The Corner Shop
9 Ballarat St
Yarraville VIC 3013
(03) 9689 0052
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Gravy Train
83 Gamon St Yarraville VIC 3013
(03) 9687 9866
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
Lift your game guys!
83 Gamon St Yarraville VIC 3013
(03) 9687 9866
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
Lift your game guys!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Social Roasting Company
Social roasting company
307 Racecourse Rd
Melbourne VIC 3031
(03) 9372 3288
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.
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!
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?
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
And yes there will be a next time because I really liked the whole concept and experience, everyone should support businesses like these.
Mon
.
307 Racecourse Rd
Melbourne VIC 3031
(03) 9372 3288
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.
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!
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?
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
And yes there will be a next time because I really liked the whole concept and experience, everyone should support businesses like these.
Mon
.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Duchess Of Spotswood
87 Hudsons Rd,
SPOTSWOOD, VIC
Phone - 03 9391 6016
Image found here
SPOTSWOOD, VIC
Phone - 03 9391 6016
Image found here 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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
My advice don’t waste any time and get yourself down there. MON
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.
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.
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.
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.
My advice don’t waste any time and get yourself down there. MON
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Luca Haus
86A Charles Street
Seddon
(03) 9687 0039
Hooray Hooray!
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!
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
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
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
forever - instead I suggest you should go and visit and check it out for yourself.
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.
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
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).
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.
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.
Seddon
(03) 9687 0039
Hooray Hooray!
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!
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
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
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
forever - instead I suggest you should go and visit and check it out for yourself.
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.
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
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).
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.
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.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Poynton's Cafe
The Boulevard (cnr Vida St.), Essendon VIC 3040
03 9337 8111.
Generic!!!!!
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.
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.
I ordered the baked eggs which were supposed to have chorizo, tomato and coriander. No coriander, tiny
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!
03 9337 8111.
Generic!!!!!
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.
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.
I ordered the baked eggs which were supposed to have chorizo, tomato and coriander. No coriander, tiny
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!
The Famous Blue Raincoat
South Kingsville sounds like it should be in SKY but actually it is on the other side of the West gate. It is so worth hopping in your car for a meal at this fab venue. I call it a venue because although it is a café (it calls itself a restaurant and bar) on different nights of the week it does turn into a music venue where owner James Wakeling and some of his mates get up and play a combination of Jazz, Folk and Blues. Cool!
The big news for Famous Blue Raincoat Owners James and Kaz is that they have just taken over the deli which is a couple of doors down from FBR. 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, Noisette Bread. Noisette is a Boulangerie 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 Rach, what do you think?
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 promite eggs are a couple, however this particular weekend morning I opted for the pancakes with berries, yoghurt and maple syrup. It was delicious! I felt by adding the yoghurt 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. Although 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!
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.
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.
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