Fitzroyalty » breakfast

breakfast at Ziegote cafe on Johnston St

brian — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:30:00 +0000

In one of the previously cursed locations on Johnston St, a new cafe opened a few months ago. Called Ziegote,the menu is an Indian / English breakfast fusion. On my first visit I had a fried egg roti wrap. On my second, I had a spiced omelette. The coffee is excellent and the welcome is friendly. It may have been easy to overlook businesses at this location before, but Ziegote is worth trying and I hope they make a success of this location.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Coffee by brian

breakfast at Grace cafe on Rose St

brian — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 14:18:27 +0000

Grace cafe opened a bit over a week ago in one side of the small semi-detached cottages on Rose St covered in art. I arrived about 9.45am on Saturday for breakfast, when there was only one other occupied table, but within 20 minutes the place was full. The word is already out and the new cafe has been swamped by curious novelty seekers like myself.

I ordered the field mushrooms with beetroot on toast with an addition of goat cheese.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

lunch at Breakfast Thieves on Gore St

brian — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:42:03 +0000

Breakfast Thieves on the corner of Gore and Rose streets opened a couple of weeks ago. I tried to go last weekend but they were full on Saturday morning and I was more successful on Tuesday at lunchtime.

While the breakfast side of the menu looks good I was more interested in some of the lunch dishes, including the ‘Ned Kelly’ – rosemary polenta with mushrooms and poached eggs. This is fantastic dish that needs only a piece of bread to soak up the yolk and juices to make it perfect.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

brunch at Rustica Sourdough bakery cafe on Brunswick St

brian — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:10:16 +0000

Before it became Rustica Sourdough bakery cafe, this building contained Pane Provinciale, then Itza cafe. Itza had once been good, but it suffered a drastic decline in the quality of its bread and cafe food, stopped baking, and finally became somewhere no one wanted to go to. Fortunately this has changed, with a new business and a new light-filled interior.

Rustica opened about 10 days ago. I went in last week to buy bread, then returned this week for breakfast.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

breakfast pizza at Little Creatures on Brunswick St

brian — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:24:35 +0000

I had breakfast yesterday at Little Creatures after having noticed their new breakfast menu recently. Their menu also contains something called ‘blunch’. Is that the same as ‘brunch’? The pizza, containing proscuitto, egg, cheese and spinach, is excellent but be warned the coffee is mediocre. I’d go elsewhere for that.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

breakfast at Juddy Roller, Chapel St Fitzroy

brian — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:12:22 +0000

A small new cafe called Juddy Roller (Facebook) opened last week on Chapel St near the corner of Johnston St. It’s similar to Tiny in Collingwood in being located in a corridor under a staircase but different in that it features art by Sydney street artist Ears (web and Flickr) on the walls rather than an intense yellow glow. The cafe is named after a relatively recently deceased local musician.

Firstly, I’m very impressed with the coffee.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

autumn eggs at Ici

brian — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:03:16 +0000

I was talking not so long ago with a local acquaintance about the quality of some Fitzroy cafes that have changed ownership, and whether they are as good as they used to be. I thought the quality of the coffee at Newtown SC declined after Cate sold up. He replied by questioning whether Ici was still awesome after its rumoured change of owners in 2010, and I said I have not been there for some time.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

brunch at Madame Sousou on Brunswick St

brian — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 13:04:28 +0000

Every so often I am drawn to Madame Sousou for breakfast or brunch. The coffee is excellent and a croque madame is a perfect way to start the day, even if it is 1pm. Sitting outside in the shade on a balmy autumn day, the accessibility is perfect, and for once no one smoked near me. Heaven.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

breakfast at Max’s espresso bar on Brunswick St

brian — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:03:25 +0000

Where? I hear you say. Max’s has been open about six weeks on Brunswick St between a bottleshop and a convenience shop opposite Atherton Gardens. Like Lunchtime Escape it seems oriented towards lunch, but it is open for breakfast, and they have yummy bacon and egg rolls. They also make good coffee, and I recommend trying it for yourself.

If you’re walking to work and Newtown SC is full to bursting, and Pollen Industries has not yet opened, you now have another coffee option on Brunswick St.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

tell me where to go – the July winner is Lunchtime Escape on Gertrude St

brian — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:05:33 +0000

The winner of the second ‘tell me where to go’ poll is Lunchtime Escape on Gertrude St, which received over 50 of the more than 140 votes in the poll. The first poll, won by Mario’s pizza on Johnston St, received over 70 votes in total so participation in the poll has doubled from one month to the next, which pleases me greatly.

Commenter Emily hoped that I did not end up at Lunchtime Escape due to the reportedly bad coffee but it got 30% of the vote, narrowly defeating Monties on Smith St due to a late rush of voting.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

goat’s cheese on toast at Babka on Brunswick St

brian — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:05:39 +0000

Breakfast at Babka is always amazing. My friend enjoyed her goat’s cheese on toast with onion and currant jam with radicchio – a fantastic combination (top). I’ve had the menemen before but could not resist another taste (bottom).

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

breakfast at Beans and Bagels on Johnston St

brian — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:02:26 +0000

I often chose not to publish a review if my experience is poor but occasionally I find it worthwhile to do so to see what other people think. On a recent Sunday I had breakfast at Beans and Bagels with a friend. It was only my second visit there in several years, as my first experience had been underwhelming due to the terrible coffee I was served. I wanted to try them again mainly because I love bagels.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

Canadian French toast at Bebida on Smith St

brian — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:12:07 +0000

Bebida makes great breakfasts and amazing coffee. On a recent Sunday I was totally satisfied with my Canadian French toast, bacon and maple syrup, a long macchiato and time lazing over the paper.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

breakfast at La Niche cafe on Smith St

brian — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:01:46 +0000

Breakast at La Niche cafe on Smith St, for me at least, means a croque monsieur and a long macchiato. Technically, a croque monsieur with a fried egg on top, like this one, is called a croque madame, but there’s no need to be pedantic when you’re stuffing your face with deliciousness.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

breakfast parma at the Gertrude hotel

brian — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:13:08 +0000

Any meal can become breakfast. Making a meal into a good breakfast, however, requires creativity. At the Red Tongue cafe on Brunswick St they make an excellent breakfast pizza. The kitchen at the Gertrude hotel on Gertrude St has excelled themselves by making a breakfast parma. It’s a chicken parma with the usual napoli tomato sauce and cheese on top. In between the sauce and the cheese are rashers of bacon, and on top of it all sits a fried egg.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

breakfast at Coco cafe on Smith St

brian — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:04:14 +0000

When looking for somewhere for breakfast on a recent Saturday morning the menu at Coco on Smith St caught my eye. The scrambled eggs with feta, spinach, tomato and pesto on Turkish bread sounded great and it proved to be delicious. They also make a decent coffee and are worth trying if you’re in the area.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

American pancakes at Shire on Victoria St

brian — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:04:37 +0000

I enjoyed another Saturday breakfast at Shire recently unexpectedly solo due to an acquaintance forgetting our rendezvous. They missed out on American pancakes with bacon and eggs and maple syrup.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

Turkish village breakfast at Gutz on Brunswick St

brian — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:08:50 +0000

I’ve been a fan of Gutz cafe on Brunswick St for a long time. Their menemen is one of my favourite breakfasts, and I recently tried their Turkish village breakfast for the first time. It consists of toast covered with sauteed onions and spinach, topped with two poached eggs. It’s then covered in minted yoghurt and it is delicious!

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

the new best breakfast in Fitzroy at Juanita’s

brian — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:05:31 +0000

I’ve become very fond of Juanita’s latin cafe since it opened in January last year. I like dropping in by myself for cake and coffee as well as taking friends there while we’re out in Fitzroy. We decline dessert at whatever restaurant we’re at and instead go to Juanita’s for churros and hot chocolate. I noticed recently while walking past that Juanita’s are now doing breakfast and I was determined to try it as soon as possible.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

breakfast number four at Min Lokal

brian — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:05:55 +0000

Having been to Min Lokal a lot for breakfast (reviews of visits one, two and three), I asked a fellow Fitzroy resident recently where she would take a visiting friend if she wanted to impress them. She replied Min Lokal. So when I had another friend visiting from Perth recently that’s where we went, and the breakfasts and the coffee were relished.

Two of our group of four had dishes I have reviewed previously.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

crepes and coffee at Breizoz Crêperie

brian — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:11:03 +0000

After having explored the Spanish history of Fitzroy and eaten at most of the Spanish restaurants in the area, I realise that I may have overlooked French food and culture. I don’t know if Fitzroy has as much of a history of French influence, though it has fine restaurants like Mon Ami and Madame Sousou. I have finally now also visited Breizoz Crêperie on Gertrude St and had a delicious brunch with a friend. We shared onion and goat’s cheese and smoked salmon and sour cream crepes and lingered over bowls of cafe latte in the warm cosy room.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Breakfasts by brian

magnificent breakfasts at Bebida on Smith St

brian — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:05:07 +0000

It’s been a long time between meals at Bebida, but it remains a favourite. I don’t think I have been in since the launch of the Portable FIlm Festival last year. I recently had breakfast there with two friends and enjoyed myself immensely. My croque-monsieur (translation – a fancy toasted ham and cheese sandwich) was divine and the coffee is good.

My friends (a couple) shared the breakfast burrito and the corn and coriander fritters, which were obviously the preferred dish.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Business by brian

tortilla at Min Lokal on George St

brian — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:03:35 +0000

Another indulgent Saturday morning. A hungry friend in need of quality coffee who amazingly had never been to Min Lokal. My recommendation was accepted and the coffee was as good as I said it would be. Sorry Cate! We’ll come to Newtown Social Club next week I promise (we were there the weekend before this). When I love several cafes equally, I diplomatically try to visit each in turn.

I’m working my way through the menu at Min Lokal, though it changes enough to make me think I would never be able to try everything.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Business by brian

breakfast at Atomica on Brunswick St

brian — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:10:28 +0000

Eggs Benedict and long macchiato. Perfecto. Salty bacon. Good hollandaise. Perky breakfast beats to keep me awake on a Friday morning. A seat and a newspaper. No fuss service with a smile. I want to linger but my bicycle is outside and I have to get to work. Atomica has been well reviewed over the past few years by the Breakfast blog, Melbourne cafe reviews, Put it in your mouth and repeatedly by Ryan on coffee.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Brunswick St by brian

breakfast bagel at Alimentari on Brunswick St

brian — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:18:58 +0000

On a recent Sunday I met a woman called Susan at Alimentari. I needed breakfast as I had just got up, but for her it was time to work. She’s a journalism student at RMIT and we met so she could interview me about the role of citizen journalists in local and social media. I was happy to help. I ordered the breakfast bagel with egg, bacon and tomato chutney and we got coffees and started talking.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Brunswick St by brian

breakfast at Madame Sousou on Brunswick St

brian — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:02:46 +0000

Baked eggs were the breakfast dish of 2007, and they continue to be popular, but the new fashionable breakfast dish is sweet corn fritters, which are available at several cafes including Shire on Victoria St and Madame Sousou on the corner of Brunswick St and Bell St. The Madame Sousou version contains sweet corn and zucchini, and comes with avocado and smoked salmon.

The baked eggs served at Madame Sousou are also delicious, and come with a thick tomato sauce, chick peas, chorizo and minted yoghurt.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Bell St by brian

breakfast at Min Lokal on George St

brian — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 14:14:46 +0000

Over the next week I’ll be posting a food review every day as I clear a backlog of fabulous eating experiences over the Easter long weekend. One of the pleasures of taking visiting family members to places in Fitzroy is to see their genuine surprise and delight in things we residents take for granted. If you’re a regular at the Rose St markets, of course Mr Bucket tshirts come packaged in faux gourmet icecream containers. For some people, going out for breakfast is in itself novel.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Coffee by brian

breakfast at Shire on Victoria St

brian — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:04:36 +0000

Shire cafe on Victoria St (on the corner of Fitzroy St) makes one of the best breakfasts in Fitzroy. This is the ultra delicious sweet corn fritters with bacon, avocado, pesto and goat’s cheese. The service is friendly, the coffee is very good and it’s cosy inside. Like Min Lokal, Shire rewards those who explore Fitzroy beyond the main streets.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Business by brian

breakfast at Grumpy’s Green on Smith St

brian — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:14:20 +0000

I had breakfast for the first time last Saturday at Grumpy’s Green on Smith St. It’s a vegetarian / environmentally aware cafe / bar that does a decent breakfast on the weekends only. I chose the big breakfast and for $12 it was most satisfying, particularly the lovely fresh tomato with a hint of rosemary. The eggs and mushrooms were good and the coffee is strong.

The interior is like a bar and it feels strange eating inside but the food is pretty good.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Business by brian

Fitzroy history – from bank to breakfast pizza

brian — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:12:02 +0000

Yes, I said breakfast pizza. I know you don’t care about the history, you just want the food. To save you scrolling to the bottom of this post, the food is at the top. This is the breakfast pizza at the Red Tongue cafe on the corner of Victoria St and Brunswick St. A thin crisp pizza base spread with sweet chunky tomato chutney, then covered in lots of bacon and an egg and cheese mixture that cooks to a fluffy omelette consistency on top.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Brunswick St by brian

breakfast at Babka on Brunswick St

brian — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 13:19:57 +0000

The queue at Babka on weekends is legendary and scary. Locals know to queue on the right for tables and on the left for takeaway bread, but Saturday mornings are still often stressful and frantic. Sometimes I want the Babka wholemeal and sunflower loaf but I choose instead to go to Itza for their ciabatta because it is far less difficult to obtain. The best time to have breakfast at Babka is early in the morning on a weekday, which I did recently.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Brunswick St by brian

breakfast at Fagito on Nicholson St

brian — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:08:09 +0000

Fagito is a new breakfast and lunch cafe on Nicholson St on the corner of Henry St (opposite Casa Farro). I noticed it while out on a walk one evening and went back the next morning for breakfast. They have been open for about three months now and have a basic breakfast selection and many choices of hot or cold food for lunch. The coffee was only average but my big breakfast was delicious!

Two fried eggs, lots of bacon, excellent sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms on toast (hidden under the enormous pile) costs only $9.50.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Business by brian

breakfast at Gutz on Brunswick St

brian — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:08:57 +0000

Gutz cafe is one of the quiet achievers on Brunswick St. It’s not full of cool kids comparing sneakers. Like Alimentari and Sila it attracts a diverse clientele who come for the excellent breakfasts. Every few months I go there because I experience a craving for the menemen, a Turkish scrambled eggs dish with onions, tomatoes and capsicums.

The vegetables are sliced and fried until they soften, then the beaten eggs are added and cooked in the usual fashion.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Brunswick St by brian

crepes at The Wick on Brunswick St

brian — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:22:08 +0000

I used to love World Wide Wash on Brunswick St. Over time it changed, removing the washing machines in 2006 so that it was no longer a laundromat internet cafe. Then it lost the computers so it was no longer an internet cafe, though now with wifi most cafes can be internet cafes. Then came a change of name to The Wick in 2008. The interior has been repainted and is now darker and more sombre.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Brunswick St by brian

breakfast for the unfashionably early

brian — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:09:54 +0000

On a recent Saturday I had lots of errands to do and wanted to make an early start. I planned to visit Queen clothing on the south end of Smith St near the corner of Gertrude St before walking into the city, so I thought I’d have breakfast nearby at La Niche cafe. I had previously checked the opening hours (9am on Saturdays) on their door and expected them to be open when I arrived at 9.15am.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Business by brian

breakfast at The Commoner

brian — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:07:54 +0000

I’ve loved the dinners I’ve had at The Commoner, but sometimes forget that they also do brunch. I managed to remember over the long weekend and was as impressed with their brunch menu as I am with the dinner menu. The news section of their website says that they have a new chef, but the food is just as good!

The main dining room was full but we got a table out the back, which is a lovely space (except for the fact that people can smoke there – The Commoner should go smoke free is what is an outdoor but still enclosed space with restricted air flow).…

Leave A Comment
posted in Business by brian

Eating at Birdman

brian — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 06:06:26 +0000

It’s taken me a long time to have breakfast at Birdman Eating. After following the good reviews for more than a year now, from the Abbotsford blog, the Breakfast Blog, Kate and Zoe, and the Age, I thought it should be the destination of my next Saturday breakfast.

I arrived with my girlfriend before 10am and it was nearly full. We got a table and ordered coffee and read the menu. The service throughout was excellent, probably the best of any cafe I can remember.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Coffee by brian

min lokal has max appeal

brian — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:10:39 +0000

On Sunday I walked around to George St to sample the breakfast at Min Lokal. Where’s the beef? has already reviewed it, and I was keen to taste the Napoli eggs. Michael obviously has not read about the Wildflour saga on my blog, but I’ll forgive him because I like his work.

Poached eggs

I’m excited to report that everything that Michael said about the Napoli eggs is true – it is a miracle of a dish.…

Leave A Comment
posted in Business by brian

Juanita’s

brian — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:05:54 +0000

Juanita’s opened last week in the former Charmaine’s icecream space. They make fantastic coffee and if you have a sweet tooth their cakes and pastries will please you. The one shown below is pastry with layers of caramel and walnuts in between – heavenly! They are a welcome addition to Brunswick St and I hope they do well. I’ll be going back soon to try the savoury foods they also serve.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Brunswick St by brian

multicultural breakfasts at Arcadia cafe

brian — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:02:25 +0000

On Sunday I had one of the best breakfasts ever – Shanghai eggs at Arcadia on Gertrude St in Fitzroy. Two eggs fried in a wok and served on toast with oyster sauce, chilli and spring onion. Fiery and amazing. My breakfast companion had the Italian eggs, which are scrambled and served with parmesan, prosciutto and pesto. Along with very very good coffee, Arcadia made my day.

Shanghai eggs

Italian eggs…

Leave A Comment
posted in Coffee by brian

cafe Rosamond

brian — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 13:14:37 +0000

Cafe Rosamond on Charles St near the corner of Smith St makes a fine coffee and has the offhand panache required by all Fitzroyalty.

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Charles St by brian

J’aime le cafe ‘ici’

brian — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 13:05:55 +0000

In a back street of Fitzroy, the ici cafe is busy serving locals and well informed visitors. The coffee and food are superb, and it has the undefinable Fitzroy vibe. Places either have it or they don’t – it can’t be manufactured. Other bloggers have commented positively about ici – see the Breakfast blog and Where’s the beef?

…

Leave A Comment
posted in Coffee by brian