Review: Three Bags Full

Where: Three Bags Full

What:  Toasted granola muesli with lavender 
& vanilla yoghurt panna cotta,
strawberry coulis, seasonal baked
 fruits

Recommended:  YEP! One of the best

Wait: Yep 10 – 15 mins

Rating: 5/5

Price: $12

Three Bags Full is my go to, fail safe brunch spot. I had a break between housing inspections this weekend so I decided to treat myself to a tasty breaky.

I arrived at 10am and was greeted by a line running half the length of the block, which of course is to be expected at any reputable café at 10am on a Saturday morning. Thankfully though I only had to wait 5 minutes before I was seated!

I ordered the Toasted granola muesli with lavender 
& vanilla yoghurt panna cotta,
strawberry coulis, seasonal baked
fruits. So tasty! I love panna cotta and I love flower flavoured foods so this was rocking my world.

Unfortunately though I had to scoff it down, as I had to make tracks to my next inspection! It was such a decadent little breakfast I have been thinking about going back for another all week!

Fingers crossed I get the house guys!

Review: Miss Marie

Where: Miss Maries

What:  Smoked salmon, served on a sweet corn & coriander fritter with rocket, avocado, roast tomatoes and dill-caper sour cream + French toast brioche stacked with bacon, warm banana and maple

Recommended:  YES!

Wait: Nope, should be right!

Rating: 4/5

Price: $16 + $14.40

One of my friends Kylie came to visit me out in the burbs today, so I decided to take her to my favourite local café and show her that the world doesn’t end after zone 1! We went to Miss Maries in Rosanna, it’s been open just over a year and is run by a lovely local couple. It’s always busy and always does a great brunch, so I new it would be a great place to show off to Kylie!

Kylie ordered the Smoked salmon, served on a sweet corn & coriander fritter with rocket, avocado, roast tomatoes and dill-caper sour cream. The dill-caper sour cream was amazing! Perfect compliment to the salmon and it was a very generous serving! The salmon was cooked to soft pink melt in your mouth perfection. The corn fritter was great too, so moist and bursting with flavour! The dish was a knock off and hours after we’d eaten Kylie kept saying how much she had enjoyed it!

I am such a sucker for a sweet breakfast so surprise surprise I went for the French toast brioche stacked with bacon, warm banana and maple. Really good French toast! 3 pieces all up and they were all big, soft, sweet and DRENCHED in maple syrup! They really don’t mess around with their condiments here, which I love, nothing worse than running out of syrup half way through your meal and being stuck with dry toast! Bacon and maple syrup is a huge weakness of mine and I was loving this, however I didn’t love the banana. I though it made the dish a little heavy and I would have loved to see them use a tart raspberry or strawberry to cut through the maple syrup.

I think it’s safe to say, that thanks to Miss Maries, I have proven to Kylie that good things can happen out in the burbs!

Friends of Mine – Banana Bread

Where: Friends of Mine

What:  Toasted banana bread with maple syrup mascarpone, fresh banana, berry compote and crushed pistachio

Recommended:  OMG YES x 1000

Wait: 10 – 15mins on the weekends

Rating: 5/5

Price: $14.90

My cousin Kate, an airhost for emirates in Dubai, had a lay over here in Melbourne on Sunday! After picking her up from the airport at 6am (yuck!) I took her straight to Friends of Mine in Richmond.

We both decided to go for the toasted banana bread with maple syrup, mascarpone, fresh banana, berry compote and crushed pistachio. Its one of the highlights of their menu, a huge tower of banana bread goodness, that is literally one of the most decadent breakfasts I’ve ever seen.

It tastes pretty good too! The mascarpone and berry compote compliment each other beautifully and the banana bread is fresh and moist. All that sugar might sounds sickly sweet but the berry compote is quite tart and it creates a nice contrast to the banana bread and maple syrup.

The only negative thing I have to say about Friends of Mine is that there some of their seats are ridiculously uncomfortable. Outside and in the second dinning room is where you’ll find the good ones, so make sure to request a table there. All that aside, next time you’re in Richmond I definitely recommend getting down to Friends of Mine to check out their interpretation of the humble banana bread.

Palomino – Salami Pide

Where: Palomino

What: Cheese, capsicum, salami and spinach pidae

Recommended: Yep!

Wait: None

Rating: 3/5

Price: $9

I stopped in at Palomino on High Street Northcote today after picking up a gorgeous Norman Lindsay print for Dads birthday. I’d seen it in a cute little second hand shop a couple of weeks ago so I was pretty excited when I went back today and it was still there, Dad is going to love it!

Unfortunately the kitchen was closed when we got to Palomino, but luckily they had a good selection of sandwiches and cakes left. I decided to go for the Salami Pide and I have to say… Good choice by me!  So freakin’ delicious! The cheese, sundried tomato, salami all came together nicely creating a moist pide that was just full of flavour. It was a bit disappointing not to try something more substantial, but the Pide was pretty great so I can’t really complain can I? After our quick bite this afternoon though I am really keen to come back to Palomino for a proper brunch when their kitchen is open.

Top Paddock Poached Eggs

Where: Top Paddock

What: Gin cured trout with potato galette, beetroot relish, goat curd, poached eggs

Recommended: Needs Improvement

Wait: Huge place, 5 – 10 mins on the weekend at most

Rating: 3/5

Price: $18.50

My housemates all know that I am a complete brunch fiend, and I have been trying to convert them ever since I moved in. I could see that my hard work was paying off when Grace asked me out to brunch this Sunday. We decided to check out Top Paddock, the newest café from the guys behind Three Bags Full and Two Birds One Stone.

I was feeling adventurous so I went for the Gin cured trout with potato galette, beetroot relish, goat curd and poached eggs. While I can’t deny that it was tasty the dish didn’t feel complete. There were lots of great elements on the dish but I felt that they hadn’t quite been brought together. I think this one needs to go back to the kitchen for a bit more experimentation. It definitely has great promise though. The potato galette was amazing, and I liked the way the goats curd cut through the trout. I just think the chef needs to spend a little more time refining this dish. 

St Edmonds – Bircher

Where: St Edmonds

What: House bircher with dried apricot, apple and toasted coconut

Recommended: YEP! Safe choice

Wait: 10 – 15 minutes on weekends

Rating: 4/5

Price: $10

Yesterday, my friend Celia and I popped in to St Edmonds, on Greville St, South Yarra for some post yoga brunch. We had just been down on Garden Street at Yoga 213 to check out their ‘Hip Hop Yoga’, which is as awesome as it sounds!   It’s also quite a work out so Celia and I decided to fuel up at St Edmons.

I was feeling virtuous after all of my downward dogs and warrior posses, so I decided to grab the House bircher muesli with dried apricot, apple and toasted coconut. I am big fan of bircher and St Edmonds did not disappoint. Good quality oats, very fresh, the apricot and apple worked well together and the toasted coconut added some awesome taste and texture. Most importantly (for me at least) it was room temperature! Nothing ruins a good bircher faster than serving straight out of the fridge.  Also a good size, I hate leaving food on my plate and the first time I had bircher at St Edmonds they gave me so much I barely made a dint in it!