LuxBite in South Yarra has the most tempting display of cakes and macarons all within a cute and colourful cafe on Toorak Road in South Yarra.
I tried the iconic Lolly Bag Cake which combines six classic Australian lollies; Bananas, Freckles, Musk sticks, Spearmint leaves, Jaffas and Redskins.
I also thoughtfully selected from the glass fronted macaron cabinet. My final choices were; Red Velvet, peanut butter and jelly, hazelnut, Milo and sour watermelon. All of them good, but the Red Velvet was probably my favourite.
The real miracle is how I managed to choose at all.
Coffees started at $3.50. Today I ordered a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate and my companion had Iced-Chocolate. They were both delicious. My hot choc was accompanied by a little jug of salted caramel sauce for me to add at my discretion. Turns out I am not very discreet, I added the lot and loved every silky mouthful.
It is a big call, but I think these are the best macarons I have tasted. The filling was creamy, smooth and full of flavour and the macaron melted in my mouth. Sorry other macarons, I have a new love.
I have had a lot of local people tell me that they love Evolve Fair Food Store in Belgrave. The cafe sits just outside of the main township of Belgrave in what was once a Blacksmith’s studio.
It has now truly transformed into an inviting, modern and slightly bohemian cafe, in all the right ways. Local art work adorns the walls and artisanal produce is available for purchase in one of the rooms. The food is organic, locally sourced, eco-friendly and health conscious. To just focus on these traits though would be to miss the whole experience. Evolve Fair Food store is “fair” in a unique and wonderful way, but it is also delicious, beautiful, thoughtful and warm.
Visit for brunch or lunch and try a burger, baguette or omelette. Morning and afternoon tea options are include organic scones ($10) and wheat free banana bread ($12). There are also a gluten-free, vegan and raw food options available. You can take a look at the menu by clicking here.
Two free range eggs on sourdough toast. $10
Importantly for some of us, there is also a lovely child friendly room at the back of the cafe filled with toys, books and plenty of space for children. There is also a Kids Menu featuring the sort of health conscious and tasty food that every Mum dreams about.
Tea is Organic Yarra Valley Leaf tea ($4 a pot) and coffee is from Proud Mary ($4- $6).
Service is friendly and helpful and the staff here seem to give off the vibe that they are enjoying their day. The location at the base of Sherbrooke Forest is gorgeous.
It is hard to sum up Evolve Fair Food store because it is a cafe that does so much. I think it is in a very unique position of offering health conscious, fair trade, ethically sourced and delicious food. Maybe this level of thoughtfulness and committment explains why it holds such a special place in the hearts of locals.
Details:
64-68 Monbulk Road
Belgrave
(03) 9754 1437
Opening Hours
Tue to Sun 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tonight we took a beautiful drive through the Yarra Ranges to the visit The Independent restaurant in Gembrook. You can read about my previous visit here, but I thought a little update was in order.
Set in a former hardware store in the main street of Gembrook, The Independent is co-owned by Chef Mauro Callegari and the family behind Robert Gordon pottery. They serve Argentinian food in a large, open dining hall with exposed timber beams and a sweet little view out onto the street.
To find it you have to take a sweeping drive through the surrounding hills, to end up in the tiny little town of Gembrook, home to the iconic Puffing Billy railway. Consider the drive through rolling green pastures a part of the overall experience and you might just have yourself a refreshing mini- break in the country. There are a lot of good things to do out this way, most of which will leave you feeling recharged and reconnected.
The menu is based around shared plates and tapas style food. The wine list has a few local offerings as well as their Argentinian counterparts. Service was prompt, enthusiastic and solicitous this time around. We ordered the shoulder of lamb to share ($59) which was served with a Beetroot dish with smoked yoghurt & pine nuts. We had to allow half an hour for he lamb to be cooked, but when it arrived it was smoky, sweet and falling off the bone. Well worth the wait.
The half hour wait was also a great excuse to order some of the smaller dishes to share.
Twice smoked crumbed pork belly log, $18
Grilled chorizo with capsicum, prunes & chimmichurri $12
Roasted potatoes with onion, garlic & thyme $11
Baked mozzarella with Chilli.
Overall the food was interesting and full of salty, spicy flavours. The restaurant was busy and was run by a team who seemed to know how to manage the bustling space without trouble. Casual yet stylish Argentinian-Australian dining at its best.
Last Friday night we braved school traffic and peak hour traffic to take out little family to the beach for the weekend. I won’t lie to you, I was not feeling overly keen about the 3 1/2 hour drive. Thankfully, just like in all good fairy tales, after a long trip, we stumbled upon something amazing in the Forrest.
The Forrest Brewing Company.
A little oasis of a restaurant/ cafe in the small, scenic township of Forrest. The restaurant serves delicious, informal, locally sourced food and works equally well as a cafe or a restaurant.
I should know, I tested out the coffee and cake on my way home too. It was my birthday after all.
The service was casual but prompt, helpful and very friendly. The restaurant decor was cosy, interesting and comfortable. (I loved the option of crochet blankets for cold knees). There is also a large outdoor seating area that I long to hang out at in the warmer months.
The views were adorable and so was the restaurant.
I ordered the Sumac grilled cauliflower steak, with house made baba ghanoush, chargrilled zucchini, pumpkin, talegggio cheese, olive tapenade and fresh greens. $21
I loved every gluten free, vegetarian mouthful!
Mr eatmystreet ordered the Reuben Sanga with corned silverside, swiss cheese, house-made mustard, sauerkraut, cornichon salad and sourdough bread. $19
The children ordered off the kids menu $8 with varying degrees of success.
There were quite a few other options I would have happily chosen from the menu. To take a look at the menu visit the Forrest Brewing Company website.
Overall we had an excellent dinner and we all left the restaurant feeling a little happier. Which to me is the mark of a great dining venue.
Today was a perfect day for coffee at one of my favourite cafes, The General Food Store Emerald.
The sun was shining, the breeze was fresh, the scent of Spring was in the air. I knew that a drive through those hills would inspire me.
The General Food Store has had a make over of sorts.
A few things that I love.
Their monthly newsletter on the wall with announcement of local events, seasonal produce etc.
Regularly changing art work in the cafe, featuring local artists. Today I was struck by the beauty of a photo of Emerald Lake Park at night. So stunning.
A reliably great cup of coffee.
Small but excellent menu.
Engaging staff.
Cafes are our modern-day watering holes. Slurp, slurp, tsk, tsk.
The General Food Store seems to be the go-to place for a lot of Emerald locals and it is always busy.
I ordered eggs on toast $10. The lovely, chewy, crunchy sourdough made me very happy.
There was also a cabinet full of delicious looking cakes and slices. Some were gluten-free, some were low sugar, some were just the way Grandma made them.
The General Food Store menu still offers two different styles of baguette $11.50, French lentil soup $10, house-made granola $11.50 and more. Check out the full menu, which changes with the Seasons, here.
I think that the General Food Store could be one of your favourite cafes too, even if you are not local.
Take a drive through the sweeping Dandenong Ranges, feel your cares slip away as the road climbs higher, let the gorgeous green spaces sing you a lullaby and the majestic trees, whisper their secret.
Keep an eye on the General Food Store Facebook page if you would like to be notified of special events or night time dining options. While you are there, please visit the Eat My Street Facebook page too, and say hello. I’d love to see you stop by and I appreciate your support.
I was chatting with a friend the other day and they suggested it would be great to have a summary post of the best cafes in Berwick. So here are my awards for outstanding contributions to the caffeine levels of locals Berwick-ites.
And the winners are (in no particular order).
Little by Little Cafe Berwick. New kids on the block with great coffee, good service and a gorgeous fit out. This cafe is a little tricky to find, but well worth the effort. Click here for the details.
Primary @ Pioneer Park. A long time favourite cafe of local Berwick families. It has a gorgeous playground right out the front. Elegant interior in a locally significant building right on the Berwick green. Also great meals and coffee and every cake is good. (I haven’t completely finished my testing on this one, but I’m doing my best.) Here for more details.
Nomadic Berwick. Popular newbie with a great location and a casual, fun vibe. They also run local events so I think Nomadic has a special place in our community. Details are here.
La Baguette. French goodness and now serving dinner on the weekend. Noisette bread, French cooking, amazing specials. Follow along on their Facebook account for photos that will leave you drooling.
Cafe Revival in the heart of Berwick. Check out my review and pics here.
High Fives to the fabulous folk who provide reliable service, consistently good food and a sweet & smiling atmosphere, in the Berwick area.
Is there anywhere I have missed?
I know there are lots of other good cafes too. What cafe would make it onto your list of the best cafes in Berwick?
O.MY is a gorgeous, produce driven restaurant in Beaconsfield, Victoria. It is run by three brothers, Chayse, 22 Blayne, 24 and Tyson, 28. Chayse is Sommelier & runs the floor, Blayne is Head Chef in the kitchen and oldest brother Tyson manages production. He also exhibits some of his own art, more to that later.
O.MY first opened its doors to customers 18 months ago and it has been an amazing journey since then.
This year Blayne was nominated for Young Chef of the Year with The Age Good Food Guide. The award recognises Victoria’s best chef under 30 and is one of the most prestigious food awards within Victoria. Past winners include George Calombaris and Adam D’Sylva. An interview with Alla Wolf-Tasker, Phillip Mouchel and Andrew McConell lead to Blayne being shortlisted. The award will be announced in September.
As to the question of how nervous Blayne is about the whole award process he says this. “I am excited for what it means for the restaurant and for all my staff, but I am just trying to stick to business as usual, doing what I know and love no matter who walks through the door.”
Blayne Bertoncello looking cool in the kitchen.
I have eaten at O.MY many times and have written a lot about how much I love it. A visit to O.MY is personified by perfect service, an intimate and sophisticated dining room and creative and delicious food.
“The whole is bigger than the sum of the parts” is never more true than when dining at O.MY.
I met with Blayne Bertoncello recently to find out a little bit more about what inspires the man behind the pans and to find out where this food journey first started.
Two brothers gazing. Painting by Kate Lee art.
Blayne and two of his brothers grew up working at restaurants in the local area. At some point they decided that they would like to do their own thing, no matter how small, and so they set about finding a building that they could love. What they ended up with is an old Butcher shop with tons of character, in their local Beaconsfield.
They set about renovating the building and have kept part of the exposed brick storage door as a feature. Liberal sprinklings of modern art, some of it created by Tyson himself, completes the fit out.
Artwork by Tyson BertoncelloChayse with Candice, one of the awesome wait staff. Artwork by Callum Warren.
Part of what now sets O.MY apart from other local eateries is the fact that they offer a Degustation Menu only. This means Bayne is able to cook what he likes in the kitchen and bring the best of it to you, the diner. O.MY grow a lot of their own fresh produce in their kitchen garden and also at what is affectionately known as “Cardi Farm.” They also have locals providing them with produce that is abundant and in season and they are not averse to a little foraging. There is apparently quite a strong underground of locals with busy, bustling veggie gardens.
Blayne in the restaurant garden.
Blayne’s favourite dish is also my favourite; Pumpkin with chilli and garlic. Built around the no waste philosophy of food, the pumpkin is presented at the table covered in a pasta sheet made from the pumpkin skin and even the pumpkin seeds are roasted and added to the dish. It was amazingly delicious. The idea for the dish came to Blayne as he was sitting in a Hotel in Japan earlier in the year, reading cookbooks featuring no wastage recipes (how very rock star). Like everything else at the restaurant, the pumpkin dish is seasonal so you will have to visit at the right time to try it.
On the day I visited Blayne had also cooked lamb shoulder with garlic puree, turnip, wheat berries, rosemary and fresh silver beet.
Potato with artichoke and a 2 hour cooked egg.
He also took me for a tour around his kitchen, showed me his beautiful sour dough starter (the bread here is a passion and a highlight) his black garlic powder made from garlic cloves dehydrated for 3 months and a gorgeous, black truffle who’s providence will never be revealed!
Then we got down to the tough questions which Blayne enthusiastically answered while coolly cooking a Swordfish Dish for a local newspaper to photograph. This man does not buckle under pressure!
Favourite local cafe? “The General Food Store for its seasonal breakfast menu, great staff and quality coffee.” Blayne also mentioned “Big Spoon, Little Spoon” in Warragul although he was worried it was not local. I say a 40 minute drive is close enough for great food.
First dish you ever cooked? “Fettuccine Carbonara.” Classic! .
Most memorable meal? “Parsnip and apple dessert from Brae.” Hard to imagine so here is a pic. Brae is one of the top restaurants in Australia and was recently listed in the Worlds Top 50 Restaurants, 51-100 List. The man has style.
Name a chef who inspires you? “Renee Redzepi from the two Michelin starred restaurant Noma, in Copenhagen.” You can follow him on Instagram here.
Why Beaconsfield? “One, because it is where we live and two, because there was no other degustation restaurant in the area.” All three brothers grew up in the area and attended local schools. Blayne wanted to create locally, the kind of restaurant he loved to visit in the City. Smart man.
How do you create a menu? “Once we got into the garden, we knew we had to create food around what produce we could harvest and this stayed with us. “
How have the locals responded to O.MY. “They have been great. Locals drop off regular supplies of lemons, kale, or whatever else is in season. We have a lot of local people come in as our regular customers.”
What is it like working with your brothers? “It is just the same as when we were growing up together, except now we have facial hair.”
My final question for Blayne was “So do you still love it?” Blayne showed no hesitation in saying yes. Having started in the kitchen of a local restaurant when he was younger and finding he “loved the adrenaline rush” of a working kitchen, he then got addicted to “creating a dish and seeing people enjoy it”.
I recently had the pleasure of dining in the small, private dining room out the back of O.MY. And yes, we did really enjoy it.
Two friends had insisted that I take them to O.MY so they could see for themselves. We had a fantastic, intimate dining experience that was also bundles of fun. It was like having an off-the-charts dinner party at home, but with better food, decor and wine. AND without having to do the dishes. Part-ay! I could not recommend it enough.
But, I can’t leave you there.Go on, I know you want to.
Tyson is the eldest of the three brothers. He is responsible for the creation of some of the art in the restaurant, but also for overall production. Tyson sources the gorgeous ceramics, glassware and pottery and was even recently spotted making his own plates (on Instagram). He also sometimes cooks and sometimes acts as a waiter. Plus, Tyson is a keen gardener and oversees the veggie patch. Talented? Yes. He is also smart and sweet and a hard-working behind the scenes genius (or something like that).
Charming Chayse is the Sommelier at O.MY and also he also manages the floor. Friendly and funny, he somehow manages the perfect balance of attentiveness as a waiter. People love meeting Chayse, just read the reviews of O.MY. His chatter makes the food come alive for the diner. He also manages the restaurant floor like a boss.
Chayse is energetic and enthusiastic about his much-loved wine list. He might even share some music tips with you if you ask nicely. Plus he is friendly and nice.
Yep, these three brothers are all so very nice. And nice is awesome, in case you were wondering.
So I absolutely loved meeting Chayse, Blayne and Tyson at O.MY and taking a peek around their kitchen and restaurant. They were so friendly and welcoming, just as they always are when I eat in their restaurant. Blayne is a Chef on the move and his produce based cooking is exciting and delicious. I look forward to seeing what adventure he has in front of him next.
Good Luck in September boys from all of us at eatmystreet!
If you would like to read more from Dani B then please like my Facebook page, or sign up here on the blog. Or here are the details to make a booking at O.MY.
I found a gorgeous new Cafe in Berwick today thanks to a tip off on Instagram. Open for two weeks now, Little by Little Cafe, Berwick is owned and run by two locals.
Unique to Berwick, Little By Little is a stand alone Cafe in a gorgeous little building that has had quite the spiffy make over prior to opening. You will find it at 2-10 Reserve St, Berwick.
www.eatmystreet.net
Their menu looks beautiful and my afternoon tea was delicious. Banana Bread, fresh out of the oven. The staff were lovely too and there was a great energy to the place.
Friendly staff
Great coffee
Sweet location
My favourite thing though? They are serving 5 Senses Coffee, and it was perfect. 🙂
Part of what I love about eating out in Glen Waverley is that it is bustling and busy and colourful; there is heat.
“It’s just, the vibe of the thing.”
When I visit at night it reminds me of my time in Hong Kong, busy, getting progressively busier as the night goes on. Never asleep, well not until early the next morning of course.
I remember eating out in Florence; me, an American with her “I only eat Gluten free” note that had to be delivered straight to the chef, my new glamorous friend from New York who worked for the UN. We turned up for dinner at a little local, at 8pm. We were told it would be open by then. Oh the derision from the wait staff, the scorn from the Chef. They would not let us in and we waited huddled on the pavement in the cold back streets of Florence (there are far worst punishments for cultural naivety I can assure you of that). In Florence, as in all of Italy, you eat late and you stay out later.
So Kingsway Glen Waverley is certainly not like that. You can turn up early, and in fact if you would like to park your car I recommend that you do. But it certainly grows busier as the night moves on.
Kimchi Hut is my new favourite. My meal there was one of those meals that stay with you, willing you to return for more.
I grew quite fond of Korean food eating at My Rice Story in Ivanhoe. Dinner there was quite different from Kimchi Hut, but the food was fresh and tasty and interesting. The Bibimbap was delicious and the staff were friendly and helpful. It was much more of a casual eatery though with an emphasis on take away food.
At Kimchi Hut they have a spacious dining room and they seem to specialise in Shabu Shabu and Sizzling Plate. Shabu Shabu was very popular but I opted for a Claypot dish instead. With my three year old in tow I was not quite brave enough to cook my own food over a hot plate. Lots of other people were doing it, but alas, I was too cowardly.
My Teriyaki Chicken Rice Stone Pot was served with a dazzling array of awesome side dishes including pickled turnip, Spicy Coleslaw, Kimchi, two sauces (mayonnaise of some sort and chilli I think), broccoli florets with red sauce and miso broth. So pretty, so yum!
It had a raw egg blobbing around on top of it. A passing waiter stopped me mid chopstick to my plate to explain “you stir.” Yes, of course you do. You stir that little googie egg and it cooks in the sizzle and you discover crunchy little pieces of roasted rice while you are at it. Excellent idea.
I also ordered a Mung Bean Pancake with Kimchi and it was so crunchy and full of flavour. I must have another one and soon.
Hubby ate Sizzling Chicken and Cheese which was drenched in cheese and which you would probably want to order as a share dish.
Overall it was a great experience. My children were welcomed as they always are in the Kingsway dining precinct. Service was efficient, helpful and effective with a sprinkling of friendly-ish.
So get amongst it. Take the family and enjoy the experience. You can even walk to the bubble tea shop “Happy Cup” or the Nitro Lab (if you have recently come into an inheritance) around the corner for dessert.
So eating great Korean food in Glen Waverley with the family is not quite as exciting as dining as a tourist in Firenze or Kowloon, but not all of life is a destination. Sometimes it is a the little splodges of enjoyment we have along the way that paint the story of our lives just as vividly as our grand adventures.
The first time I visited the enchantingly named Cafe de Beaumarchais, a thick winter mist was swirling through the streets and fog had shrouded half of the little village of Sassafras.
It is hard to imagine that anyone paying a visit to Sassafras in the Dandenong Ranges outside of Melbourne, would not instantly love it. It is drenched in charm and dripping with nostalgia and the line that snakes outside the popular Miss Marples Tea Rooms is proof perfect regarding its popularity as a tourist destination. Just quietly I know a lot of non tourists that also love the area, myself included.
If you do not feel like lining up to be cosily ensconced in the floral and lace dining room at Miss Marples then you might like to dine somewhere different. Cafe de Beaumarchais should certainly keep you happy.
It is a narrow fronted French Cafe named after a well known French teacher extraordinaire. Musician, diplomat, spy and playwright are but a few of the bows in his quiver. The cafe is decorated accordingly and is gorgeous & gilt lined in equal measure. Pop over here for some pictures if you would like.
The menu has a great range of cakes and tarts and in true French fashion also does a line in simple but perfect baguettes. ($9.90 – $11.90)
They serve Jasper organic fair-trade coffee ($3.80) , an interesting selection of teas ($4/ $8) and even a tiny selection of wine. My advice is that you try one of their Parisian hot chocolates with a tiny croissant to on the side. I was helpfully told that the croissant is for dipping in the thick, sweet chocolate and it was immediately apparent that this is a perfect idea!
Next time you are in the area stop by for a visit. I really enjoyed my window seat although there will be no fog swirling at this time of year. Call ahead for a table if there will be more than one of you as this is a small, popular cafe. If you learn any more of the intriguing Pierre de Beaumarchais then let me know. If only we could all live such exciting lives!
For now, I will stick with the joy of indulging in chocolate, pastry & cake. I’ll save diplomacy and spying for another time…..
There is not a lot left to say about Longrain. Everyone loves it, including me!
If you have to wait at the bar because of the long cues, you will be happy. Once your escorted to your table in the huge, open plan, but somehow still intimate dining room, you will be happy. Once the food starts arriving you’ll be even happier and your tastebuds might just sing.
Friendly, fun service kicks in at the front door and holds its pace until you leave.
Food bloggers drop their cameras and neglect to take photos, so caught up are they in just having a fantastic night (that actually might just have been me, sorry!).
Check out their menu here
https://longrain.com/melbourne
Longrain serves punchy, exciting flavours in their South East Asian food.
Experience it with a group so you can really sample their menu. Favourites so far for me are the caramelised pork, prawn, peanuts, sour pineapple. Or the Baby corn, snake bean, ginger, snow pea, tamarind, sesame dressing (its a salad). Or the slow braised beef cheek. In fact I have enjoyed everything served to me at Longrain and it is hard to pick.
Visit them at 40-44 Little Burke St, Melbourne.
Phone. 9671 3151
They only taken bookings for groups of 6 or more and a large group booking cane hard to get. So plan ahead. Or you could just turn up, enjoy one of their cocktails and wait your turn.
I have been four times. I have had an excellent, rollicking evening every time. I have neglected to take photo’s of the food every time because, well, I was eating……. The inter webs is chock full of photo’s though so you should survive without me this time.
Here is one of me and my friends in the cute little nook table they gave us last time we visited.
fresh out of the oven. The staff were lovely too and there was a great energy to the place.
