Lunch @ Miss Marie Cafe, Rosanna

Miss Marie, a site for foodie sore eyes, gives lunchers and brunchers of Rosanna a little something special. With cute wooden décor and art on the walls, you feel like your sitting in a café just of Brunswick st as you sip your creamy cappuccino (coffee art and all).

After having brunch here a few weeks ago with some girl friends, I suggested it for lunch when organizing a girly family lunch. All lovers of all day breakfast I though it was perfect.

My sister and I arrived at the busy café on a Friday afternoon and almost didn’t get a table! After looking at the menu, we had both decided on the all day breakfast option and tried to wait patiently for mum. Knowing what our mother usually orders I laughed as I said to my sister “We should just order her a large flat white and Eggs Benedict “. Nevertheless we waited for her to decide for herself.

The lovely young wait staff managed the tiny café with ease, and always with a smile. The all day breakfast menu offers a range of delicious options including the smoked salmon served on sweet corn and coriander fritter with rocket, avocado, roasted tomatoes and dill caper sour cream…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and the ricotta hotcakes with seasonal poached fruit and zesty lemon ricotta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a range of gourmet sandwiches and other meals on offer, including the herb and Parmesan crumbed chicken baguette, which I was very temped by! Specials of soups, tarts and even a sumac crusted barramundi fillet were also avaliable. A cute café wouldn’t be complete with out freshly baked sweets including brownies, strawberry and coconut slice and gluten free flourless orange and almond cake.

When we were a three at last, the waitress came over to take our order. I had to laugh out loud when my mother turned to her and said “Ill have a double shot large flat white and the Eggs Benedict please”…she really is predictable! My sister and I both ordered soy cappuccinos and poached eggs on sourdough with a side of the homemade relish. Never ever ordering the same thing, this was slightly alarming!

As the coffees arrive I was a little disappointed. On my first visit to Miss Marie I had ordered strong and was very happy, but had forgotten this on my return visit! The cappuccino was lovely and creamy and chocolaty, just could have used a bigger hit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My eggs on sourdough were beautiful! The poached eggs were cooked just how I like them, runny but not too runny (over done for most people including my sister) and the sourdough was crunchy yet soft and actually had the sour taste you want from a sourdough. Mums meal arrived with a mound of fresh shaved ham and a creamy hollandaise and she was very pleased.

Lunch lingered into chatting and we stayed for a number of hours. No one seemed to mind, and we were always met with a smile.

Miss Marie is what Rosanna has been waiting for! A perfect little addition.

For more information:

Miss Marie Café

45 Beetham Parade

Rosanna Vic, 3084

http://www.missmariecafe.com.au/#




Brunch @ Three Bags Full, Abbotsford

There has been so much positive buzz surrounding Three Bags Full, I don’t know why it has taken me this long to go! Meeting a friend who lives in Richmond for brunch seemed like a perfect reason!

The old brick warehouse on the corner of Nicholson Street Abbotsford, doesn’t give away the cute café awaiting you.  The outdoor tables, filled with brunch goers enjoying themselves does give a little away.

As I arrived, 15 minutes early for my Friday morning brunch, I was surprised at how busy they were already. I managed to get a cute table for two against the wall. As I sat down I took in my surroundings. The main room of the café is open and has beautifully high ceilings.  It has a cute wooden bar, which has bar seating situated below coffee cup hanging lights. To the right of the bar was the freshly baked section, showcasing muffins, slices and sandwiches. A huge communal table in the middle creates a fun atmosphere and the second dinning area allows for the huge space to feel cozy and private. I was alone for about 20 minutes and at no point did I feel like an imposition, the staff were lovely and welcoming and more than willing to help where they could.

The breakfast menu is broken down into 6 categories. Eggs on Toast offers things like Peas and Eggs: poached eggs, crushed peas, tomato vinaigrette and feta, along with standards like Eggs Benedict. The Savory section has things like the big breakfast or Beetroot Cured Salmon on corn pea and feta fritters, which was served with avocado, rocket and dill sour cream. Sticky Black Ginger Bread served with vanilla bean mascarpone, candied cumquats and pistachios stands out on the Sweet section, while the Vegetarian section offers Braised Leek and Potato Omlettes with seeded mustard and gruyere along side the more expected brunch of smashed avocado on toast. Finally, the last two sections are Oats and Toast offering the standard muesli’s, porridge’s and plain or fruit toasts. They also offere gluten free toast for their breakfasts which I will always appreciate!

What I loved about this menu was that it has the standards for when you want to know what you getting, but then offers new and exciting meals for when your in the mood for something different!

The coffee menu, rotating and written on the black boards behind the bar, allows you to choose your coffee based on flavour.

I ordered the coffee which was promising cocoa and nutty flavours in the form of a soy cappuccino.  While I normally order a strong coffee, I figured they knew what they were doing here and didn’t bother. I was very right! This coffee was beautiful. It was, as it promised nutty and delicious. It was also the perfect strength.

To accompany my cappuccino I ordered the Organic Sourdough served with their homemade apricot jam. This was divine. The bread was delicious, it was soft in the middle and had the perfect amount of crispness on the outside.  It also had that beautiful sourdough flavour coming through nicely. The jam that came with it was such a lovely combination. Sweet, yet not overpowering, it went perfectly with my buttered sourdough.

I was very pleased to find out as I was paying, that their bread, Jams and muesli are all available for sale at the café. There were also a number of coffees available for purchase.

I would highly recommend a visit to Three Bags Full, and am already looking forward to returning to try something different and buying a few take home treats!

For more information:

Three Bags Full

Corner of Nicholson St and Mollison St, Abbotsford.
(03) 94212732

http://www.threebagsfullcafe.com.au/

A coffee and some time to kill @ Eden Espresso, Malvern

With two hours to kill on Glenferrie Road and having had no coffee all day there wasn’t really a question as to what I wanted to do…mission was to find the right café!

Not really knowing he area overly well I stumbled across a cute laid back looking place and took a seat…. The venue…Eden Espresso.

It was filled with wooden, homely furniture with hessian art on the walls and a wooden bar. The staff were all young, funky, laid back and very friendly. As I opened my laptop I saw a sign for free wi fi… I was very happy.

Not only was it the exact vibe I was looking for but the coffee was amazing. My strong soy cappuccino was one of the best I’ve ever had. It was strong and creamy with a generous sprinkling of chocolate on the top.

The food menu also looked great, with a variety of breakfast options.  Mueslis, porridge and toasts, including bagels, fruit loaf and olive loaf and gluten free alternatives made up the smaller options.  Unique breakfasts including mushrooms on toast with herbs and cumin made the menu that little bit different. The standard egg breakfasts as well as the sweeter options were also on offer. To finish the breakfast menu was an endless list of sides, which I believe is the mark of a good breakfast menu. Nothing hit $15 and from what I saw it would have been well worth it.

The lunch menu featured gourmet sandwiches including the Sliced roast beef Sandwich with horseradish cream, fresh tomato, dill pickle, Spanish onion and cos lettuce served on toasted Noisette’s Ciabatta which was $10. Salads, typical main means including a cheese burger and some tapas items finished up the menu, again with nothing more

than $15.

Eden Espesso is laid back, cheap and very friendly. A great weekend breakfast/brunch or lunch venue, or for those times you find yourself out and alone and craving a really good coffee.

For more information:

Eden Espresso

121 Glenferrie Road, Malvern

03 9509 9119

www.edenespresso.com

 

Back to uni @ Sushi Sai, Carlton

As Semester one starts, as do quick lunches and coffees on the go. With Lygon street a block away, Melbourne Uni goers are rarely struggling for choice when it comes to good quality food.

As a lover of Japanese food and especially Sushi I made sure to scope out the best sushi in the area three years ago when I started my under grad. Three years later Sushi Sai is still one of my regular lunch spots.

From the outside (and to be honest the inside), it appears to be nothing special. The dark run down corner building is likely to scare some people away, but once you order from the overly friendly staff, you will realise the food here is fantastic. The sushi is very fresh and if they don’t have exactly what you want they are always willing to make up something for you on the spot.

My personal favourite are the cooked tuna and avocado hand rolls, which have the perfect combination of tuna to mayonnaise to avocado ratio. For those of you who are gluten intolerant they are completely on top of this. They have gluten free soy sauce and are able to make the cooked dishes with gluten free sauces.

They also have noodle, rice and soup dishes on offer and from word of mouth I hear these are as good quality as the sushi.

So next time your around Carlton, don’t be fooled by the run down exterior of Sushi Sai…give it a go!

For more information:

832 Swanston Street Carlton VIC 3053

(03) 9348 1466

The Best Breakfast I’ve Ever Had @ Figs, Carlton North

Sunday morning… with a slight headache from the night before we headed out for a much needed brunch. We were heading to Figs, that is literally a two-minute walk from my house, yet for some reason we had never visited.

As we arrived we entered the tiny café and feared we wouldn’t get a table. The wait staff however was more than happy to change tables around and make things work to accommodate us. Seated and coffee’s on the way we took to the menu.

The best of both sweet and savory were on offer…waffles and French toast with ice creams, syrups and spreads, toast with condiments, bruschetta of pesto feta and tomato and all the eggs you could ask for and more.

I couldn’t go past the green eggs and ham which consisted of scrambled eggs with pesto, smoked ham and spinach on toast (gluten free bread available J ). Both of my fellow diners ordered the bruschetta of pesto, feta and tomato and added their choice of eggs. To note here is how accommodating and friendly the waitstaff are. We ordered three breakfasts and not one was a standard order and she couldn’t have been happier to oblige.

As our coffee’s arrived our headaches started to subside. The coffee here is great, strong, creamy and hot.

Our meals arrived, and we were happier than we had hoped.

My eggs were cooked to perfection, the pesto was crunchy, nutty and flavoursome and the fresh spinach added that touch of cleanness to keep the meal from being too rich.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bruschetta, with huge slices of feta and the same delicious pesto was served on char grilled sourdough and was also apparently amazing. The serves were very generous and our clean plates demonstrated just how good the meals really were.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One last happy surprise we found at Figs was when we were paying…my meal which included extra charges for gluten free bread and soy milk came to a grand total of $ 15.30.

I will definitely be going back here again and again and I recommend everyone else do the same!!

For more Info:

Figs

787 Nicholson Street

Carlton North

VIC 3054

t: 03 9388 1911

http://www.figscafe.net.au/index.html

 

Tapas and pizza @ Denn Bar and Restaurant, Northcote

Having walked past Denn so many times but never gone in, I thought it was the perfect place to suggest when a girlfriend asked where we should go to dinner one night.

With wooden and leather décor, Denn had the perfect vibe for the tapas and wood fired menu that it offers.

As the three of us looked at the tapas menu for entrée and had a crazy thought that they might be able to make the dips and bread gluten free as they offered gluten free pizza bases. When we asked our friendly young waiter he was like “of course”…with two gluten free members in our party we were over the moon!

Our shared entrée of grilled gluten free flat bread (with normal bread for the gluten eater ) with dips as well as tomato-marinated prawns was amazing. The prawns were sweet and spicy and the garlic aioli that accompanied them just completed the flavour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then to the gluten free flatbread…for those of you who haven’t eaten gluten free bread, you usually wouldn’t eat it alone unless forced! This bread was soft and flavoursome and I found myself eating the garlic and and sea salt topped bread alone, forgetting we even had dips!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other entrees (all around the $15 mark) included saganaki, vine leaves, marinated olives, and a large range of flavoured flatbreads.

Then to our main. There were pastas, risottos, and meat and fish dishes on offer, yet Denn are known for their woodfired pizzas so we thought it made sense to sample them. With the gluten free bread such a hit, I had high hopes for my pizza.

When my mushroom, haloumi, pesto and sundried tomato pizza arrived my hopes rose again, and as I tasted it I was not at all disappointed. The bread was the perfect crisp for a pizza base and the generous toppings coated every inch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other pizzas on the table received the same reception. My sister who is not gluten free also informed me that it was the best normal pizza she has had in a very long time, so don’t feel this place only has gluten free goodies on offer!

Pastas, pizzas, risottos all came around the $22 mark with the steak and fish of the day prices varying a little more and moving closer to the $30 mark.

Another venue I would recommend to lovers of both tapas and pizza and definitely for those of you also on a gluten free diet.

For more information:

Denn Bar and Restaurant

113 High Street

Northcote VIC 3070

(03) 9482 1231

www.denn.com.au/

18 Hours @ Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort and Spa, Yarra Valley

 

Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort and Spa, located in the heart of the Yarra Valley is one of the many beautiful wineries you’ll find there. My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to receive a gift of a night’s accommodation, a dinner and a massage the following morning.

 

6:45pm

We arrived at Balgownie and were welcomed by the view of the modern restaurant with floor to ceiling windows, situated perfectly on top of the hill.

 

As we ventured away from the restaurant to check in I was blown away by the surroundings of the hotel. Beautiful gardens and roses and architecture engulfed my vision.  From the second we walked into reception to the second we left the next day there was nothing but the friendliest of service. With an unexpected upgrade and discounts on wine we headed to our room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With stunning views and a modern interior the room definitely didn’t disappoint, and to top it off, there were 12 bottles of Balgownie wine on offer in the mini bar!!!

 

 

7:15 pm

We made the short walk to Rae’s Restaurant, which has a vast open feel with endless windows allowing you to see the entirety of the Yarra Valley as you dine. To take full advantage of this we ordered a bottle of the Balgownie Premium Curve Brut NV and sat outside. The weather was warm, the sparkling was light and view was amazing.

 

7:45pm

After getting a little sidetracked we were collected by our lovely young waitress who showed us to our table.  The menu, marked gluten free to my delight looked incredible. In addition, the prices run on a weeknight or weekend package of $55 dollars for two courses on weekdays and $65 for two courses on the weekend. This is great value for the venue and as we later discovered the food.

 

For entrée we both ordered the Pan-fried Tiger Prawns, coated in dukkah served on avocado, jimaca, mango mousse, thai basil and a vinaigrette of beetroot passion fruit. As it arrived, I saw a beautiful salad of prawns surrounded by swirls of different colours and amazing flavours. The prawns, perfectly cooked, held their natural sweetness and this was complemented by the spicy dukkah and the cool creamy avocado. The addition of sweet tomato flesh, basil oil and the beetroot created an incredible flavour experience.

 

As we moved onto the Balgownie Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, we awaited our main course.

 

For my main I ordered the Kingfish served with roasted Piperade with lemongrass and brandy, served on confit peppers, capers, white anchovy and basil mayonnaise with green asparagus and Kumara pesto. Again cooked to perfection the Kingfish was complemented by the tartness of the pepper capers and anchovies. The taste buds were then cooled by both the mayonnaise and the pesto.

 

I was informed that the 200gm Fillet of Beef with coffee, cumin and black pepper crust served with carrot chutney, duchess style confit of potato, with jus of roasted onion and balsamic, was also divine.  It too showcased more interesting and inventive flavour combinations.

 

All in all the food was of the highest quality in the way in was cooked; yet also in the way the flavours, textures and combinations were paired. This was some of the most inventive cooking I’ve seen. In addition, the service was lovely and more than willing to assist with dietary requirements and questions.

 

9:30 am

We made sure we checked out a little early so we could make full use of the free buffet breakfast served for hotel quests in the restaurant.

 

As we arrived, I was surprised to see bottles of open sparkling on offer, espresso machines and generous amounts of beautiful looking food. Sweet, savory, eggs, yoghurt, toasts, pastries, fruits, cheeses, meats, juice, coffee, sparkling…anything one could every need for breakfast, plus a kitchen taking requests.

 

I was again blown away when for the first time in the last two years of being gluten free; there was gluten free bread in the bread section…I was in heaven!

 

10:45am

After an amazing breakfast we headed to the Natskin day spa for our hour long massages. Again we were given incredible service with individual lockers provided, tea and refreshments served and friendly smiles.

 

12:30pm

We drove away, reluctantly, from the beautiful experience that is Balgownie Estate.

 

If you can get away for the weekend or even the night I highly recommend all that Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort and Spa has to offer!

 

 

For more Info:

 

www.balgownieestate.com.au/

 

Spontaneous night of dinner and drinks @ The Vegie Bar, Fitzroy

5pm on a Friday night…”Wanna head to Brunswick Steet?”…always a welcome question in my book! This Friday afternoon after a couple of ciders in the sun a few friends and I found ourselves at The Vegie Bar…

The Vegie Bar on Brunswick Street really is an institution. Its not only loved by vegetarians, vegans or those on gluten free diets (which are remarkably easily catered for by the marked menu) but lovers of good food in general.

On a busy evening expect to wait for a table. As usual when we arrived at about 8 on a warm Friday night, we were given a playing card and ushered out to the cute outside bar designed for the masses to wait for their tables. While there is always a wait here, before you know it and the shaggy/tattooed wait staff are back to show you to your table.

Your table, up to you of course, could be a private table, or you can join one of the large communal tables and share a meal with your fellow vegie bar lovers; simply adding to the laid back, friendly atmosphere this venue oozes.

As we took a seat at our table, we looked over the never changing, dependable menu. With a vegetarian and a gluten and dairy intolerant among our group, we were overwhelmed with choice not found at many restaurants.

It was the famous rice balls with satay sauce for most of us for entrée and we were in no means disappointed! The rice balls, perfectly crisp on the outside are filled with brown rice risotto and then drowned in satay sauce…they really couldn’t be better!

The service here is always fast friendly and accurate. The wait staff are unbelievably busy yet are still able to smile, all the while taking intolerances in without needing a pen.

However…I must say that one down fall is that alterations to the menu are not taken well. On previous occasions I have asked for corn chips on the side of my order of curry instead of the standard roti bread, as I’m gluten intolerant. I was told no from the chefs on ‘principle’. You would think a venue that is so aware of intolerances, allergies and lifestyle preferences would be willing to make the occasional alteration to the menu, yet they seem only willing to subtract not alter or add.

This Friday night however, I was served by a waitress who had slight pull with the chefs…corn chips were given on the side of my Duo of curries (Satay Chickpea Curry and the Potato and Lentil Curry) which were as always amazing!  In one, spicy lentils are mixed through with large chunks of potato to give that homemade comforting feeling, and in the other chickpeas are sautéed in the creamy satay sauce. They are served along side brown rice giving a final touch of homeliness.

The menu, while all vegetarian, is versatile. Entrees include Rice balls, Japanese Gyozas, Stuffed Mushrooms, soups, chips and nachos while the mains have various sections. There are pizzas, bugers, wraps, salads served with sides of your choice, various noodle and vegetable dishes, stir fries, curries and stews. There is bound to be something on the menu to satisfy everyone…and you wont walk away hungry from the extremely generous serves.

Finally…desserts, which come in the form of the cake fridge in the centre of the room, cater to all dietary requirements through one item or another and taste even better than they look!

What always manages to amaze me at the Vegie Bar is the bill. With a party of four, there were four entrees, four mains, three desserts and four drinks and the bill came to a grand total of $130…this place is nothing if not good value.

I highly recommend The Vegie Bar for lunch or dinner for dependably great food!!

For more information:

380 Brunswick St
Fitzroy VIC 3065
(03) 9417 6935

www.vegiebar.com.au/