Visiting Olie & Ari

December 14, 2012 5 Comments

Opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 7am – 5pm
Sun: 7am – 4pm

Coffee: Cisco Coffee

Mr LB:
“‘Argh, the Brighton bubble!’ Explained my work colleague as I was mentioning how well-connected and friendly everyone in Brighton was whenever I venture down the road. The only scathing experience I had was being booed at by a large group of middle-aged men for failing a three-point turn on Church Street. It was explained to me that the Brighton bubble is like a warm security blanket – comforting, and protective. The safety and expectation of the known is quite powerful and scary. It’s good for the owner as he/she has the guaranteed clientele, but if a cafe doesn’t cut the mustard then it’s out the door. As we legitimately haven’t given Brighton a good go for a brunch experience, we decided to skip the busy street and go for the well-known cafe Olie & Ari.

Olie & Ari has a lot of things going for it. One of my favourite factors is that it isn’t on the main street on Brighton. The cafe is located on a quieter street which draws the unsuspecting passersby in. By checking out the decor you might as well sit down, ask for the menu and order coffees to start off. Olie & Ari has an impressive dinning setting with a careful selection of furniture and decor that are visually stunning and inviting for singles, couples, families and hip seniors. There is the main dining area to cater for big groups which is appropriately near the section for kiddies to sit if they think they are too cool for their parents. Then there is the secondary room for a more intimate experience. This is all surrounded with fabulous lighting fixtures and modern decor touches. It give the feeling that you’re in an amazing furniture shop which you don’t want to leave, but with friendly waiters, coffee and food – my version of bliss.

Coffee is my drug of choice and my next fix was ordered asap. My long black [$3.50] was roasted by Cisco Coffee, a Melbourne-based roaster that has been in the coffee industry before I was even in nappies. Needless to say I was excited to experience a new blend and the first striking element was a strong nutty flavour. This blend is quite unique in that it doesn’t follow other roasteries in providing a fruity taste. However, at some stages I did taste some harsh tones. Apart from the smoothness of the coffee, I had quite enjoyed it and it was a good standard tasting coffee.

Menu wise, Olie & Ari seem to cover all the bases with a nice selection of sweet, savory and egg dishes that cater to most brunch needs. While there was plenty of choices available, I decided to go on a limb and order the special - Green eggs & ham – pesto scrambled eggs and virgin ham on toast [$18.50]. It’s not the most amazing dish going around, but what I liked about it was the true flavour it delivered. The scrambled eggs were cooked to perfection with the right amount of moisture and herb pesto to appreciate the fusion of two simple ingredients. The virgin ham was of a high quality, providing a nice tender taste to the scrambled eggs. The dish was simple in flavour, but cooked to perfection and didn’t disappoint.

Green eggs & ham  - pesto scrambled eggs and virgin ham on toast

With the ample amount of desserts on display it didn’t take much to convince Miss SL to have a dabble at one. Following the specials of the day, we order from the special board - Crostata (Italian baked dessert tart) – pear, fig, ricotta, walnut and almond served with cinnamon cream [$9]. I actually enjoyed the dense, sweet, fruity taste with the spring flavours of fig and nutty taste lingering on the palate. However, it was a large serving size and if eaten alone will certainly cause an upset stomach.

Crostata (Italian baked dessert tart) – pear, fig, ricotta, walnut and almond served with cinnamon cream

Olie & Ari is a place that doesn’t need a busy street to make noise. It has a lot of things going for it and it should be on your list to give a real try.”

Miss SL:
“Brighton is a suburb known for having good food and good shopping. To my knowledge – and I may be wrong here – I’m aware of only 3 places worth going to. The first is The Little Ox, which has been my little ‘let’s go somewhere close and local for a coffee’ hang out. Second is The Pantry, holding a good reputation for quite a while although I have yet to personally experience it. Finally we have Brighton’s latest hotspot Olie & Ari, a beautiful cafe hiding away from the main strip on Were Street.

The minute we stepped into the establishment I was excited. Cupcakes sprinkled with glitter welcomed us at the cash counter, the barista station in full swing. The seating area had vintage red brick walls, washed with white paint and artistic cut-out lampshades that immediately demanded our attention. Along the right hand side was some low-level tables and along the left was the anticipated communal table. We couldn’t decided if the low-level tables were designed as a kids table or not, as when we tried to sit there my knees popped up awkwardly above hip level. We moved to a more covert table for two on the right hand side of the venue, next to an additional dining room which was framed by lovely arches.

Looking through the menu, my eyes set sight on the Croque Monsieur – hot ham and cheese grilled sandwich with Dijon béchamel [$12]. I was very tempted by other items on the menu such as the Organic porridge, fresh banana, honey, walnut & almond crumble [$11], the Armenian breakfast pizza with pastrami, kasseri cheese and egg [$14] or even the Brioche French toast with blueberry compote & crème friache [$14.50], but the thought of a grilled sandwich with cheese won out.

I was quick to observe how family friendly Olie & Ari was. The major factor here, and I stress how important this was to enjoying my brunch experience – the kids were civilised and blended in perfectly into the scene. Babies in wooden chairs, kids mastering the art of knives and forks and no screaming, kicking, running or fussing about! Now, I know that this was beyond control of the cafe staff and perhaps it was pure coincidence, but I couldn’t help but admire the perfect balance between being chic and trendy versus practical and family friendly this cafe was. Okay, but I’m gushing now.

We’d snagged some newspapers and read through the pullouts as our meals arrived. The Croque Monsieur was well-buttered on the outside of the sourdough, giving it a beautifully golden colour. Much to my delight, it oozed with a beautiful cheese that wasn’t as sharp as Tasty but not too demure at the same time.

Croque Monsieur – hot ham and cheese grilled sandwich with Dijon béchamel

The cheese was all powering for the medium-cut slices of ham. This could have been compensated if the slice were slightly thicker, or if a bit more ham was used, however I’m not complaining – it was a beautifully made sandwich. I’m not really sure what part the dijon béchamel made to be honest. I’m guessing that it was this sauce that reduced the powerful sharpness of the cheese, creating balance within the overall dish.

Crostata (Italian baked dessert tart) – pear, fig, ricotta, walnut and almond served with cinnamon cream

I have to admit that I wasn’t big on the Crostata (Italian baked dessert tart) – pear, fig, ricotta, walnut and almond served with cinnamon cream [$9] that we’d had for dessert. It was very foreign to me and had a pastry base, ricotta filling that was laced with pears, walnuts and figs. The figs themselves were small and round, which was different to the types of figs I was typically familiar with. I could only attribute this to them being young, which explained their bitter flavour that created a stark contrast to the slightly sweet flavours of the crostata mingled with the syrup. The cinnamon cream was a lovely touch to the dish, though – it went perfectly with the ricotta filling.

Overall I really loved my experience at Olie & Ari – the venue was clean, open and efficient. It was extremely family friendly and chic and the food was beautifully made. Olie & Ari is a wonderful addition to Brighton and worth driving down to visit.”

Final thought: “The perfect balance between trendy and family friendly”

Olie & Ari on Urbanspoon

Filed under Brighton, Brunch dessert, Eggs (Other), Other Brunch Foods, South Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Where the Little Creatures come out to play

October 10, 2012 7 Comments

Opening hours:
Mon – Sun: 8am – late
Note: brunch menu operates daily 8am – 3pm

Coffee: Syndicate coffee

Mr LB:
“Community is an important aspect to a friendly, happy and safe society, however it’s something that we tend to take for granted. The idea that we look after one another or help someone in need is often overshadowed by our own self interest or ignored by our own consuming lives. Something very tragic happened a couple of weeks ago in Brunswick that has struck an emotional chord with a lot of Melbournians. While the dust settles, we must remember that while we live in this amazing city we are all part of a bigger community that needs to look out for others. Community is also the linchpin for the magnificent brewery Little Creatures is also based upon. Their brewery in Fremantle (Perth) is not only open to the public but is one of the focal points of where visitors and locals meet for great beer and food. The same principle can be applied to its Melbourne version- Little Creatures Dinning Hall.

It’s known that getting a table in peak hour is a tough task here, but worth the wait. The layout itself is based on the Fremantle Brewery but just on a smaller scale. It is essential one big hall which has carefully placed dinning booths lined with a long bar on the left and an open kitchen to view at back. There is something very magical about this place with its modern, clean look that isn’t too pretentious. All ages and different mixes of people can be found at Little Creatures Dinning Hall which gives a great community feel and more recently a place to consume brunch!

As we arrived and were seated, the familiar urge of having a cold Little Creatures Bright Ale was sure kicking in. However, I had to remind myself that it was too early to start a Sunday session and that this was brunch. So with that I ordered my long black [$3.5] sourced from Syndicate Coffee. On this occasion my long black had a good smooth taste with a slight citrus taste on the back palate. It was good to see a well established restaurant providing a decent tasting coffee.

Playing catch up with Miss SL friends endeavors and juicy goss from the last time I saw them, there was not much time for contemplation for which brunch meal to order. Serious business and decisions had to be made. The menu options is a little small for my likely with only two items that had really stand out for me, but I took the punt and went for capsicum, potato, chorizo, spinach frittata [$18].

capsicum, potato, chorizo, spinach frittata

Admittedly, a frittata is dish that is easy to prepare and cook. However, cooked well brings about a yummy taste to fill any desire and this frittata certainly met the bill. Inside the frittata was the right amount of moisture for the other ingredients to marry well and not leaving a dry, eggy taste. The simple garden salad with aioli was necessary to break up the dominate egg flavour, however I thought the bread was unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the dish. There was a nice balance between chorizo bits which had a mild smoky taste, but it was the grilled mozzarella that did it for me. Who doesn’t like a bit of cheesy goodness on top of a frittata? I think Little Creatures are on to something.

capsicum, potato, chorizo, spinach frittata

Little Creatures Dining Hall delivers a level of quality that satisfies and for that reason you should give it a good go. It also makes a good starting point for a Sunday session as the next step is to order the first round of Little Creatures Bright Ale.

Miss SL:
“For those of you who have been following our blog, you would know that I had been working in the lovely (and sunny!) city of Perth over the Winter period. During that period, Mr LB came to join me for a weekend in The City of Lights. It certainly beat weekends brunching alone! During that short visit, we made sure we visited the famous Fremantle and had a few drinks at the Little Creature Fremantle Brewery - the original. The set-up there was awe-inspiring; a giant converted warehouse with pops of red, a beautiful wharf-side deck and an upstairs dining area with fencing used as walls so that diners could overlook the view below. It was a magical evening of drinking, followed by fish and chips – the tourist way!

When we were there, we noticed that there was a breakfast menu operating. This is something that was promised to us months ago at the Melbourne’s Little Creatures Dining Hall - had it finally arrived? Mr LB confirmed that the opening hours had been extended to an early morning session and so we knew where our next destination had to be.
The Doctor had just returned from her travels far and wide, and I virtually hadn’t seen her or my friend Carly in months, so we used this as an excuse to check out the menu for ourselves.

The menu was a little quirkier than I expected it to be, although not too strange to scare off regulars. When my eyes scanned the menu, they landed on the Prosciutto, spinach, basil, egg, parmesan pizza [$17], I knew immediately that the choice was made. Having had many of Little Creatures pizzas in the past, this item was guaranteed to be good!

Double espresso

I ordered a double espresso to go with it and was very pleased with what was presented to me – a beautiful, nutty espresso with the right amount of water was just enough to hold me through until our meals came (which was very quick – might I add).

Prosciutto, spinach, basil, egg, parmesan pizza

When my breakfast pizza came out I was gob-smacked. It looked delicious! Two whole eggs cracked and baked on top of the pizza… what more could you ask for? The yolks were slightly over-cooked, but for the most part, they were gooey and thick. The base was the perfect width and admittedly got a little soggy towards the centre, but it didn’t ruin the experience at all for me. The proscuitto was soft and added quite a punch of salt to the dish. The button mushrooms were juicy and simply halved. Admittedly I was full enough to stop eating around the six-slice mark, but I greedily picked at the dish until the whole thing was gone! Overall I felt that my dish was a little on the salty side, but it was definitely a deliciously different way to start the day!

field mushrooms, avocado salsa, toast + eggs

The Doctor had ordered the field mushrooms, avocado salsa, toast [$14] + eggs [$17] , and while she picked at her meal I suspect that was more related to jet lag than the actual quality of the meal.

salmon, beetroot relish, spinach, poached eggs on toast

Carly had ordered the salmon, beetroot relish, spinach, poached eggs on toast [$18] and she said it was yum. Her eggs looked perfectly made and relish looked delicious!

The Little Creatures Dining Hall did a very good job of entering the brunch scene. They offered a lovely balance of traditional and quirky with their breakfast menu. Their coffee was much better than I had expected it to be and the staff were aware yet attentive – meaning that they paid attention to when you were on the look out for assistance and kept clear when you were deep in conversation. I would certainly come back to Little Creatures Dining Hall for a no-fuss brunch or a Sunday session kick-starter. The place is bloke-friendly and – surprisingly – kid-friendly with a little kids corner where the little ones can wear fairy wings and listen to story books being read. A job well-done to the team at Little Creatures!”

Final thought: “Best for a late brunch – a breakfast pizza and a beer would be just perfect!”

Little Creatures Dining Hall on Urbanspoon

Filed under Eggs (Other), Fitzroy, North, Other Brunch Foods Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Pascoe Vale’s cool kids: Jack + Daisy

April 12, 2012 1 Comment

Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 7am – 5pm
Sat – Sun: 8am – 4pm

Coffee: Coffee Supreme

Mr LB:
“The great Australian dream was cultivated after WWII and for the majority of the population it still continues to run deep in our psyche.  It’s the belief that owning ones home leads to a better life. An expression of success and security. The house must come with a front and backyard and be equipped with a lawn mower, Hills Hoist and a barbecue. After the war, Melbournians had migrate outwards with the incentive of cheaper, larger blocks of land to mow. One such suburb is Pascoe Vale and as the current population pressure increases, these blocks have been sub-divided. Clever architecture has been adopted to attract a sense of urban living. As more trendy people live further out of the city, the latte parameter has been extended and so has the increased demand for a good brunch spot. It seems Jack & Daisy have stepped up to the spotlight.

My initial observation on Jack & Daisy was that it had some characteristics of a ‘normal’ suburban cafe. Plenty of seating but a decor which lacked an exciting vibe. One might just cut their losses and go elsewhere, however it is the subtle aspects which made Jack & Daisy special.  This included the white picket fence out the front and the cute kiddies corner. That’s right - a kiddies corner. Jack & Daisy embraced the cafe-kid-factor in the right way. The little corner had toys, providing unlimited amount of fun to let the kids be kids and the adults be adults. If the kid’s corner wasn’t enough there was a massive cubby house out the back. They also had ’babyccino’ drinks and a kids menu.

Jack & Daisy provided its suburban goodness from Coffee Supreme (not my favorite but lately I have been warming up to the taste). It’s the perfect blend when you’re not keen on tasting flavours but after a well-balanced, crisp coffee to start your morning. It had a lovely dark, rich coffee taste, but occasionally a slightly harsh overtone could  be tasted. It was a conservative coffee blend which was well suited to both spectrums of the demographic.

Their breakfast menu was limited and after careful consideration and deliberation with Miss SL, I went for Daisy’s favourite – poached free range eggs, smoked salmon, herbed fetta, guacamole & multigrain [$14.50]. There was an unusually long wait to get to our meals and on arrive I felt a little disappointed. The plating didn’t do the dish justice. It felt like I was paying for the food at a shop with no consideration to plating and presentation. It may just be a conservative brunch meal but it seemed like very little effort was made. On the taste front all of the ingredients were fresh, especially the smoke salmon which went extremely well with the rich and authentic goats cheese. With that said, the shape of the poached eggs seemed off and the guacamole tasted like it could have been whipped up at home. Overall, I felt that this dish lacked substance. There was no creativity or attempted to wow the punter, although they do get points for the freshness of the food.

Daisy’s favourite – poached free range eggs, smoked salmon, herbed fetta, guacamole & multigrain

Jack & Daisy have been operating for over a year and I had been pretty excited to visit it. I want to be ‘wooed’ and to tell all that even the outer suburbs could produce fabulous brunches. No more do people of these lovely suburbs have to suffer with mediocre coffee and poor food. Sadly, Jack & Daisy haven’t captured the true essences of an outstanding cafe. They have provided the right environment with a different coffee bean, but on this occasion the food was disappointing. Improvement and persistence is the key and I hope that Jack & Daisy strive forward to improve on their weaknesses.”

Miss SL:
“Since what seems like mid-last year, Mr LB had been nagging me to try a cafe that had opened up in Pascoe Vale – a kid friendly place known as Jack & Daisy. While I constantly got it confused with Jack And Jill (who went up the hill), at least the cafe name stuck in my mind.

We’d arrived to what looked like a rather average cafe, playing popular rock behind the various conversations that were taking place between gossiping mothers, fathers and groups of friends just out for a coffee. A waitress zoomed passed us, offering a table that she said she would come back and clean up for us. The plates were cleared but the crumbs and spilt jams were left behind as she forgot to come back and wipe down the varnished table top. I seemed to have had my cranky pants on that day and I must admit that this lack of attention to detail had created a grey outlook as to my expectations for this particular experience.

As I sat there trying not to put my elbows on something disgusting on the table, I flicked through the weekend newspaper pull outs. Frustrated, I decided to go for a walk around the venue. Going around the narrow corner past the ‘baby’ bathroom, I entered into a magnificent courtyard out the back. The rich green astroturf provided a soft landing ground for rambunctious children who were more interested with playing fairies and cars than eating their breakfast. A giant cubby house to the left of the courtyard offered salvation to parents, where the children scribbled on colouring books and had toys to keep them amused. It was like a completely different cafe out the back and my mood was immediately lifted.

I pranced back in I told Mr LB of my findings. Even he decided to go look! I’d forgotten about the crumbs on our table as I made an order of Scotch fillet steak sanga with onion relish, swiss cheese, salad & fries [$16.50] add bacon [$17.50] to go with my soy latte. When my sanga came out I was a bit surprised – the meal felt like it had taken almost 25 minutes to come out, but it was minute steak! My sandwich was dense and the minute steak was a little dry on the inside. There was very little relish on the bread further adding to the dryness of this meal. The onions and swiss cheese were delicious and the chips perfectly cooked. They would have been perfect had my dish been served hot - but it seemed it had sat on the counter for a while and become luke warm.  Some recognition has to made, however, to the fact that the bread was not soggy from the minute steak and relish.

Scotch fillet steak sanga with onion relish, swiss cheese, salad & fries add bacon

Overall Jack & Daisy was a nice place to visit. Had I been in a better mood and I’d sat out the back, I’m sure I would have enjoyed the experience a lot more. Kudos to the team there for coming up with a cafe tailored to being truly child-friendly – it’s rare that you would ever find a place so generous towards children that they provide a substantially sized play area. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go to Jack & Daisy, but if you’ve got a little one and need some time to breathe, perhaps this is the place to visit.”

Final thought: “A kid-safe cafe”

Jack & Daisy on Urbanspoon

Filed under Eggs (Other), North, Other Brunch Foods, Pascoe Vale, Steak Sandwich Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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