Braking for Breakfast: 2014

Statler & Waldorf

Gastropubs (or gastronomy pubs) have been making their mark on the Brisbane beer and dining scene in the last few years alongside the rise of the craft beer scene. The term gastropub refers to bars serving high-end versions of pub-style food and beer. The Villager in the CBD is one of the first self-proclaimed gastropubs that I recall opening but since then several others have joined, including some old Brisbane stalwarts which have become one as part of a makeover. Statler & Waldorf joined the gastropub crew just over a year ago along Caxton St, which is slowly changing from a street of seedy bars and strip joints to the location of some of Brisbane's best bars (Lefty's Old Time Music Hall) and restaurants (Black Hide Steakhouse). Named after the two old grumps from The Muppets (and the hotels in New York), it already had my interest piqued but after a post-soccer dinner one evening I was a fast fan.

In mid-November, I got an email announcing that Statler & Waldorf were doing weekend breakfast and with talk of items like lavender crumpets and so immediately teed up a breakfast date with Y - also a fan of both S&W and crumpets. We rocked up early at 7:30am on a Sunday morning and were rather chuffed to get a park almost directly outside. Parking in Caxton St can be a pain but perhaps that's more of a later-in-the-day issue. There were only a few other diners in the pub when we arrived so we had our pick of seats and chose to dine al fresco at one of the large tables on the sidewalk. We were brought menus and water immediately by our friendly waiter and he also took our coffee orders which was fortunate as Y had not slept well due to some rowdy housemates. Y ordered a soy cappuccino and I ordered my standard long black with milk on the side.

The menus were simply a piece of paper attached to a wooden board with rubber bands, which I really loved. No flicking between pages and easy to navigate! The menu states that seasonal produce which is local and ethically sourced where possible is used and that they use in-house baked bread or else source it from Chouquette in New Farm. All of the items listed on the menu sounded amazing and Y and I had a seriously tough time deciding! I love unusual menus and this one was up there as one of the more innovative ones I've seen in Brisbane. In the end we decided to share the Coconut Bircher Muesli with vanilla bean, verjuice poached stone fruit & pepitas ($12) and the House Cured Salmon with Dill Croquette with watercress & a poached egg ($16.50). All of the items are reasonably priced with the salmon being the most expensive item.

Love the adorable milk jug

Our coffees were quick to arrive and were accompanied by vintage spoons and raw sugar in a mini milk bottle. My milk arrived in the cutest mini glass jug I've ever seen. The coffee was good and strong without being bitter. Y was equally happy with her soy cap, although would have been pleased with anything containing caffeine at that point!

Our meals arrived sometime later and I loved the presentation. The muesli arrived in a wooden bowl on a thick wood board engraved with the Statler & Waldorf emblem with large pieces of poached peach and chopped almonds and pepitas scattered on top. The salmon dish was plated prettily on a cornflour blue plate as large pieces of the salmon and crispy fried croquettes atop watercress and a few vibrant slices of chioggia (candy striped beetroot) with a soft poached egg on top. The salmon was more cooked than I expected from cured salmon but I assume it was cured and then baked or smoked. We were also given a few bottles of chilli sauce to go with our dishes (primarily the salmon I assume!) but we thought it's probably more suited to some of the other breakfast items. Nice to have the option though!

Colourful presentation of dishes

After being given an additional plate to share, we set about splitting up the salmon dish which was a bit tricky with the perfectly poached runny yolk but we managed. The salmon flaked easily and was super tender and moist. The potato and dill croquettes were hot and creamy on the inside with a lovely crunchy exterior. It was a delicious dish and the flavours and textures really worked well altogether.

House cured salmon and dill croquette with watercress & a poached egg ($16.50)

The muesli was a generous serve and thick with a pure soaked oat base. It was creamy and had a texture similar to porridge but still having a good bite to it. It was only slightly sweet which suited both of us although the poached fruit and honey drizzle added to it. I'm not sure what flavour the verjuice added but the poached peach was lovely and added a nice fruity flavour to it and the seeds and nuts gave the dish a crunchy element. I don't recall the vanilla bean flavour but that's not to say it wasn't there amongst the rest of the flavours!

Coconut Bircher Muesli with vanilla bean, verjuice poached stone fruit and pepitas ($12)

We really loved our breakfasts at Statler & Waldorf and both agreed we had to return soon so try some of the other items. In particular, for me, the Chickpea Crepe with coriander, grains, sweet potato, yoghurt and a fried egg ($12) - I saw someone else having it and it looked fantastic! The service was great and our waiters were friendly and helpful. In the light of day, Caxton St is quite a pleasant spot to have as a view but it's nice to also have the inside table options as well. And they have fresh coconuts on the menu which I only spotted at the end! I continue to be impressed by Statler & Waldorf and it's good to see so many great options around the area.

Sidewalk dining area

Interesting menu - note you can always add bacon for $3

http://statlerandwaldorf.co/

Statler & Waldorf Gastronomy Pub on Urbanspoon

Monday, December 29, 2014
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Scout Cafe

breakfast

I'd been meaning to check out Scout Cafe on Petrie Terrace for some time but I just never seemed to think of it when the time came to choose a breakfast venue. Whenever I'd passed it, there always seemed to be a lineup of cute looking hipsterish young people outside, so I assumed it was popular and hopefully for good reason. I finally remembered it a few weeks ago when working out where to go to catch up with N and S.

N had been before and cautioned that it could be a long wait if we went late so we decided to meet at 8:30am on Sunday morning. I was the first to arrive (incredibly unusual for me!) and there were no available tables but I was told it should only be a short wait. Scout Cafe is in what looks like a converted house or shop, with a small room off the main front room. There isn't a lot of space but they've managed to squish in quite a few tables with several stools to allow perching at the counter and there are a couple more outside. As I was waiting, a table outside became available but the waitress who greeted me was busy and another one gave the table to a couple who just arrived. Luckily the original waitress saw what happened but as the others hadn't arrived yet, and I preferred an inside table as it was an incredibly warm morning, I told her I'd just wait for the next one. S and N arrived shortly afterwards, just as an inside table became available - great timing!

Counter-slash-bar area

We did have to squish into what was really a table for two but we made do. We were handed menus and given water and ordered our much-needed caffeine hits. Scout's breakfast menu rotates regularly but I believe that they keep a few favourites like the avocado toast and the standard breakfast bagel. Some of the other items change completely and a few are just modified. I'd intended to get the Breaky Bagel because I'd heard that Scout do a mean bagel and this one had Kaiserfleisch, a cured and smoked German ham, on it and I love smoked ham. But as I was waiting I saw a girl at the counter eating the Breaky Salad with kale, beet leaves, zucchini, farro, avocado, shallots, sunflower seeds, chilli lemon dressing, soft boiled egg & a slice of rye ($17) and it looked delicious so I decided on that. I wasn't overly hungry and the bagel sounded like too much that morning. N chose the Smashed Avocado with fetta, herbs, olive oil, lemon on pane ($12) and S went for the Spiced Pear & Walnut Loaf with vanilla marscapone ($8).

Daily available fresh juices

Coffee did take a while to arrive but when it did, it was excellent. My long black was strong but not bitter and I didn't even need the milk I requested on the side. When our meals arrived, I was delighted to see my salad look just as good as the one I had spied earlier. It was green and plentiful - fresh kale and beet leaves and grated raw zucchini on top of a bed of farro with a large dollop of smashed avocado and a boiled egg on top and two halves of toasted rye bread tucked in on the side. N's avocado toast included two slices of toast, one on top of the other, with a dollop of mashed avocado and feta with some herbs and a few stray green leaves on top. The amount of avocado served was disappointing - there really only looked like there was enough of it for one slice. S was served two toasted slices of the fruit loaf, dusted with icing sugar and with a large scoop of creamy marscapone on top.

(clockwise from top)
Pear & Walnut Bread, Breaky Bowl, Smashed Avo

My salad was delicious - fresh with a lemony oil dressing to give it zing and the boiled egg had the perfect gooey yolk which added creaminess along with the smashed avocado. The farro had a good bite to it which added texture and the raw zucchini and sunflower seeds added crunch. It was the perfect mix of textures and flavours and with each mouthful, I felt like I was actually getting just a little bit healthier. The rye bread was lightly toasted and had a nice slightly sour taste. I smeared bits of the mixed in salad on it, which worked really well. It was filling without making me feel stuffed at the end of the meal and I took significantly longer than the others to finish. It was the perfect warm weather option!

Breaky Bowl ($17) - full of healthy goodness

Overall I highly recommend Scout Cafe for breakfast, although it is a bit on the expensive side and I wouldn't advise you to order the avocado on toast! The menu isn't extensive but does cater for both sweet and savoury tastes, small and large appetites and with a range of optional sides including gluten-free bread and bagels. They are also open for lunch and do several types of bagels and salads and there are some baked goods available for dessert. I still want to get back for the Kaiserfleisch...

Street graffiti outside

Pear & Walnut Bread ($8) - a lighter sweet option

Avo Smash on pane ($12) - light on the avo smash

Outside seating area

Delicious looking friands kept company by woodland creatures

Watermelon - the fruit of the summer of 2014

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scout

Friday, December 05, 2014
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Scatter Bean

muesli

Despite being willing to travel all over Brisbane to eat breakfast, I seem to have neglected my own local area and was looked at incredulously the other day by other food bloggers when I admitted I hadn't visited a popular cafe in my own suburb despite having lived there for five years. To be fair, it's up the hill (i.e. not easily cycle-able) and not easy walking distance (plus there's that hill...) but still I have been meaning to get there for a long time! A few months ago I noticed that a tiny cute cafe had opened near Taringa train station called Scatter Bean and thought Finally, a decent looking place near me! and then never went there. But when I was looking for a nearby place to have coffee and small bite to eat with my parents before meeting a friend for brunch, I thought of Scatter Bean.

Although well and truly within walking distance from my place, we drove there and found a park on Princess St, just outside the cafe. It's a narrow street though so I'd suggest parking in the Taringa train station carpark and just walking up the stairs. The cafe is tiny with only three tables inside and a few low wooden crates with stools outside, plus a few bar height benches along the side. The all-day breakfast menu is simple with the usual bread, avocado toast, muesli, bacon & egg roll type options and range from $4 for toast and condiments to $15 for the bacon or haloumi and egg stacks. As for drinks, there are the standard coffee and tea options plus they do cold press coffee, frappes, milkshakes, smoothies and even a Virgin Mary. When asked about the frappes, the standard is a mixed berry frappe on coconut water but they are really flexible and are happy to do whatever they can with what they've got at the time. It looks as though they try to use organic ingredients where possible with organic yoghurt and muesli featuring on the menu and they use Barambah Organics milk. I decided to try the cold press coffee ($6), which is usually done on milk but I asked for it to be black with just a dash of milk which they were happy to do. Mum wanted coffee but something cold so although not on the menu, she was offered an iced latte. Meanwhile Dad had no such problems with the heat and went with his usual cappuccino ($3.90). I also ordered the House made Bircher muesli with coconut, mixed fruit and nuts and ground cinnamon ($8).

After ordering at the counter, we went to sit down but unfortunately all the inside tables were already occupied so we sat down at one of the outside crate-tables. Luckily not much later one of the inside tables became available so we quickly nabbed it and shifted all of their plates and glasses to the side. The cafe has a cute retro look with timber furniture, some vintage posters and props about the place and and the drinks menu is written up on a blackboard on the wall. There's also plenty to keep you busy if conversation just isn't cutting it with a selection of reading material including newspapers and Frankie magazines stacked on the tables and a few board games like Connect 4 set up and ready to play. The open 'kitchen' at Scatter Bean consists of a portable hot grill plate and a toaster and a impressive looking espresso machine takes pride in the window corner. There were three staff working when I was there - one manning the grill, another working the espresso machine and the the other serving customers and handling everything else it seemed.

Cappuccino & Iced Latte

Drinks took a while to arrive considering there weren't a lot of customers eating in but there were a few take-away-ers who came in to order. Both the iced latte and cold press coffee arrived in the now-standard glass jar with a handle and a straw for easy drinking. The iced latte was creamy and very milky, although not surprising given the size of the mug! The cappuccino arrived with fresh chocolate shavings on top which is a nice touch and something my mother loves so she'll be back for that. My cold press coffee was a little weak and watery tasting as it was made by adding a shot size of the cold press brew to cold water and then a dash of milk. Exactly as I ordered but I'm used to my cold press being stronger. Still it was a nice refreshing drink on a warm day. They ran out not long afterwards and it sounded like they only brew a jar of it a day.

I was told not long afterwards that there was not enough Bircher for a full serve so would I mind muesli with yoghurt and fresh fruit? I thought that she meant that I'd get a smaller serve of the muesli and just with extra yoghurt and fruit but when it arrived as a bowl of dry muesli with yoghurt, blueberries and chia seeds, I questioned whether it was possible to get the remaining Bircher muesli instead. Oddly I was told that actually the Bircher had gone off and thus had been thrown out. I was a bit disappointed but dug into my muesli anyway and was provided with extra yoghurt and milk. It was a untoasted muesli with some sultanas and lots of nuts and seeds. Once I'd mixed in all of the yoghurt it became semi-Bircher like anyway and was rather delicious. I couldn't detect any vanilla bean in the yoghurt and tasted like natural yoghurt but I was happy with that. The fresh blueberries were lovely but there were only a few and could have done with a few more or some additional other berries to lighten the dish. I later asked if the Bircher version was similar but was told it was actually just oats soaked in almond milk and served with grated apple. I'll have to go back and try it but would happily also order the standard muesli again. It was a large serve and unfortunately meant I was full when I arrived for my not-much-later brunch date!

Organic yoghurt & muesli ($8)

Scatter Bean is a great addition to the Taringa area and is already clearly popular with the locals with many people dropping in for the coffee, which is great. The other cooked food options look tasty and they have a few baked goods available on the counter too. If I caught the train, I imagine I'd be stopping in for coffee there regularly! There may be a few service-related things that could be improved, like with the mixed message about my muesli and also no one came to clear any of the tables while we were there, but the people are friendly and clearly accommodating which is nice.

https://www.facebook.com/scatterbean

Simple all day menu

Cold brewed coffee with a dash of milk,

Additional outdoor seating

Thursday, November 20, 2014
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Cafe Wrapture

breakfast

It's not just the excellent pun of a name which makes Cafe Wrapture a winner; their food is kind of delicious. Wrapture began as a market store at the Davies Park Markets but eventually left the markets for greener (or less green actually) pastures in the form of an actual cafe on Russell St in West End. Back in my early market-ing days, I regularly ate at the markets for breakfast and a Wrapture wrap was my favourite option. With a primary focus on Greek-style flavours (think haloumi, lamb kofta, lemon and herb chicken), Wrapture excels in wrapping delicious fillings in yiros-style wraps. They make their own wraps and I think they are really the star of the wrap. Unfortunately I can't eat their standard ones but they make a fantastic gluten-free version which is truly almost as good.

The market menu that Wrapture initially used to offer included a large range of meat and vegetarian options as well as some sweet options. Their new cafe offers all of the original savoury ones plus more, including a specific breakfast range which include eggs and bacon as well as non-wrap options. Although the breakfast menu doesn't technically include most of the non-bacon meat options, it's possible to get them as well.

It had been a while since C and I had visited Wrapture so we chose it as our post-market breakfast option last Saturday. It's not a far ride from Davies Park so we made it to Russell St within five minutes and locked our bikes to railings in a nearby carpark. When we arrived around 8:30am, it was already filling up but there were still several tables available so we chose one of the outside ones to enjoy the sunny morning. It's a nice, relaxed spot and the simplest way to describe the vibe is 'hippie' (not to be confused by 'hipster') or 'new age'. Think salt crystal lamps, Indian furnishings and Hindu god statues.

The all-day wrap menu

When it comes to ordering at Wrapture, I always try to go for something different but I really can't go past the Faloumi ($12) with warm falafel balls (not GF as I once was warned), grilled haloumi, tahini sauce, hommus, minted yoghurt, tabouli, salads. C prefers the meatier options and this time chose the Kofta ($10) with ground lamb cigars, fresh lemon, tahini sauce, minted yoghurt, tabouli and salads. The range is vast including several Asian inspired types like the Zen Tofu with teriyaki tofu and wasabi mayo as well as bacon and egg options for breakfast only. There are some non-wrap menu options as well but I well and truly come to Wrapture for their wraps only. For the non-wrap-fans there is an extensive menu including Nasi Goreng and Kedgeree for something different, or there's muesli and French toast for the sweet tooths out there. The gluten-free pita wraps are $1 extra and you can add haloumi to any for an additional $3 (which you would because haloumi is amazing). I'd already had a coffee at the markets so went without but they do decent coffee at Wrapture, as well as tea, hot and iced chocolates and house-made mango lassi and iced tea.

It's counter service for ordering but food and coffee is brought out to you. Water is available in bottles for you to grab out of the self-service drinks fridge. At least I think it is - it's possible we just do that before they have time to bring it out to us...The wraps are wrapped in paper and delivered in a paper bag, the same as the takeaway option. It didn't take long for them to arrive and we ripped into the bags eagerly. My Faloumi was as good as I remembered with several thick slices of gooey salty haloumi and several balls of crunchy warm falafel balls. The lettuce, cabbage, cucumber and tomato added freshness and there was plenty of hommus, tahini and yoghurt to bring it altogether. Each bite was a delicious flavour explosion in my mouth and the combination of flavours and textures was perfect. I polished it off in about five minutes. C reacted similarly to his lamb kofta but I managed to get a bite in before he finished it. The lamb kofta were tasty and juicy and worked well with the rest of the components but I still love the Faloumi more.

The Faloumi on GF pita ($13)

We sat around and enjoyed to sunshine for a little while longer before heading off for the warm ride home. Now that Summer is getting closer, biking breakfasts are bound to get earlier!

Bikeability

Accessibility: 7/10 - Easy to get off Russell St off Boundary St
Parking: 6/10 - No bike racks and not many posts but this fence in the next door carpack seems to be the favourite bikepark spot

http://www.cafewrapture.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Wrapture/

Additional wraps available at breakfast

The wrap-free breakfast men

The Kofta ($10)

Friday, November 07, 2014
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Bean.

bean cafe

It's always a tough decision when it comes choosing somewhere to eat - do I go to one of my favourite spots or do I risk having an average meal by trying somewhere new? #firstworldproblems As a food blogger, I try to go for the new option but I'm pretty picky when it comes to breakfast menus and plain old bacon and eggs don't often do it for me. However, I'm a sucker for cheap eats and so when I happened across Bean Cafe on George St advertising a new breakfast menu on their Facebook page with $5 breakfasts this week, I was sold. So I planned to meet B from Sunshine & Gin at their advertised 7AM opening time for an early morning catch up.

Down a well-signed alley

I happened to arrive a little early after riding in and taking a slightly different route through QUT and the Botanical Gardens. Nice ride but not the most efficient route and meant some slightly awkward dodging of trucks along George St. Anyway, I pulled up near Irish Murphy's which is next to Bean. Having been to Bean previously for coffee, I knew where to go but it isn't the most obviously located of cafes. Easily a contender for my hidden coffee spots post, Bean is located down a graffiti and bin-filled alleyway between The Villager and Irish Murphy's. Several signs will alert you to its existence but walking past multiple large bins towards what currently looks like a construction site could make you feel like you're lost. At the end of the alley and around to the left, you'll see a door through which a short set of stairs will lead you to the cosiest of underground cafes, full of couches, artwork and vintage-looking items.

I entered just before 7 and they were already open and the friendliest guy ever greeted me from behind the counter. I took a seat at one of several tables as I waited for B and had a look at the menu. Headed 'Market Style Breakfast bites', the first thing that I noticed was that the food is prepared by The Villager. The sizeable menu interestingly includes four clearly labelled vegan items - perhaps one of the owners or staff are vegan? Good to note for the vegans and vegetarians out there; there were no mentions of gluten or dairy free options however. The menu has several savoury options including with an Open Brekkie Taco, Bircher Muesli with Coyo coconut yoghurt, Tofu & Asparagus Wrap and Berry Pancakes with banana 'nicecream' being the vegan options. The more substantial non-vegan options include a Mediterranean Brekkie (balsamic roasted tomatoes with mashed avocado and feta on sourdough) and the Cypress Brekkie (oven baked haloumi, roasted garlic mushrooms and avocado on sourdough with capsicum relish). You can also get a bacon and egg Brekkie Wrap or Eggs Your Way on sourdough and a range of extras. The prices range from $12.50 to $17.50 and $4.00 for extras - not the cheapest of menus but I tried to reserved judgement until I saw the size of the meals.

In the meantime, B arrived hungry and ready to eat. After clarifying with one of the staff that all breakfast items were indeed $5, we were told that they had to check that they could do food since The Villager kitchen door was closed?! They checked with The Villager and found out that the chef had just arrived and so they were running late and that breakfasts would be half and hour away. B and I were a bit concerned but decided to wait it out and ordered coffee in the meantime. Coffee is the main game at Bean and looking at the coffee menu ($3.50 small/$4.50 large) I noticed that they made their coldpress coffee ($5.50) fresh each day. They offer the coldpress black, with milk or with soy but after inquiring whether the black was sweetened or not (they all are) I was told that they didn't actually have any black coldpress in stock. B had also decided to go for a soy coldpress and I decided to try the same. We were told to just grab them out of the fridge to the side of the counter and were left to open them ourselves using the bottle opener on top of the counter - clearly there's a very casual vibe at Bean! The ingredients listed on the Bean labelled bottle included coffee, soy milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract. It wasn't overly sweet and I really enjoyed it. Despite the bottle clearly saying 'shake me well!' we didn't realise until after we opened them and so the last bits of our coffees were stronger.

Soy cold-pressed coffee ($5.50)

After perusing the menu, B decided to try the Cypress Brekkie ($17.50) for something different from her usual choice of avocado and feta on toast. I was tempted to get the same (love haloumi) but chose the Bircher Muesli (apple juice soaked oats with an array of shredded coconut, apple, pistachio, sultanas and fresh berries, served with Coyo) ($13.50) instead. As we waited and caught up on each other's lives, the cafe began to fill up and soon all of the other tables were filled up. Whether Bean was usually that busy I don't know but it looked like a lot of other people were keen to try their new menu! About ten minutes after ordering we were told it would be about fifteen minutes for our meals. Fifteen minutes passed and there was still no sign of them. Soon afterwards we were told it would be five minutes. Ten minutes passed. By this stage we were getting rather hungry. I'd had first breakfast much earlier (yes, my day includes multiple breakfasts) so wasn't quite as ravenous as B. I then spotted one of the baristas walking in with a tray of food but alas none of the meals were for us. Then he disappeared and arrived with another....again none for us! It wasn't until at least the fourth delivery that our meals were delivered to our table and by that stage it was past 8am and the other tables who had gotten their meals were finishing up.

Bircher Muesli ($13.50)

Cypress Brekkie ($17.50)

My muesli arrived in a bowl on a rectangular plate with a generous serve of yoghurt on the side. I like a lot of yoghurt with my muesli and regularly ask for extra but this was plenty for me. The muesli was just soaked oats, sultanas and coconut therefore lacking the creaminess of regular Bircher and so I think it did need the serve of yoghurt. Several fresh blueberries and raspberries were scattered over the top and some sliced strawberries were arranged on the plate around the yoghurt. The yoghurt tasted more tart and less-coconut-y than I remembered Coyo tasting so suspected that it was just standard yoghurt but over time I could taste the coconut flavour. There was a lot of shredded coconut in the muesli already so it was a very coconut-y breakfast! While the menu description stated that there were pistachios, I didn't notice any in there. The tart yoghurt and berries were a good foil to the sweet muesli and the coconut and oats still had a good bite to them. I make my Bircher similarly and soak it overnight in apple juice and add yoghurt when eating so I was a fan of the style. Meanwhile B's meal arrived on the same sized plate but was absolutely packed with two pieces of toast, sliced avocado, large cubes of haloumi and some very garlicy looking mushrooms. Usually haloumi is cut into thick slices and pan-fried so it was unusual to see such large cubes of it on the plate and was missing the melting softness that it has when pan-fried. B commented that it was good that she liked garlic because the mushrooms were stuffed with it!

We quickly devoured our meals and got up to leave shortly afterwards to get to work. We were apologised to a few times by the staff and were given the meals on the house for the delay. We were also asked several times if we were enjoying our meals which was nice! Overall we did enjoy our meals and while excellent value for $5, I wouldn't be inclined to pay full price for them as I can get similar or better for cheaper elsewhere. However I would return to Bean for their coffee and atmosphere as it really is a lovely spot. It reminds me a little of Brew with it's underground-ness but without being packed. Bean is also open for drinks in the afternoon/evening so I'll have to check it out then.