Melbourne

Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick

~ culinaldi ~ Leave a comment

There is a tram stop literally ten metres from the front entrance of my apartment building where the No. 55 tram route travels along – from the Domain Interchange in St Kilda Road through to Bell Street in West Coburg. For the last few months, I’ve been dreaming about jumping on the tram on a Saturday morning and discovering new places to eat in Brunswick for breakfast. This week I decided to kick start that adventure but had absolutely no idea where I should be heading to. Lucky for me some friends of mine have recently moved to Brunswick, so after sending a “where do I go?” text late on Friday night, their response was “Two Little Pigs” on Sydney Road.

Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick
Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick

Many of us have a fondness bordering on obsession with cured meats and bacon, so I smiled when I saw the word “Charcuterie” brightly lit in brilliant yellow above the entrance. Despite being busy, when I walked in I had a choice of sitting inside, beside the counter or outside in the courtyard. With the promise of sunshine and warmer temperatures, I gravitated towards the outside.

Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick
Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick
Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick
Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick
Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick
Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick

The courtyard area provides plenty of shade and has a small garden and ample seating, although at first, I had the odd feeling that I had just made myself at home in someone’s backyard. The menu promises all manner of weird and wonderful meat-inspired dishes to choose from, although there are definitely vegetarian and gluten-free options available as well.

It’s exciting to see new and varied food on a menu although the difficult part is attempting to choose only one dish. After several read-throughs, I had narrowed down my selection to two dishes: Hot jam doughcakes with cinnamon muscovado sugar and caramelised bacon ice cream (yes, that is correct, bacon ice cream!) or Pea & Ham with crisp roasted pork belly, poached free range eggs, green pea veloute served with sourdough toast. It was an intense battle of the mind, however the pork belly won by the narrowest of margins.

Pea & Ham - crisp roasted pork belly, poached free range eggs, green pea veloute served with sourdough toast - Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick
Pea & Ham – crisp roasted pork belly, poached free range eggs, green pea veloute served with sourdough toast – Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind, Brunswick

There was very little wait on breakfast once I had made up my mind. Beautifully presented within a terracotta dish, the pork belly was crispy and decorated with finely shredded red chilli. I hastily devoured the hot, buttered toast and wondered where to start.

The green pea veloute soup was a bright and vibrant colour, deliciously sweet and thick, and not unlike tucking into Mum’s homemade pea and ham soup. The eggs were nicely poached but a little hard to pick up at times after sliding around in the pea sauce; I admit to using my coffee teaspoon maybe once or twice. The pork was well cooked but not too salty or fatty and the sweet fresh peas and chilli cut through the residual meat flavour. It was an unusual choice for breakfast but definitely a tasty one.

As for the “Grind” component of the café, the coffee at Two Little Pigs is outstanding. Deliciously hot and creamy with a roasted hazelnut flavour, the coffee is served in the signature bright yellow crockery that adorns the signage and interior trim. I couldn’t wait for the second cup as soon as I took my first sip. The service is friendly and efficient at Two Little Pigs, with the staff constantly doing the rounds of the main dining areas, taking orders and clearing tables so actually getting a second cup of coffee wasn’t a hardship.

I loved my morning adventure to Brunswick and discovering Two Little Pigs thanks to the wonderful recommendation from the locals. Now bacon ice cream … how does that taste?

Two Little Pigs Charcuterie and Grind on Urbanspoon

Urban Provedore, South Yarra

~ culinaldi ~ 1 Comment

Some Saturday mornings you have all the time in the world, and yet others are chock full of appointments, shopping, social, family or sporting obligations and running errands. Ever since I started my working life all those years ago, my guilty pleasure has been to head to a café and treat myself to a cooked breakfast to unwind from the pressures of the week. This Saturday, I had an appointment at 10am in South Yarra but habits are hard to break and I still wanted to indulge in my breakfast ritual. With time and location playing the critical factors in my choice, I decided to have breakfast at “Urban Provedore” in Toorak Road.

Now for the confession. I had breakfast at Urban Provedore around four months ago and I was less than impressed. Newly opened, I think that everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Poor service, ordinary food and even the cash register didn’t want to be there. Yet in the passage of time, I had my fingers crossed that it was just teething problems and that things may have improved.

Urban Provedore, South Yarra
Urban Provedore, South Yarra
Urban Provedore, South Yarra
Urban Provedore, South Yarra

Urban Provedore is located on the ground floor beneath a new apartment complex, 50 metres from Chapel Street. The sleek fit out is inviting with warm timber tones, industrial accents and a feature wall showcasing a range of condiments and dry foods for sale. Walking in at 9am with that sense of déjà vu, I found a small table with fantastic views of the streetscape along Toorak Road, grabbed a newspaper, sat down and I waited.

Urban Provedore, South Yarra
Urban Provedore, South Yarra
Urban Provedore, South Yarra

After five or so minutes, I had an awkward exchange with someone who was grabbing menus and water for another table that had just been seated nearby and somehow managed to convey that I also wanted to order a coffee and see a menu, if it wasn’t too much trouble. From that moment on, things markedly improved.

The menu hasn’t changed since my last visit and is relatively simple and classic in its breakfast options, although a tad on the expensive side. Being due for something savoury and egg-centric, I choose the “Gin and dill cured ocean trout with creamy goats cheese and dill scrambled eggs, beetroot relish and toasted rye”.

Gin and dill cured ocean trout with creamy goats cheese and dill scrambled eggs, beetroot relish on toasted rye - Urban Provedore, South Yarra
Gin and dill cured ocean trout with creamy goats cheese and dill scrambled eggs, beetroot relish on toasted rye – Urban Provedore, South Yarra

Within ten minutes of ordering, breakfast arrived and I couldn’t believe the sheer size of the dish before me. Two large slices of toasted rye bread, placed side by side, formed the base of the dish. On top of the bread, several slices of cured ocean trout, a mountain of moist scrambled eggs, finished with a dollop of sweet beetroot relish and micro coriander leaves.

My friends and family are not at all surprised that I would order alcohol-infused fish for breakfast, although I couldn’t really detect any residual flavour from the gin within the fillets of the ocean trout. But needless to say, it was not too thickly sliced and really delicious.

Ever since my trip to Turkey earlier this year, I’ve developed a deep infinity for fresh dill and was overjoyed to see this herb generously used in the scrambled egg mixture. At the base of the pile of eggs, there were large portions of goats cheese with its creamy texture and rich, salty flavour lifting my taste buds to a whole new level. My breakfast was certainly plentiful and it well and truly eclipsed my previous dining experience.

The service is still somewhat variable at Urban Provedore, with some staff more attentive and friendly than others. After the menu fiasco, someone else approached my table and asked if I wanted another coffee. I enthusiastically said yes and then gave my coffee order. They started to write down my request, then hesitated and then asked me “Sorry, did you just say you’ve already ordered another coffee?” Ah no, but then again I’ve just ingested an unknown quantity of gin, so perhaps I did.

Within 45 minutes, I had enjoyed a substantial breakfast, two cups of coffee, read the paper, paid the bill and was ready to head towards my morning appointment down the road. I am extremely glad that I had decided to give Urban Provedore a second chance.

Urban Provedore on Urbanspoon

Touchwood, Richmond

~ culinaldi ~ Leave a comment

The last Saturday in September is considered in Victoria to be one of the most sacred days of the calendar year. Like many people, I had AFL Grand Final social obligations to attend in the afternoon however mine were located on the other side of Richmond, away from the MCG. I caught up with a friend during the week who lives in that location and happened to mention what my weekend plans were and that I was hoping to have breakfast in Richmond beforehand. Her immediate response was “Have you been to Touchwood?”.

I looked up Touchwood on the internet and decided that was where I was heading to for breakfast. Making my way there on the tram and navigating through large crowds of Hawks and Swans supporters, it suddenly occurred to me that having breakfast in Richmond on Grand Final day was probably not a wise decision and that I might be in for a long wait. When I got to Touchwood, there was a lengthy queue of people waiting outside, however luck was on my side and I was seated at a bench seat along the front window as soon as I walked in, with a fantastic view of the comings and goings of Bridge Road to divert my attention.

Touchwood, Richmond
Touchwood, Richmond

The café is right on trend with a neutral industrial interior – wooden bench tops with a black steel finish, a combination of exposed timber and metal beams, filament pendant lighting, and brick walls covered in stark white paint.

The seasonal menu is exciting with lots of different breakfast dishes to choose from – sticky coconut quinoa pudding; Dr Martys Crumpets with smashed banana, toasted hazelnuts and fresh honeycomb; Nasi Goreng; a Morning Grain Salad; two wicked versions of Avocado toast accompanied by a variety of fresh ingredients and the description of Touchwood Massive was absolutely mouth-watering but could easily sustain someone for at least 24 hours. I hardly ever see waffles on a menu and feeling that I was long overdue for something sweet, I ordered the “Banana and blueberry wholemeal waffles, organic maple syrup, vanilla crème fraiche and strawberry dust”.

Touchwood, Richmond
Touchwood, Richmond

My skinny latte when it arrived was probably one of the best coffees I’ve had for a long while. Made from a special blend of beans roasted by Five Senses, it was deliciously hot, sweet and creamy to taste. From the first sip, I mentally made plans to order my next cup as soon as I could and then my breakfast appeared before me.

Banana and blueberry wholemeal waffles, organic maple syrup, vanilla creme fraiche and strawberry dust - Touchwood, Richmond
Banana and blueberry wholemeal waffles, organic maple syrup, vanilla creme fraiche and strawberry dust – Touchwood, Richmond

With the sun streaming through the front windows, all the beautiful, harmonious colours on the plate seemed to be more vibrant and spectacular to the eye. The waffles were easy to tackle and delicious with the fresh fruit. Little pools of maple syrup kept the waffles soft and sweet however the dominant feature on the plate was the large quenelle of crème fraiche. A little dollop here and there went a long way. I must admit I was a little sceptical about the inclusion of wholemeal flour in the batter but couldn’t detect a hint of it on my palate. The few sprigs of lemon balm on the plate added a few little extra bursts of flavour and is undoubtedly my favourite herb of the moment. The waffles filled me up considerably and I couldn’t possibly finish off the crème fraiche and expect to indulge in the afternoon’s festivities.

The service is great and despite the rapid turnover and succession of clientele, you are made to feel welcome and no request is too much trouble. With amazing coffee and beautiful food, I hope I get the opportunity to go back there before next year’s AFL Grand Final.

Touchwood on Urbanspoon

http://touchwoodcafe.com/