Macs Brew Bar

Chips & beer at our usual spot in the Octagon on a sunny Dunedin afternoon

Brew

Brew is a little neighbourhood cafe in Musselburgh. It was new when we were here at Christmas and still seems to be going strong - much like the coffee

NZ coffee is a bit more like a punch in the face than Melbourne coffee

Couldn't go last the Belgium slice - yum!

A Minor Place

Back at a old favourite. I finally had something different - poached eggs, with avocado, beans, and tomato. I planned to give the beans to Reid, but it turned out that the beans were under all the other food, so I couldn't avoid them entirely!

It is great to be sitting outside in the beautiful Melbourne spring sunshine 

Form Cafe

Form is a little converted house on Albion street deep in suburban Essendon.

The menu is hanging on the wall on butchers paper and not visible from our table so I had to loiter in the middle of the room to contemplate my menu choice

They use compostable plates - supposedly to cut down on water consumption, but I'm not sure the overall environmental footprint would be evened out once the production of the plates is considered.

The interior and decoration are reminiscent of a trendy Brunswick cafe

The food and coffee is ok

Lolo and Wren

Lolo and Wren is almost within walking distance to our place but we've only just made it here today, and it's pretty good!! The menu options are great, with a focus on local produce, and beautiful presentation.

The coffee was excellent and passed the long black test - no sugar required and came with a pallet cleanser

Plus we could sit outside in the warm spring sun! 

Spring

A glass of vino and some patatas bravas at Cinema Nova on a beautiful spring evening!

We're off to see Behind the Candelabra

The Beaufort

An American dive bar burger joint on Rathdown. It's dark, loud, and loud, but definitely worth a visit

The food was ok - my burger was almost too hot to eat, and a bit too much onion for my liking. It's too dark & loud to tell the quality of the food - I think the beef was el-cheapo! But overall it was tasty! 

Great atmosphere and decorations 

Top Paddock

We ventured all the way over to Richmond to Top Paddock, and were not disappointed!! 

There was a decent queue but we were happy to sit outside so were seated almost straight away (thank you springtime)

The food was beautifully presented and tasted as good as it looked! 

Full points in all categories - great menu choices, clean interior design, friendly efficient service, good coffee, amazing food!

Chuckle Park

A quick vino after Huxtaburger for dinner and before the season finale of the Shelf at the Toff in the Town

Jellystone

Same same but actually different!!

We've been to Jellystone plenty of times and it's always good. But now they've changed the menu and we sat out the back in the courtyard for the first time. I didn't even know there was a courtyard all the way out the back. And when I say the menu has changed - the food is the same, but the names are different. The Middle East eggs are now Sydney Road Eggs.

Three Bags Full

When Three Bags Full opened we still lived in Hawthorn and rode past everyday on the way to work. At the time I thought it was an unusual location for a cafe, but it's hugely popular, there was a 15 minute wait for a table when we arrived today! It was originally opened by a Melbourne cafe heavyweight - Nathan Toleman.

Food and coffee was great! Reid's long black was amazing, didn't need sugar!

I had the corn fritter - it has a dill and sour cream topping that tasted just like McDonalds!! I haven't had McDonalds for years so it's obviously a strong taste memory.

Interior decoration is simple and tasteful 

Choo Choos

Having a quick dinner before going to the Shelf comedy at Toff in the Town

Jackson Dodds

We're back over in Preston to collect our bikes after a service so we've called back into Jackson Dodds.

After a week of eggs and bacon for breakfast in Palm Cove my egg belly is full! But today's brekkie was still yum, I had eggs benny, the hollandaise was great and I liked the variation of bagel instead of toast or muffin. 

I was deciding between eggs benny and scrambled feta. I'm pleased I went with the benny - the people on the next table had the scrambled and it was enough food for two, at least!! 

Hammer and Tong 412

Recently opened in February this year, Hammer and Tong takes over from Brix 412, the previous cafe in this space. The new owners met while working at Vue de Monde, so while they've retained the stylish interior design, they bring a whole new level of quality to the food - and the food at Brix was already pretty good!

When you boil it down, the menu options where pretty standard for breakfast, muesli, porridge, eggs benny, corn fritters, and baked eggs. But they were all described in such tempting language and the presentation of the food couldn't be faulted!!

I had the corn fritters with paoached egg, it was amazing! Reid's baked eggs looked great too, but weren't the best ever. 

The coffee was also beautifully presented, including stylish crockery. Coffee tasted good, although, I have definitely had better.

Reverence

There are a few cafe's opening in Ascot Vale on Union Street. And Reid is off to the Penny Arcade expo at the showgrounds so I thought we'd check out one of the local spots. 

Reverence is good on paper, and there are several individual components that are good, but overall it's a bit disappointing.

The staff are friendly but too efficient, in a chaotic type of way. High speed walking from table to table. 

The furniture is old style but it's all actually new so the vintage affect is lost.

The layout of the tables is a bit clinical so I felt a bit exposed. A better design might have created a more intimate setting. 

The menu is good, simple, but a bit pricey. I paid $19 for tomato, avocado, feta, and a poached egg. Reid's chilli beans were a bit lacking on the chilli side. 

It has potential but it doesn't seem to come together that well

More tequila

At Mesa Verde

Touché Hombre

Dinner & drinks 

Piano Piano

Piano Piano is a tiny cafe on Nicholson Street, but it churns out hearty sized breakfasts! 

Three super friendly chatty staff work the smallest of kitchens, and everyone seems to know each other.

If we lived in the area, this would make a really nice local. Good coffee too!

Backstreet Eating

Nicely styled with chilled jazz playing and a hearty menu. 

With a lingering hangover the extra salty pork belly bacon, roasted tomatoes & Brussels were a bit rich for me. Reid enjoyed his - fried eggs, black pudding, and cabbage.

Coffee was good!

Their appreciation of an animals offering to us was a bit self indulgent!! On the menu was a blurb about their selection of animals, what they're fed and how they're treated, and what they offer to us - like the animal somehow had a choice

Pearl Oyster

A nice little local suburban cafe in the back streets of Thornbury. 

Lots of really good breakfast menu options, all with eggs of some kind

I had the lean green poached eggs with humous and labne. Reid had the bada bing poached eggs with pork sausage, tomato & capsicum sauce, and goats cheese

Simple interior design, great coffee