the fish - John Dory which was probably the best cooked piece of fish that I have ever had. Served on beautiful potato cooked in too much butter. Dessert was a plum and berry struesal served with Pistachio ice-cream. The service was brilliant with the waitress being more attentive to our needs than you would have thought possible. Overall Libertine has left a flavour in my mouth that I long to readdress, soon, please, someone take me there. <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>The Healsville Hotel - The Cider Festival</strong></span> What a great family event! For $20 an adult and $5 a child this is an afternoon that I would encourage all to attend. This event is about cider tasting and although cider is obviously for adults the Healsville hotel made sure that our children were entertained whilst we attended the serious business of tasting. There were four stalls of tasting. I can remember three, Kellybrook, Punt Road and Coldstream Brewery. Now I mainly booked this event because my husband and one of his pals love cider. They also make batches of it now and again which they try to get me to taste. I have to say in the past I have not been too fond of cider. Well this was the turning point. I tried the Apple ciders, I tried the Sparkling Ciders and I tried the Pear Ciders. My fav being Pear. Delicious! For our $20 we got to do the tasting then we got to choose one stubby of cider and we also got a roast pork roll. The roast pork was delicious(from a spit) and I will not complain too much because as you can see for my 20 I'm already getting quite a good deal, but please, a little bit of butter on the roll or some apple sauce or chutney or even some gravy please. I would have paid extra just for that roll to be moist. Whilst eating and drinking cider our children were entertained by a clown and we listened to a lovely jazz band. Overall a brilliant afternoon! <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>Stokehouse Schmoke house!</strong></span> What a disaster! Oh Lordy an example of what not to do during the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. For a start the Express Lunch was downstairs, not upstairs where it should have been. Secondly whilst they were offering the Express Lunch they were still trying to do their normal menu in the bistro. We were seated on a shabby chipped table. On seating my male guest asked for a beer. We then waited and waited. In the meantime we were given the menu, which was dissapointing and uninspiring. We ordered our food as well as the wine component from the menu - then the beer came. We waited and waited and waited. We asked the waitress where our wine was and she said that she couldn't find any glasses, they may have run out. Oh! Eventually the head waitress came and bought us our wine and apologised saying that she would give us a second glass of wine free of charge. Eventually the entree's arrived for two of us and the waitress also bought out the main course for our 3rd guest. So Wrong! Do you know that the entree was so unimpressive I can't even remember what it was. We also received our second glass of wine at this point. Whilst we were waiting a waitress was carrying two plates of pizza. She tilted one plate and lost control and some of the pizza brushed on another customers shoulder. She regained control of the plate and turned around and served the pizza to the other table who had been watching. It was hilarious because she should not have served it, it was like a scene out of Faulty Towers. Again we waited and waited and waited. Lordy it's 3.30, our booking was at 1.30, our entree had been served 3/4 of an hour ago, we were starving and by the looks of things we weren't going to get anything else. So we walked! Yes that's right we got up and walked right out without paying without being stopped. That felt so good! I have never experienced such bedlam at such a supposed high profile restaurant. <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!</strong></span> Just drove past Delizia and it is no longer there. Tin Pan Alley Is?? All that googling reveals is that it may be Italian cuisine with wood fired pizza's. How will Touks feel about the Pizza? Corner shop owners are not far off from opening 2nd cafe in their budding empire.Wee Jeanie's is the name and don't we love it. Very Exciting, can't wait for the opening! <span style="font-size:180%;"><strong>FYI</strong></span> How much do you love your cheese? Australia is one of the only countries left leaving a ban on unpasterised cheese or raw milk cheese. This is apparently to protect cheese eaters from harmful pathogens(germs). Raw milk cheese is said to have more flavour and health benefits according to some cheesemakers. Australian cheesemakers would like the ban to be lifted so that they can practice the tradional artisan way of using raw milk for cheese making. The variety of cheeses that benefit from this practice range from soft brie's and camembert's to firmer cheeses such as manchego and gruyere. Let's rally behind our local cheesemakers and support this ancient and natural process.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-74028255654287904212011-03-05T12:24:00.003+11:002011-03-05T12:40:06.884+11:00FYI<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtj_G6bXwugH38qUnK0br6TkNpCt-6bezVhHmb5b6U5d94cAx4oPxqrcoTor1Jfr4B4OPzuD4ciFLAuu6RWZET8eN0M7s8mzVtrVo4EqCWhLqscMtgkLKOs8U8RN3_V7dqvG_JnvVl4Hw/s1600/scan0154.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 185px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580402792799578258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtj_G6bXwugH38qUnK0br6TkNpCt-6bezVhHmb5b6U5d94cAx4oPxqrcoTor1Jfr4B4OPzuD4ciFLAuu6RWZET8eN0M7s8mzVtrVo4EqCWhLqscMtgkLKOs8U8RN3_V7dqvG_JnvVl4Hw/s320/scan0154.jpg" /></a><br /><div>The Next Craze - Bugs!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Yes! Apparently bugs are extremely good for you and they are going to be promoted as the next best thing. It's not that much of a jump really if you think of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Moreton</span> Bay Bugs or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Balmain</span> Bugs. These Bugs, the giant water bug, crickets or your average grasshopper apparently are full of protein, nearly the same as ground beef. They are environmentally friendly,they can be farmed more cheaply and on less land. They are already a part of a diet for amongst others Bear Grilles and our own aborigines.</div><div> </div><div>Would you eat Insects as an appetiser? <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">MMM</span>!</div>Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-45962998449833342682011-03-05T11:40:00.003+11:002011-03-05T12:24:03.036+11:00auction rooms<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZOgPnoFb7G5qoIUp2DDU114EZbVcTvLb20VAAxZPlesYjVoI6AqW9SR8VSFZ-uMwoZBTr7kO2mhOxdOakj7RQP0lYL9NuCLV20LDDjl1uNApW6AO57ZMem6GRHXETcKVveBS2BcvsxE/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580393106160398802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZOgPnoFb7G5qoIUp2DDU114EZbVcTvLb20VAAxZPlesYjVoI6AqW9SR8VSFZ-uMwoZBTr7kO2mhOxdOakj7RQP0lYL9NuCLV20LDDjl1uNApW6AO57ZMem6GRHXETcKVveBS2BcvsxE/s320/IMG_0153.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMKQKCsrsvBUuP_RnOMt_QHU8vG6N_Up7gW30Cwhpo_OisjbKYKi_HhZ5kvNisneYztCBT5oTUuTFiD4cRQjl_RkoCNFRbmmF6R-4hAW2DX0Ap081uWgt_2LSUEhYT9aEEyu_t2j4PJw/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580393101173726194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRMKQKCsrsvBUuP_RnOMt_QHU8vG6N_Up7gW30Cwhpo_OisjbKYKi_HhZ5kvNisneYztCBT5oTUuTFiD4cRQjl_RkoCNFRbmmF6R-4hAW2DX0Ap081uWgt_2LSUEhYT9aEEyu_t2j4PJw/s320/IMG_0151.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0SvDohhlCbRyiSrLCuvRHRWSFlyc2lTkhNM1W2D-c3fbfjXKUQbOgvjXlj0VCpHWCUfhsyBE6wR21VVIqEiPgA2Zs7RpdYG3mLc-3vi5ZkY38z21edmY2cbsLspntPSUwyGuovW-UsQ/s1600/IMG_0147.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580393094597615586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0SvDohhlCbRyiSrLCuvRHRWSFlyc2lTkhNM1W2D-c3fbfjXKUQbOgvjXlj0VCpHWCUfhsyBE6wR21VVIqEiPgA2Zs7RpdYG3mLc-3vi5ZkY38z21edmY2cbsLspntPSUwyGuovW-UsQ/s320/IMG_0147.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Auction Rooms<br />103-107 Errol Street<br />North Melbourne VIC 3051<br />(03) 9326 7749<br /><br /><br />On my second visit to the Auction Rooms I was very excited. First time round I had the baked eggs, and they were delicious. So in the car trip over I was having a difficult time wondering whether I should have those eggs again or whether I should have the pork Knuckle sandwich(This breakfast was about lunch time) or should I have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">muesli</span> and then a sweet treat. Ah decisions, decisions decisions. In the end The baked eggs were no longer on the menu and because I wanted to review I decided to stick with the breakfast menu. The breakfast menu is not for your average bacon and eggs Jo, it is quite sophisticated with many ingredients in one dish. I like that if it works.<br /> I decided on Coriander <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">felafel</span> and poached eggs on grilled flat bread with a cumin and mint <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">yoghurt</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">tabouli</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">dukkah</span> and a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">tahinin</span> dressing.(See what I mean). Unfortunately this did not work for me. Why, because this was not cooked with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">sophistication</span>. So <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">disappointingly</span> the eggs were hard, this dish was really in need of runny eggs due to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">tabouli</span> being really dry . Couldn't taste the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">tahini</span> dressing. The dish had quite a nice nutty flavour but could have had twice as much cumin and mint dressing. It had potential but didn't come close to realising it.<br />I get very upset when I find it difficult to choose off a great menu and then end up with that.<br /><br />I like the atmosphere here! It is a beautiful brick building with exposed wood, lights made from construction piping, great music and of course the smell of freshly roasted coffee. It's also very busy which creates that buzz that one likes to feel in groovy cafes. <br />They Roast their own under the name Small Batch and even I Might be tempted to try a coffee here one day. Not really, I love my tea. Talking of which although I loved the way they served the Chai, it was undrinkable. So strong and luke warm. YUK! <br /><br />The service was poor at our table, the girl who served us seemed to be in La La land. I never received the rhubarb crumble tart I ordered, could not be bothered chasing it up cos I felt the whole experience was a bit laxidaisical.<br /><br />Not worth leaving SKY for!Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-58220984458291807612011-02-09T11:10:00.003+11:002011-02-09T12:43:15.342+11:00Reviewing reviews<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L83nRVxkvvyZa5dRVlUCfywWZmj4qpAPZrkD0iWwwCjwymiCQ3Nh7r1YTsR_vQlEvlsdKZxFmdyyMkIRzytepREFUjSE2Zkt7fA4AIl-sHQ6FB7f7Lj80Bik3JOCCnEYtN1-6LoJNLo/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L83nRVxkvvyZa5dRVlUCfywWZmj4qpAPZrkD0iWwwCjwymiCQ3Nh7r1YTsR_vQlEvlsdKZxFmdyyMkIRzytepREFUjSE2Zkt7fA4AIl-sHQ6FB7f7Lj80Bik3JOCCnEYtN1-6LoJNLo/s320/7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571499353865516690" /></a><br />How good is a review? How long after it is written is a review relevant? Each time I review or blog about a cafe/restaurant, what does it mean to you when your palate is completely different to mine. Or We could share very similiar tastes in food and you follow my blog and agree with what I have written, but what if the night you go into a cafe I have blogged about and unbeknowst to you it is the Chef's day off and you have a temp cooking for you. I have decided that I will test this theory this year and do some follow-up reviewing. <br /><br />I will start with a Vietamese restaurant that was given a few lines in the Age last year. It wasn't a rating review but because it was in Footscray and close to me I thought I would like to try it. My favorite in Footscray is Huy Huy and I do feel guilty when I eat anywhere else. Trying other restaurants also makes me realise how consistently good Huy Huy is.<br /><br />Star Restaurant<br />149 Nicolson St Footscray - 9687 3555<br /><br />The restaurant is in the Footscray Mall, not what you would call the most inviting place. The mall has a reputation and I find it hard to see it improving in the near future. There's no doubt it has potential but so far no one in the council or in the traders association has been able to reach it. <br />When I walked into the Star Restaurant it was empty. It is a very old building and actually a great space for a restaurant. There was a table of Vietnamese people, they were not customers they were just hanging out there. There are booths which I quite like and myself and guests sat down. It took a while for the waitress to move from her buddies and serve us. There was a man behind the bar who did not register that we were in the restaurant. The waitress spoke very little English. It was very difficult to order.<br /><br />There is a very big menu and not cheap! We ordered the Vietamese Chicken salad, salt and pepper calamari, beef and vegetables. We asked for fried rice and the waitress said they didn't do fried rice, it was not on the menu as a separate dish. Whether there were language problems, I'm not sure but I did think that fried rice was universal language. The same with wonton soup. Okay! MMMMMmmmm I started to worry. Was this restaurant just trying to be a bit different and a notch above the rest by not having common vietnamese menu items or did they just not want to do them for us. It was quite weird, oh they did do steamed rice!<br />The chicken salad was dreadful! It should have been listed as chiken skin salad, not of the yummy crispy variety, but of the boiled chicken skin variety. It is making my skin crawl as I write about it. Very little chicken, some carrot and coriander and a nice dressing. All for $16.00! Did I feel ripped off, cannot tell you how much! This scarred the rest of the meal for me. The other two dishes were fine. The whole cost of the meal with a couple of soft drinks was $65.<br />They didn't take credit card so we pooled all our cash and we were out of there as quick as possible. My overall feeling is that they didn't really want us as customers and did absolutely nothing to make us want to come back.<br /><br />To be fair to the original reviewer, we did not eat what they ate, however even if all the food had been fine the atmosphere was dead and the quality was no way near that of Huy Huy!<br /><br />The Gold Leaf <br />Level 1, 10-11 Star Circus<br />Waterfront City Shopping Centre<br />Harbour Town, Docklands - 9670- 1128<br /><br />Now to a much more positive experience. Again I read about this in the Age and again this was not rated but just listed as a great place for Yum Cha!<br />Great is not the right word, Sensational would describe this experience for a lazy sunday afternoon. It did not start off well, we had a booking for 1.30 and it was very difficult to get seated. It is a huge restaurant and it was full and people were spilling out the front door and lining up. They have 2 sittings and this was the second one and obviously it was difficult as people weren't finishing as they should at the end of their sitting. The other difficulty was the maitre d had no logical system to seat people. We watched and learnt as people pushed their way to the front, pointed at their name in the reservation book and then were seated. It took us 15 minutes to learn that this was how you got seated.<br />Once we were seated(in very low but extremely comfortable chairs)it began. The service was excellent. Drinks were ordered and came straight away. An extremely well priced wine list was very satisfying to read. <br /><br />And then came the food! Yum Cha is a tradition of drinking Chinese Tea and eating small portions of food. The small portions of food come around on trolleys in bamboo steam baskets. It was great fun looking and working out what was what(limited English for the waiting staff was a common problem) and then trying your choice. Yum Cha is mostly Dim Sum(it literally means a 'bit of Heart' but is actually lots of steamed or fried dumplings) but there are other choices, such as pork belly, which was so sublimely cooked, pickled fish and chicken feet(confession, I am a wuss and had no desire to try the chicken feet). There is lots and lots of different kinds of pork and prawn dumplings and they are all delicious. The springrolls were extroadinary, the best I have ever had! Once you have had enough savoury there is also sweet yum cha, which looks so bright and colourful, this is also a must. I have to admit , I ate and ate and ate until the custard filled doughtnuts(which I highly recommend) said to me how will you fit us in! <br />When we asked for the bill we were all a bit concerned because we had no idea how much this was going to cost. The way they charge for each dish is with a cross in a box on an ongoing order sheet left at your table. There were about three different sections obviously falling into cost categories. So imagine our surprise when the bill came back at $40 a head. That included one bottle of wine and soft drinks. Amazing, considering I was so full I didn't need to eat for days after! If you are looking for a nice way to spend a sunday afternoon I couldn't recommend anything better.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-40649702424534940392011-01-21T22:31:00.004+11:002011-02-09T12:53:06.922+11:00Duchess Of Spotswood<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p6ZaHlLsClyBAShnJoyxGotyKdMNsUii7fyr_vc1o64uhtZDXg5FCMgHFw1wHIvuR_93KeL2PsqDmB_RAQTymIQfGE_qf8Up-d8SbbJEQ9sUC6YRTgezg8V8Apyjz3iNDwC5RIyr4Ts/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p6ZaHlLsClyBAShnJoyxGotyKdMNsUii7fyr_vc1o64uhtZDXg5FCMgHFw1wHIvuR_93KeL2PsqDmB_RAQTymIQfGE_qf8Up-d8SbbJEQ9sUC6YRTgezg8V8Apyjz3iNDwC5RIyr4Ts/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571501616966836210" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzLYXgTMe38MWuHFMcZJUYyqXjFi-68vdxDyrIhC4RccsmTKdZN6vWN-7nGn19kNpWhMeA5NzMtowa6kh1Vr8BCC8UDnpFKD8zMiyt3ePfo2V3fEfRUxp5S6I9hePkpXwIgWocvkAQ20/s1600/IMG_0012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzLYXgTMe38MWuHFMcZJUYyqXjFi-68vdxDyrIhC4RccsmTKdZN6vWN-7nGn19kNpWhMeA5NzMtowa6kh1Vr8BCC8UDnpFKD8zMiyt3ePfo2V3fEfRUxp5S6I9hePkpXwIgWocvkAQ20/s320/IMG_0012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571501091003947762" /></a><br />January 2011.<br /><br />: 87 Hudsons Rd, Spotswood, 3015 Phone (03) 9391 6016<br /><br />What a great way to start the year off with a visit to the Duchess! My timing could not have been better as I believe the new menu had just been introduced. Last year this little cafe blew me away so the expectations were pretty high. Veering away from the tradional bacon and eggs Duchess has stepped up and is showing Melbourne how breakfast can be. I particulary like how each menu item is named and would love to know how the titles come about.<br /><br />I had Stormin' Normin(now if you google this it comes up with General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the famous American general, is this dish named after him?). Did I like the dish, mmmmm it was okay. Griddled(American for Flat Grilled)Ham with fried egg, heirloom tomato salad and sour dough toast. I thought the tomatoes would pack a punch but no such luck, very ordinary tomatoes which sort of let the dish down. <br /> Other dishes include a homemade museli bar, an omelette with yabbies(one of my guests said it was sensational), house smoked salmon with potato pancake and poached eggs. There is the tradional full English Breakfast, black pudding included if you don't want to be adventurous. You can also create your own breakfast with eggs done any which way and the sides which are a notch above the rest. It was interesting to watch 2 rather hefty gentleman sitting at the end of the table(share table)dissect their breakfast. You could tell that they were not happy with the size of their breakfast and they were looking at it with a certain amount of curiosity as well as disappointment. They are not big breakfasts at Duchess, they do have a premium price tag attached so in a working class suburb this is bound to happen. I like the size of the breakies, I don't want to start the day overeating, but for a guy, I get it. As far as the premium price tag goes, I do believe they deserve to charge that much as they are serving premium products. Consistently sensational are the gingerbread cup cakes. Can't leave without one!<br /><br /><br /><br /> My Chai was luke warm as were the coffees served to my guests. Disappointing! I love the way they serve their tea hear and the chai was lovely spice wise. <br /><br />Although not a perfect score, I can't wait for my next visit, I would love to try the Lancashire Hash among other dishes.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-83009439956968027442010-12-30T21:24:00.005+11:002010-12-31T00:16:19.331+11:002010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuXUrjv-r90y_u5Bzx5rpB-OxLQFaZ8q4JLE7B_G17ltFisgJFYYEidU-osAK38HbuH07fdVw7QCx_1aEPaUM0-QY74NPYG8ShOEi496g0PNMbD77tsbDCFd-hNghNJjuojhFw2wNnE8/s1600/normal_DSC_0226-full%257E0.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuXUrjv-r90y_u5Bzx5rpB-OxLQFaZ8q4JLE7B_G17ltFisgJFYYEidU-osAK38HbuH07fdVw7QCx_1aEPaUM0-QY74NPYG8ShOEi496g0PNMbD77tsbDCFd-hNghNJjuojhFw2wNnE8/s320/normal_DSC_0226-full%257E0.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556460297097165346" /></a><br />Another year gone by. I know I have been slack, I can not believe that one month has passed since I last posted.In fact I cannot believe that a new year is about to start. However, I have not been idle in the past month, of course I have been out and about and I will try to sum up my culinary month of December.<br /><br />WEEK ONE<br /><br />The month started off dining at The Bank in Yarraville Village. I am not sure of how many people are aware of this but The Bank do quite a good meal. I have eaten here a few times over the last few years and each meal was lovely. Most locals tiss at the mention of The Bank but I Tiss back because I think it is a business that deserves a bit more support. They have specials on weeknights, some incorporating a movie at the Sun Theatre which is just across the road. Give it a go! Let me know if you think otherwise.<br /><br />The next night I was off to The Middle Park Hotel to Paul Wilson's Gastropub. Paul Wilson took over the kitchens approximately one year ago and has been a consultant on their menu. It's a great pub and set up really well with booths with teles for sports fanatics. When we walked in our dinner guests were not in the dining room yet so the waiter suggested a drink at the bar. He was extremely accommodating and ordered our drinks for us and found a bar table for us. The service was excellent for the rest of the evening. The Food, mmmmmm extremely meaty and pricy. Would I go back, probably not for the dining room but a bar meal yes. The bar meal has Pauls hotly talked about Scotch Eggs on the menu, apparently they are delicous. That's what I would like to try next.<br /><br />WEEK TWO<br /><br />In the Next week I had lunch in Northcote at The Breakfast Club. A Groovy little cafe on St Georges rd. A very limited menu, a smart idea for a very small space. Lots of toasties to choose from as well as all the brekkie regulars. I had a mexican bean toastie which was pretty delicious. The tea cosy on the tea pot just about sent me into hysterics because it was perfect. That is the way tea should be served!<br /><br />The next lunch was at the Kent Hotel in Rathdowne st North Carlton. Another Groovy little spot. Sitting outside on the pavement was a great space for catching up with some old workmates. I ordered the Nicoise Salad and it was excellent. The Tuna cooked to perfection, seared on the outside and rare in the centre. A glass of white wine in hand and I was settled in for the afternoon watching the passing trade.<br /><br />WEEK THREE<br /><br />Funki Monkey. New to Yarraville, I was very excited when I saw the menu for this cafe. Gozleme! Anything I read after this has disappeared from my memory. I had to have their Gozleme. I had only had it once before and that was at the Yarraville Gardens Farmers Market. It was delicious! Gozleme is a Turkish pastry that is hand made and hand rolled,filled with spinach and feta cheese,lamb, beef or other vegetable fillings. It is then sealed and pan fried. At Funki Monkey they served it with hummus, babaganoush,lemon and tzatziki. Brilliant! What's more I think it was like $12 for this huge platter that you could easily share with a girlfriend for lunch. At the end the waitress then treated us to some of their home made Turkish Delight, I couldn't have been happier. This cafe is mainly focused at mothers with young children. They have a complete playroom for toddlers with every toy a child could need plus a dvd player(not in favor of this, don't see why our kids need to watch the screen all the time). We sat on the verandah and it was a warm day and it was a wonderful spot to watch Yarravillians go by.<br /><br />WEEK FOUR<br /><br />Enter the Indian Influence <br /><br />Breakfast over xmas saw me at the Corner Shop eating the most delicious Baked Eggs with Eggplant Kasundi. (Kasundi is a hot Indian traditional Relish) On the side, a couple of pieces of toasted ciabiatta and I was in heaven. I thought wow, this is fantastically orginal.<br />Fast forward a few days and I am at Grindhouse cafe in Carlisle St, Balaclava and there is that word again Kasundi, but this time it is with tomato not eggplant. This time it is being served on the side of the Breakfast Vegetarian and Egg Biryani(Indian fried rice with spices). It is also topped with a freshly cooked papadam and some raita. Again I was sent to heaven. It is fantastic to see our chefs incorporating new ideas into our breakfasts, making another's cuisine into our own. Gone are the days of just Bacon and Eggs, I'm sure in 2011 we will see some more of these inspirational enhancements to our menus. The question is who will lead and who will fall behind.<br /><br />Looking Forward.<br /><br />As always I have had my ear to the ground and have heard that there might be a few changes in SKY in 2011.<br /><br />We know there is a new cake shop in Anderson street coming(Hurray Up)and we might also know that there is supposed to be a new Mediterraen restaurant opening in Gamon St, in the old pet shop. I have also heard that Delizia and Seddon Deadly Sins may have new owners next year. But the big scoop is that the owners of the Corner Shop are opening another cafe in Yarraville. It's in the old record shop by the railway and you can see that there has been a lot of work done on it lately. This is very exciting news for SKY. For those of you who have had difficulty getting a table at the Corner Shop you can now try at their second cafe. Although I have heard that the second shop will not be a replica of the first one and they will be concentrating on take aways.<br />So as you can see there is lot to look forward to in SKY in 2011. I also hope to improve on my blog with a few photos and some extra snippets and tibits of all things culinary.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-44804992112065569292010-11-28T13:57:00.003+11:002010-11-28T15:26:15.198+11:00Cafe CirinoCafe Cirino<br />133 Nelson Place<br />Williamstown<br /><br />Breakfast in Willi is a pleasure at Cafe Cirino. When you walk in your senses are heightened by the true authenticity of the owners. They are Italian, you can hear it in the accents and how lovely it is. The Second hit is the smell, the smell of the coffee and although I am not a coffee drinker I love the smell of good coffee. Here they ground the beans per order and the brand being used is Coffea. The third hit is visual, the glass deli cabinet filled with fresh lovely looking ciabiattas, bruschettas, foccacias, croissants and small olive bread rolls. All looking so fresh and tempting me to go back for lunch.<br /><br />The breakfast menu is very small, with a choice of a toasted sandwich, a ham and cheese croissant or a plain croissant with jam. There is also a chocolate croissant, which I had to resist as I had already ordered a classic hot chocolate (more about that later). Muesli with yogurt and fruit was also an option. As at the moment there appears to be no kitchen out the back we have one of those situations where everything is being done front of house.<br />Normally I have suggested that perhaps some imagination be used in situations like this but and this is a big but I don't think they need this at all because at the moment it reminds me of being in Italy where on your way to work you grab your coffee and pastry. So when in Rome................. I ordered a toasted croissant with my Italian style hot chocolate. <br /><br />They have a very special selection of hot chocolate drinks from Fraus. Fraus has a cafe in Victoria st North Melbourne serving these very European blends and now wholesaling to other lucky cafes in Melbourne. Classic chocolate, Orange, Hazelnut, tirumisu, orange and coffee are just some of the 20 or so flavours on offer. This is a real hot chocolate experience, none of the tepid and watery hot chocolates some cafes give the same name. This is like drinking pure velvet , it is impossibly rich but the most delightful sensation in a hot drink.<br />Drinking this whilst eating a gorgeously buttery croissant was like going to heaven. At $7.70 I thought this one of the most simplistic but Delicious breakfasts I have had since being in Rome itself.<br />This cafe has managed to give you the feel of being in Italy,there is Italian music playing in the background, people are coming and going and the atmosphere is enticing. <br />So enticing it seems that they will be expanding. I noticed some work going on out the back and have confirmed that they will be opening a restaurant. How exciting, but the question is will they be able to hold on to the Little Italy feeling once it becomes a restaurant. I guess we will just have to wait and see, if they can create an Italian restaurant with the same atmosphere as their cafe I'm sure it will be one of the best restaurants in Williamstown.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-16418406023901497832010-11-28T13:51:00.003+11:002010-11-28T13:57:08.339+11:00QUOTE - Ferran Adria of El Bulli -<br /><br /> "I prefer eating to cooking!" <br /><br />Did anyone see the documentary on SBS about this most Amazing Chef. He is an inspiration!Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-85897324423688555802010-11-17T22:20:00.004+11:002010-11-17T23:44:58.633+11:00A few cake tibits!Cakes, Cakes, Cakes! Two new shops that I have heard about.<br /> <br />1. Already opened(apparently in Spotswood) is a take away cup cake shop. Owned by Ariana, formerly of Try this in Yarraville. Let me know if you have been there, I haven't got there yet, but look forward to checking it out. It's across the road from the Duchess of Spotswood.<br />2. Coming to Yarraville a new cake shop, opening where Recoleta Boutique was. This is exciting I really hope they do something unique.<br /><br />Whilst we are talking about cakes I have to let it be known that I am a huge fan. It is one of the biggest conflicts in my life. I love to Bake Cakes, I love to Eat Cakes and I love to talk about cakes, so why oh why can it not be a daily indulgence. Because my dear friends cake is the enemy of my body! If I ate Cake everyday I would resemble a Jam Roly Poly. As much as I love cake I do not want to look like one, so these days when I'm going to have cake it has to be pretty dam special.<br /><br />Making a resurgence in Melbourne this year has been the 'High Tea'. The Hotel Windsor, The Park Hyatt, The Sofitel are all places where you can indulge in all sorts of cake.<br />Chocolat Gateax, Lemon Tarts, Upside down Cakes, Tortes, Pavlovas, Mousse Cakes, Cheese cakes, Fruit Flans, Roulades, Nut Cakes, Pastries, Muffins, Apple Pie and the Australian Piece de resistance, The Lamington!<br />Well, have you had enough yet, I'm drooling, my stomach is rumbling and I just wish I had something like this in my fridge, but alas, the sensible Monica doesn't have these sorts of things in her fridge. That's why I have to go out for these and that's why I chose the Hopetoun tea Rooms for my cake indulgence.<br /> <br />Have you been to the Block Arcade in Melbourne it is a lovely arcade to shop in and it has the Hopetoun Tea Rooms. If it's cake you want this is a great place to come and eat it. I had a piece of the latticed Cherry Pie and OH MY it was absoulutely delicious. Not to sweet and not to tart , lovely crumbly/buttery pastry. I would love to work my way through the window display. However(yes, there is almost always a however with me)the cup of tea I had with my cherry pie was the worst cup of tea I have ever, ever, ever had. I sent the first pot back thinking that they must have made a mistake, but no it came back just the same the second time around. I was in shock, Is this not the Hopetoun Tea Rooms where they serve Tea! MMMMMMmmmmmm. Mystified! And the service? Well apparently The Hopetoun Tea rooms have been undergoing some changes, where they want to lift the standards one more notch. As far as the service is concerned I just thought is was appalling, I saw a waitress(very young and inexperienced) drop some cake on the floor and ignore it, I thought she must be coming back to clean it up but she didn't. All the staff are very young and modern which does not match the tea rooms. The Hopetoun tea rooms are from a time gone by. The 1800's, and the rooms are decorated as such(orginal I'm told), this calls for respect and grace and calm, but the young staff had none of this, such a mismatch! <br />SO! The question is would I go back for just the cake and not bother with the tea! I'm not sure that I would. But you see the window display is JUST so enticing and if I happened to be walking by doing some shopping in the Block Arcade, then maybe, just maybe I would have to pop in for a bit of cake and a glass of water.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-40637359869644074532010-10-20T21:26:00.003+11:002010-10-20T22:52:41.124+11:00NoshNosh<br /><br />24 Hall St<br />Newport 3015<br />9391 6404 <br /><br /><br />I always thought that Hall st Newport had huge potential. In a way it reminds me of Seddon quite a few years back and although I think Seddon has a way to go, Hall St, Newport is even further behind. There’s really no competition for Nosh, lucky them!<br /><br />As soon as I walked in the door of Nosh I liked it. For a start it was very busy and to me that says a lot. The bar stools lined up against the window looked inviting and I mozied on over, only to discover that they are really very uncomfortable, so I relocated to one of the few tables left. Immediately the service began with a menu being given to me and my coffee order taken, or in my case my chai tea order. On the menu it says they will keep no one waiting more than 25 minutes and they didn’t, in fact the service was excellent. I ordered the brekky wrap with house beans, chilli scrambled eggs and avocado. (15.50). I’m not sure if they were “house” beans, they seemed more like “3 bean mix” to me, however as a dish I thought it was quite enjoyable(with a little bit more salt) and very generous, there was at least half an avocado in there.(I’d be a bit concerned about my food costs).<br /><br />Other dishes on the menu that caught my eye were the bacon and egg roll on toasted Turkish bread with cheddar, caramelized onion, aioli and house made relish or the bircher muesli with banana and roasted rhubarb or the oat porridge with strawberries, vanilla milk, roasted almonds and golden syrup. Yum Yum Yum!! It clearly states that all the eggs are free range and sourced in Victoria. It also directs vegans or gluten challenged people to menu items.<br /><br />And for the children, fantastic, a Kids food and Drinks menu. Very impressive! My kids would love it! Cocoa Pops(what a treat) or cheese and vegemite toasties (crusts cut off) or for the more sophisticated child, fresh fruit salad and yoghurt. I also liked the notice on the wall asking parents to ask the children to respect that Nosh supplies colouring in materials. (I could open a can of worms about other children’s behaviour in cafes; of course mine are always perfect.) <br /><br />I had a chai latte which was served in a very disappointing cafeteria style pot but none the less a nice chai made with the spices(not the powder and sugar mix which seems to be everywhere) and served with honey,(not on a spindle but in a tube). The cost $4.30.<br />The coffee is Supreme and costs $3.20sm or $4.20lrge. The tea comes in loose leaf or tisanes (mmmm what is this, a new word for me, I’ll just google it.).<br />Tisanes are a herbal infusion or similar preparation drunk as a beverage or for its mildly medicinal effect. According to dictionary.com.(wow, don’t you just love google!)<br /><br /> Nosh can be very noisy, so this can be a distraction if you are trying to have a conversation with your mate. I've had friends say to me that going there in big groups is a disaster as you can only hear the person sitting next to you.<br /><br /> Lack of competition can breed complacency and although I wouldn't tag Nosh as complacent I would say the that the reason it is so busy is because there is no where else to go. Overall I think Nosh covers a lot of bases which would attract a wide range of customers. The service on the day I was there was excellent, the food was good with the menu tempting me to go back and the chai was good. However if they put, for instance a Duchess of spotswood next to it or the Auction Rooms(north melbourne review to come)they would lose a lot of customers.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-1161126151566659252010-09-10T22:44:00.002+10:002010-09-10T22:48:20.184+10:00Petitou<br />206 Somerville Rd<br />Kingsville VIC 3012<br />0421 946 871<br />9 months on<br /><br />Well not much has changed since I was last here.But on saying that I did hear whispers that renovations were about to start. Interesting, because I was just thinking to myself that they could make much better use of the space. After visiting Luncheonette(Kensington) I thought that they are a fine example of a great menu coming out of a little kitchen. It would pay for the girls at Petitou to pay Luncheonette a visit to see all the possibilities. <br />I say this because the brekkie menu at Petitou is really non-existent, when really that’s what they need. Whilst I was there a lot of mums with toddlers were the main customers, and on that basis I would put some kids breakfast dishes on the menu as well as something more than toast for the mums. I had the raisin toast, it was very nice , I also had a chai late which was lovely, but really I want more than that. The other option is toasted sandwiches, as far as brekkie is concerned this is not what I want . (I could be wrong here, other customers might love a toastie for brekkie, but for me toasties are something I have at home.) There is a special on where for $7 you can have a toastie and a coffee, it is a bargain really and I’m sure it catches the eye of the every ending truckies driving down Somerville road. <br />Also on offer are cakes from Chef Emma Mackay, our very own celebrity chef.(watch out for Emma on the next series of Iain Hewitson’s, Huey’s Kitchen, she is his guest pastry chef). Emma also supplies Petitou with sausage rolls, meat and vego which are very popular. <br />The coffee is Jasper and the tea is T2(tea bag). I love how the tea is served in a little pot that sits on top of the cup with a cute little milk pot on the side. I would prefer tea leaves than a bag( again I have tea bags at home). Thinking about tea wouldn’t it be lovely if we had time in our lives to have a proper tea ritual at least twice a day. Where we brew the tea leaves in a lovely pot, which we cover with a tea cosy that grandma made, we turn the pot three times in one direction and then one more time in the opposite direction and then we wait, until it is perfectly brewed.<br /><br /><br />The owner, Tara, is lovely and her assistant is also very nice, I wish them luck with the renovations and look forward to visiting again to see what they have come up with.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-90016722721446297182010-09-01T19:50:00.000+10:002010-09-01T19:59:16.035+10:00Luncheonette café <br />173 Rankins Road,<br />Kensington<br />(opposite Kensington train station) <br /><br />Open - every day except Mon 8am-3pm.<br /><br />I like Luncheonette. It is very appealing to the eye, simple but effective. They have made very good use of the tiny space available to them. There is no visible kitchen and yet they produce some lovely breakfast dishes and also have some wonderful produce on view. Very cleverly the menu has been written with a lot of thought as to what their resources are. The organic muffins, cookies and pastries are from Crumbs Organic Bakehouse in Ascot Vale and the Raisin Bread and other Breads/Baguettes are from Dench Bakers in Fitzroy North(just looked them up, must put that on my breakfast list to try, it looks superb).<br />I love the menu, again simplicity, but with beautiful fresh ingredients. On my first visit here I had the Breakfast Platter and for the price of $15.50 I think it is extremely good value. It has Granola(rolled oats, nuts, dried fruit and honey, baked until crispy), rhubarb, pistachios and yoghurt. Scrumptious, and quite a big serving considering that there is also a serve of the Dench Bakery Raisin Toast and Raspberry Preserve. Delicious, apart from the hard butter which I hate trying to spread. Always so difficult to do especially in a social situation. On my second visit I tried the Baked Eggs with Asparagus and Gruyere. At $12.50 again very good value. The Eggs were nice but nothing to write home about and the Gruyere(was it?)didn’t taste as nutty as I am familiar with. As the Breakfast Platter was served on a wooden board so was this dish, with the eggs in a pan and the toasted baguette on the side. Also on the board some more hard butter and a side dish of very peppery rocket. I think it is interesting to serve the rocket with the eggs but tone down on the pepper. Still not 100% sure that I want to eat rocket for breakfast. What do you think?? <br />The presentation on the wooden boards is delightful but extremely impractical considering the size of the tables. There really is not enough room. I found I was worried about knocking something over (another social faux pas) every time I took a mouthful, so although they look good I’d have to say Get rid of Them! I also found the seating a bit weird. It seems that the bench seats are higher than the chairs so you either feel you are looking up or down at your breakfast or lunch buddy.<br />Today I tried a Chai late here and it was quite different to any other Chai I have had. It was very peppery and whether the café was just having a bad pepper day(note the rocket earlier on)or this is their version, I don’t know. Chai is supposed to have some pepper in it but this much???? Last time I was here I had a green tea and it was very strong however I also had an English Breakfast tea today which was perfect. Same Barista? Yep! I haven’t made up my mind on this one. <br /> I do feel though that in a lot of café’s, training and consistency is lacking and this could be the answer to success. If every barista working for you made coffee exactly the same way then your customers would know what to expect, however if a customer is unsure of the quality then they will no doubt think twice about ordering.<br />The Coffee at Luncheonette is Supreme Coffee and it is organic and from fair trade beans. $3.20. They also use organic milk which is served(on the side for tea)in very cute little jugs. Also available is KoKo Hot Chocoate, which I made a quick mental note to try next time, because yes, there will be a next time because like I said at the beginning, I like Luncheonette!Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-47674634938046515252010-08-24T16:09:00.002+10:002010-08-24T16:36:31.808+10:00The Corner Shop<br /><br />9 Ballarat St<br />Yarraville VIC 3013<br />(03) 9689 0052<br /><br />It is soooo busy,but not just busy, viby, if that makes sense. For good reasons this is where Yarravillians like to hang out. If it is not for the serious business person on the way to work, it is for the harassed mother with children hanging off her, if it is not for the mums after school drop off coffee, then it for the groovy young hip person’s chai latte. This café has an energy that represents Yarraville and all the different types of people who live here. It is perhaps the Heart of Yarraville. I take my hat off to the owners Ian and Claire who seem to have hit the nail on the head with this one.<br /><br />This morning I had the ricotta hotcakes with Poached fruit(I think I am going through a ricotta phase). They were delicious, but and this is a big but there was the most measly bit of poached pear and rhubarb on the side. I could have had 3 times the amount of fruit with the 3 medium size hot cakes. <br /><br />I also thought I would try out the chai tea. Chai has been fast becoming my choice of hot drink in a café, but like with my standard tea and as you would find as coffee drinkers the variations are endless. In the corner shop I really think that the barista is key to whether to order a hot drink or not. This is certainly the case with chai. I have noticed if it is not Ian that makes the Chai then usually the mix is not right. At the Corner shop they serve it not as a latte but in a lovely tea pot, with a ceramic mug(no handles, which I love because you can wrap your hands around the mug on a cold day) and a spindle with honey. For those of you not in the know, Chai Tea is generally strongly brewed milky tea with spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and ginger. Ian makes a lovely brew. Other brews or lattes I have had can taste like warmed milk with cinnamon so it is important to get those spices in there and brewing.<br /><br />Overall still one of my fav places to hang out for brekkie. Actually I like to hang out there at any time of the day. For lunch I recommend you try the lebanese Shanklish(a hard Lebanese cheese) salad, so yummy and so good for you. The salad mainly comprises of cos lettuce, crispy pitta, the shanklish, radish and onion.Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-70132866315996568282010-08-18T10:50:00.002+10:002010-08-18T10:57:53.059+10:00The Gravy Train<br /><br />83 Gamon St Yarraville VIC 3013 <br /> (03) 9687 9866<br /><br /><br />AHA! It was just an undercoat! The Gravy Train has been painted. Good for them, it took them a while but they finally got there in the end.<br />Six months down the track and the Gravy Train certainly looks better, but has it improved inside. The Breakfast dish I had today was excellent. A Ricotta Pancake with fried eggs, bacon and spicy tomato relish. The pancake was light and fluffy, the eggs cooked to perfection with a runny yoke and the bacon was the best I’ve had in a long time, crispy but not too hard to eat or cut in to. At $14.50 I think this is really good value as it fills you up for most of the day. Unfortunately the Porridge I had a couple of weeks ago was not A grade. The pear looked like it was from a tin(sacrilege) and there was no honey or milk on the side. In fact it was quite bland. I like my porridge with poached fruit, lashings of honey and maple syrup(yep both) and warm milk on the side, as we know that porridge can stiffen up a bit. Some people like it with butter and brown sugar, I’d be quite willing to give that a go. The menu has slightly changed since the last time I was in and it is still a good menu with all the usual suspects, eggs done any which way with all the sides, eggs Florentine, eggs Benedict and plenty of sweet options for customers like Rach who love Pancakes and French Toast.<br /><br />The tea I had today(T2) came in a dreadful cafeteria pot and was sooooo strong I think it was filled with tablespoons of leaf tea rather than one – two teaspoons. This should not happen in an established café like the Gravy Train. If you can’t get a decent cup of tea in a café then what is the point of visiting. I might as well stay at home.<br /><br />As soon as we entered our drinks order was taken but after that it took a while for it to come out. There was a big group out the back(The Gravy Train holds a lot of corporate meetings) and it seemed that that was all the staff could cope with.<br />I think the Gravy Train is hit and miss, so when you go you have to take your chances. Why would you want to do that when you can go somewhere else where every part of the breakfast experience is near perfect .<br /><br />Lift your game guys!Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-49037738378503500532010-08-09T20:57:00.002+10:002010-08-18T10:49:56.494+10:00Social Roasting CompanySocial roasting company<br /><br />307 Racecourse Rd<br />Melbourne VIC 3031<br />(03) 9372 3288<br /><br /><br />Doesn’t sound like a café, does it? But it is! And a good one at that! I think the name can provoke a lot of thoughts about what it is or what it isn’t. When I visited their webpage at http://www.socialroasting.com.au/ I discovered it is a café with a conscious and a very exciting social concept.<br /><br />First of all the coffee! Now you know we don’t do coffee, but hey we know the importance of it for those of you who do. The Social Roasting Company uses fair trade coffee that is ground freshly for every cup. In this process they are involved in every step of the way of getting it to you, from sourcing in Peru, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, Columbia and Ethiopia, in grading and roasting it. They advertise that is 100% ethically sourced. This is an exciting development in the coffee world because if there were more cafes using fair-trade coffee there would be less opportunities to exploit the workers on coffee plantations (some of who are children). Another unique concept that is in play is the delivery of their coffee by a man called Josh on a bicycle. He delivers to cafes all over Melbourne. How fantastic!<br />I would really love to hear from any readers if they have had a coffee at the Social Roasting Company and what their experience was. Is it good coffee?<br /><br />Secondly the tea! Well not in our books but obviously at the Social Roasting Company. MMmmm. The cafeteria pots showing up again and at such a groovy café. Couldn’t work out the brand of the tea as it was not displayed, but my English Breakfast was leaf, but I noticed Rach’s herbal tea was a bag. Nothing special but then again this café is all about the coffee and everything else is secondary.<br /><br />Thirdly but I guess most important for me is the food. Can’t miss the menu, it’s on a blackboard on the wall, it’s huge. I think it’s a great idea, as it must save them a fortune in not having to print menus. I really liked the menu; there was definitely more than 3 items I could have tried. Porridge with rosewater and rhubarb, granola, dukkah poached eggs. I had the baked eggs with hash browns, olives, cherry tomatoes, parmesan and pide. $15. It was a little dry but quite delicious. Rach had scrambled eggs with bacon. On the blackboard it did say scrambled eggs with chilli and fetta, however Rach’s were missing these key ingredients. She also thought it was missing salt and pepper and just a little on the bland side. Disappointing! But what was more disappointing for Rach was that there were no pancakes on the menu. She does love her pancakes! There were a few sweet treats on offer but we both showed restraint, unusual for us( we won’t tell them about the lollies and chocolate we bought at the foodworks afterwards).<br />I liked the space we were sitting in. The procession of different types of groovy people from the Bulldogs Player to the boys in suits made for interesting people watching. I really liked the communal table and chairs and as is quite common practice these days there was some art on the wall for sale. The coffee roasting machine is a great centre piece in the café and it emphasises the importance of the coffee.<br />Another point of interest is the fair business side of it. Employing those who for whatever reason have found it difficult to get employment. These guys are covering a lot of social ethics in their business and I really hope it works.<br /><br />On paying it was disappointing that there was no credit card facilities however given the nature of the business it is understandable, it just means we have to be more organised next time we visit.<br />And yes there will be a next time because I really liked the whole concept and experience, everyone should support businesses like these.<br /><br />Mon<br />.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.socialroasting.com.au/"></a>Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-75065833522391146722010-07-20T09:22:00.006+10:002010-07-20T09:40:43.481+10:00Duchess Of Spotswood87 Hudsons Rd,<br />SPOTSWOOD, VIC<br />Phone - 03 9391 6016<br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsPkPMk0ktja0AHupsvv5M985_HshLR_wKdSc0Y7d_uQ-jvSoXkUpzJKKa_jbak7IpSUSCVEewAs0wzCdSB-iraUh__pBQ6Xw7DIZSh8f_-jBhm8GnRujZKq9-y_auPVLOF0E5qAXpGM/s1600/duchess+of+Spotswood.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495765106229925298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsPkPMk0ktja0AHupsvv5M985_HshLR_wKdSc0Y7d_uQ-jvSoXkUpzJKKa_jbak7IpSUSCVEewAs0wzCdSB-iraUh__pBQ6Xw7DIZSh8f_-jBhm8GnRujZKq9-y_auPVLOF0E5qAXpGM/s320/duchess+of+Spotswood.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Image found<a href="http://www.beanhunter.com/"> here</a></span> </div><div align="center"><br /><div align="left">What a find! This is the first time I have eaten in Spotswood at all and what a great impression it has left on me. When I think of Spotswood I think of the movie with Anthony Hopkins and Ben Mendolson, and I think of the pub across the railway where lots of men have sniggled when it’s mentioned.(I did find out why they sniggled, need I mention it, I’m sure you can guess). </div><div align="left">There is only one instance when I would relate Spotswood to food and that is only for takeaway Lebanese Pizza at Al Nada. Otherwise for breakfast, lunch or dinner there is SKY(seddon Kingsville and Yarraville) of course, then willi on the odd occasion, Kensington more so than not and other surrounding areas for when I am bored.<br />But now Spotswood is always on the tip of my tongue for breakfast, because the best breakfast I have had in a long time was had here. At Duchess of Spotswood. Notably there are a few new cafes in this shopping strip but guess which café was full, yes that’s right the Duchess. Unfortunately for other cafes, Duchess was full and the others were empty, that’s right empty. As soon as I walked into this café there was a good vibe and the look, I loved the look. The lovely wooden communal table in the front of the café sourced from the old Dance Hall in Yarraville made it all closer to home. The very yellow oven in the Kitchen fantastic, did it come like this or was it their idea, I don’t know. Very Simple, understated.<br />And the menu. The first of it’s kind! Very English with each item relating back to the home country. Menu items named as such, Simple Pleasures, Fruit of the Forage, Scotch Woodcock , how fantastic. It’s like the breakfast menu has been completely re-invented here, Hooray.<br /><br />I ordered the Fruits of the Forage which comprised of Wild Mt Macedon mushrooms with soft semolina, crispy double smoked pork neck and a poached egg. Excellent, superb, can’t get it out of my mind delicious. There is fish on the breakfast menu, blackpudding , toast from Zealy Bay, porridge and muesili mostly done with an English twist. Racheal ordered the scotch woodcock( I think the scrambled eggs was called this with a relish, which I also can’t remember the name of). Unfortunately for Rach the menu had not informed her that the relish that came on her scrambled eggs was anchovy. OOHH she said get it off my plate( of the garnish of anchovy fillet) As I am not a huge fan of Anchovies I completely understood her horror at such a strong flavour being added to her dish. It did make it difficult for her to eat the rest of the dish as she was worried that a sneaky anchovy was going to make it into her mouth. As she was still hungry we thought we’d both(yes even though I devoured my dish I still had room for more) better try the gorgeous gingerbread cakes on display. How simply luscious! And the Tea, wonderful, served in lovely pots with cups and and even the presentation of water, in great bottles.<br />My only critique would be about Rach’s dish and warning customers about strong flavours such as anchovy via the menu or through the waiter just mentioning it, otherwise this has got to be the best breakfast joint found in 2010.<br />My advice don’t waste any time and get yourself down there. MON </div></div>Monica Gellerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139264675520346035noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-33428846220133592452010-07-10T23:01:00.000+10:002010-07-19T23:06:59.194+10:00Luca Haus86A Charles Street<br />
Seddon<br />
(03) 9687 0039 <br />
<br />
Hooray Hooray!<br />
<br />
On walking into this new establishment I was so excited, I almost couldn't contain the big YES that was echoing in my head! Yes Yes Yes! <br />
You guys know what you are doing! It's a only a small space but wow have you filled it with the most wonderful array of food products. Everywhere I look I see something that I either want to devour or to use <br />
in my kitchen. The Paella pans hanging side by side with the woven baskets have started a craving for wanting to cook a paella. The Bread from Noisette(remember a couple of reviews ago I introduced you to <br />
Noisette from Port Melbourne or at least the bread) is crying out to me take me home as are the chocolates and tea blossoms, Jasper coffee(and I don't even drink coffee) and the granola products. And I could go on <br />
forever - instead I suggest you should go and visit and check it out for yourself. <br />
<br />
Now that's the packaged products, but what about the breakfast menu? A very small meun with no eggs at this point, but you must try the Croque Monsieur. It was absolutely delicious. Beautiful ham, a beautiful bechamel and the bread, what can I say. Very Very delicious. <br />
There were other items on the menu such as plain croissants and filled croissants, granola and yoghurt, Noisette breads toasted, portuguese tarts. Who needs Eggs? They also have a small lunch menu with lasagna <br />
and the like being cooked on the property.. The coffee is Fairtrade from Jaspers(if you watched Foreign Correspondant the other night you would never drink coffee or eat chocolate other than fairtrade again). <br />
The tea also from Jasper was 3.50 but I also had a chai late and it was the best chai late I've had yet. I had to go back and get another one not long after and I can assure you it won't be long before I have another one. <br />
Luca, I think is the barista and owner, has such a lovely smile and way with him that I am sure he will give Andy from Le Chien a run for his money on being one of the nicest barista's/owner in SKY.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bEqOrxtqEZjYm2rrfqPI4iCuWSKZAyR_naTjpsE-1MtSo2HWKT50T84nCPNOrEjsb7hA5DgcAstx533RzWQa0AricewbAesCLkI6oCRoCNLJIbdYrYRTUgVL2OSfIIqmvKihAqKpzUQG/s1600/5SLZgJEwUEPxeU-640m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9bEqOrxtqEZjYm2rrfqPI4iCuWSKZAyR_naTjpsE-1MtSo2HWKT50T84nCPNOrEjsb7hA5DgcAstx533RzWQa0AricewbAesCLkI6oCRoCNLJIbdYrYRTUgVL2OSfIIqmvKihAqKpzUQG/s320/5SLZgJEwUEPxeU-640m.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-52147397271384189312010-06-06T19:51:00.000+10:002010-06-06T19:51:11.807+10:00Poynton's CafeThe Boulevard (cnr Vida St.), Essendon VIC 3040 <br />
<br />
03 9337 8111.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmSgjZhWh9yAhUC_RcYhY0bwxrfPzRPQjRf52_KmAXfc2t1CP4u9mQH2JAv2mH6-3pHJzZB3thCu7iXcHm84222b9HjZh47lQMq3hz1SdPmV11Ws5maXmKHBp2hekL8LJ9wxgrwMbrmbY/s1600/img_thumb_boulevardcafe.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmSgjZhWh9yAhUC_RcYhY0bwxrfPzRPQjRf52_KmAXfc2t1CP4u9mQH2JAv2mH6-3pHJzZB3thCu7iXcHm84222b9HjZh47lQMq3hz1SdPmV11Ws5maXmKHBp2hekL8LJ9wxgrwMbrmbY/s320/img_thumb_boulevardcafe.gif" width="230" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Generic!!!!!<br />
<br />
Poynton's is a sensational nursery. I love going there, if not to buy then just to look. The natural colours of the nursery are amazing from no matter where you are standing, but I guess the best overall view is from the cafe.<br />
The cafe is extremely generic in how it looks. The table, the seats, the space, the cake fridge are all a little bit ho hum. However look out the window and peace overcomes you. It's quite serene, the river, the nursery and the birds singing (are you with me Rach?). Then look at the menu and it's all generic again. A menu that is quite extensive and expensive. I knew before I had even ordered that the food was not going to be special. You know, you get a feeling that the people in a cafe either care or they don't. The overwhelming feeling here for me was that there was no love here. In the nursery you see lot's of love, but unfortunately not in the cafe. <br />
<br />
I ordered the baked eggs which were supposed to have chorizo, tomato and coriander. No coriander, tiny <br />
bits of chorizo and turkish bread on the side (no butter). Fancy no coriander when they probably have it growing in the nursery. $16.50 was a bit steep, probably quite steep actually. T2 at 3.50, but can't remember how it came. I quickly finished what I ordered (no savouring) just so I could get back out into the nursery. Sometimes you should stick to what you know and if it is plants you know stick to growing them and if it's food you know then stick to cooking it. However if you are very clever and think you can pair the two how about serving food grown in the nursery and advertising that! Too easy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-45984488223466805402010-06-06T19:40:00.002+10:002010-06-11T16:47:19.487+10:00The Famous Blue RaincoatSouth <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kingsville</span> sounds like it should be in SKY but actually it is on the other side of the West gate. It is <strong>so</strong> worth hopping in your car for a meal at this fab venue. I call it a venue because although it is a <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">café</span> (it calls itself a restaurant and bar) on different nights of the week it does turn into a music venue where owner James <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Wakeling</span> and some of his mates get up and play a combination of Jazz, Folk and Blues. Cool!<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM37R0GTgsMMytKjzVYvRTXB2ZurhZcgcBu5d9IKCHe7L0uBS5BvanaAmHO3Zt2d1Pj6NZ6Yiv1xYT3dA1oc-GPbFL0oTJpmnbUthkkPMY0osXlhap2aC8QiA1g0LBf28IgaK8shqk0UDI/s1600/raincoat+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM37R0GTgsMMytKjzVYvRTXB2ZurhZcgcBu5d9IKCHe7L0uBS5BvanaAmHO3Zt2d1Pj6NZ6Yiv1xYT3dA1oc-GPbFL0oTJpmnbUthkkPMY0osXlhap2aC8QiA1g0LBf28IgaK8shqk0UDI/s400/raincoat+2.jpg" width="300" height="400" gu="true" /></a></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none">This venue is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast menu is great and has some fav’s of mine on there. The muesli and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">promite</span> eggs are a couple, however this particular weekend morning I opted for the pancakes with berries, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">yoghurt</span> and maple syrup. It was delicious! I felt by adding the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">yoghurt</span> it was healthier than your average pancakes (that’s what I’m telling myself anyway). If you are a regular reader of this blog you would have noticed that generally I stick to the egg dishes but there are the odd occasions when I wake up craving something sweet and it has to be given in to. A<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">lthough</span> I may never have pancakes again for this blog I think it is my duty to try as many breakfast options as I can so I can report back to you. I think eating the pancakes at the time was feeding my cravings and just yummy but I have to say afterwards I felt somewhat bloated and perhaps a little regretful. What I totally regretted was ordering the tea! As blogged nearly 12 months ago I was not that impressed with the tea. Even less impressed this time. Adam’s Peak Tea (never heard of it before) it’s called and it’s a bag in a cafeteria pot. Luke warm water, ilk!! I reckon they could lift the standards here! </div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; CLEAR: both" class="separator"><a style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwRNNjOL4-dBg-tiO_jf-MsxiiT8JzIe0no7_wwvMtovF8HwCvmZEWrimQVidW_yPGnHlNcDMhSvuLyceoXS6EiS8iXGQK8aTjxfm-oiUSZGWZpj6iA9r4dLD8pby6bfbBF2Rrt49E-tW/s1600/raincoat.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwRNNjOL4-dBg-tiO_jf-MsxiiT8JzIe0no7_wwvMtovF8HwCvmZEWrimQVidW_yPGnHlNcDMhSvuLyceoXS6EiS8iXGQK8aTjxfm-oiUSZGWZpj6iA9r4dLD8pby6bfbBF2Rrt49E-tW/s400/raincoat.jpg" width="300" height="400" gu="true" /></a></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none">Coming here for dinner is great fun because on different nights of the week they have different cuisines and for less than $15, you could have a paella or you could come on a Sunday for the Sunday traditional roast. </div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><br /></div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none">I really like this place. It’s warm, it’s groovy, it’s comfy and most of all it could be a home away from home. I just wish it was closer to me so I could walk there and then I would visit more often.</div><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none"><br /></div>The big news for Famous Blue Raincoat Owners James and <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kaz</span> is that they have just taken over the deli which is a couple of doors down from <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">FBR</span>. It is a lovely shop decked out with fresh fruit and veg (some organic), lots of different deli items and the best part I think, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Noisette</span> Bread. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Noisette</span> is a <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Boulangerie</span> Patisserie in Port Melbourne and it is truly divine. Not sure whether they serve breakfast but perhaps will have to venture over to find out <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rach</span>, what do you think?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-58567832359908943732010-05-19T23:30:00.000+10:002010-05-19T23:30:32.555+10:00Finally - Pancake Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVBOL79d6m4pTTLVyzsoqWrrIX7PT7q_oVhS891pO7lKpHWmLPE5tjMQpJux4jytIcOe1gtEtAapmfQgduM7Hck7DRY7Bpw79qF-RDvAIQ8FIMHwg2Rn8MvSa1uDlfIyB4ViZ6BB7JBYU/s1600/seven+sins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVBOL79d6m4pTTLVyzsoqWrrIX7PT7q_oVhS891pO7lKpHWmLPE5tjMQpJux4jytIcOe1gtEtAapmfQgduM7Hck7DRY7Bpw79qF-RDvAIQ8FIMHwg2Rn8MvSa1uDlfIyB4ViZ6BB7JBYU/s400/seven+sins.jpg" width="400" /></span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">I never did find my picture of the Seddon Deadly Sins banana pancakes .... so I just had to go back and have them again just for the good of this blog!!! Dedicated aren't I!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">Rachael</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-18745616004098460252010-05-19T21:07:00.000+10:002010-05-19T21:07:22.349+10:00The Corner Shop & Le ChienLike two peas in a pod. Still my fav's. Both these cafes know how to run a business! And although they would not like to be grouped together I have put them in the same review because although they are quite <br />
different as cafes they both still have a lot in common. That's no coincidence! Ian and Claire who run The corner shop once used to be part owners of Le Chien! Eighteen months ago Ian and Claire struck out on their own once again and have made a huge success of it, whilst Andy remains at Le Chien continuing on the sucess story there.<br />
<br />
My fav brekkie at the corner shop is the baked eggs. Just superb with Chorizo and fetta. Maybe a little bit more turkish bread needed to go with it but otherwise a faultless dish!<br />
At Le Chien, my fav brekkie (as well as a lot SKY peoples) is the promite special (poached eggs, on promite ciabatta toast, avocado, tomato and parsley). Just Brilliant! Consistently excellent.<br />
<br />
At both cafe's tea is served in lovely big pots. But here is where Le Chien still comes out on top! The tea here tastes, like English Breakfast, at the Corner Shop, it tastes flowery. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Jeepers Mon - I still can't tell the difference. They are some serious taste buds you've got there! Besides, some of us like our EBT flowery)</span></span> It always has and so I have stopped ordering it. The Last two times when I was there I ordered a Chai latte. The first time was delicious the second time not so. It is the barista of course, on both days it was a different barista. So now when I go there I will check out who the Barista is and that will determine what I will order. Much Easier though at Le Chien, consistency is a key ingredient here.<br />
<br />
The most common denominator in these two cafes is the atmosphere. In both cafes when you walk in there is an instant vibe. Content and relaxed people, enjoying their mornings. There have been many a friendship forged in these cafes, and isn't that what our local cafe is about, community spirit and meeting other locals. When we leave these cafes, we leave feeling fulfilled.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">LOVE these two cafes - the best in SKY by a long shot!!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373208657107993567.post-9449130037212625942010-05-06T17:12:00.000+10:002010-05-06T17:12:02.868+10:00Coffee Edge1 Anderson Street. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Yarraville</span> 3013. <br />
Tel: 9687 0977<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Not new, so how did we miss this cafe last year. Well quite easily it appears! Coffee Edge is tucked away at the top end of Anderson St. I knew there was a cafe there I just didn't think they served breakfast. <br />
<br />
As I never walked past this cafe I never gave it a second thought. I would drive past it and it looked like a cafe in which an older generation of European men hung out at. I didn't think it was my scene. One particular morning when I drove past I saw a new sign out the front, advertising breakfast, so I thought ah, change of <br />
owner/management, now is the time to have breakfast here. <br />
<br />
So off Rachael and myself go, walking to the top end of Anderson St and Coffee Edge. The first thing that I notice is a cute little courtyard. I thought not a bad place to hang out with my book and a cup of tea! <br />
But once we walk inside it is pretty clear, pretty quickly that this place is lacking! This is how a cafe looked 20 maybe 30 years ago. The decor is simply boring! The atmosphere is simply boring! and The menu is simply boring! Have they not been to any of the other cafes in SKY, have they not checked out their competition. For Heavens sake they did not even have any music going! <br />
<br />
I ordered the old standard breakfast(poached eggs, spinach mushrooms and tomato). It was served on <br />
white toast but had been on the menu as sour dough. I always find this disappointing and think that if there is a menu item missing it is courteous to let the customer know. But something tells me they may not know the difference. However this breakfast was only $10, quite a steal compared to the rest of SKY! Apart from the toast thing , it was quite well cooked, just like <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">nona</span> would make! How was your <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">omelette</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Rach</span>?<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Ummm</span> - barely remember I'm afraid. Fairly average I think.</span><br />
The coffee is Griffiths and as we sat there, there was quite a few take away orders. $3.20 was the price, let me know what you think! The tea is T2! (I think T2 is invading the world, everywhere you go it's there on the shelf, watching you, saying order me!) They were offering 7 blends of T2 and I tried the peppermint. Yes it tasted like peppermint, nothing amazing.<br />
<br />
Coffee Edge is still not my scene! It needs a lot of work. But for those who don't take their cafes so seriously, it might be just the place for you. It has all the basics, just no personality!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd love to play devil's advocate here but I was so disconcerted by the appalling decor I couldn't concentrate. Maybe the courtyard experience would be better. Please don't make me go there again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana;">Rachael</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0