Braking for Breakfast: favourite

Gauge

Seriously, it's December already?! Life in 2015 has been quite excellent so far with some big changes like moving out from by myself to a shared house, learning a different role at work, meeting heaps of new people (mostly lovely foodies!) and doing some unexpected travel. It's also been an inconsistent mix of very slow months and insanely busy months - October being one of them. After months of feeling uninspired at work, I finally have been given a project to work with that involved me travelling to Bangalore, India, which is a trip I've been hoping to go on for a while. But of course that had to happen in a month which was already busy, mostly involving events around the wedding of one of my best friends, Kirst. So I squeezed this trip in between her Hen's Day and the wedding, after which I headed down to Melbourne for a long weekend for another wedding. Weddings galore!

Anyhow, as usual I'm taking forever to get to the point of the review, prior to the big Hen's Event my fellow Brisbane-based bridesmaids and I gathered to do a final round of planning and as avid breakfast lovers, we decided to meet at Gauge for the intense discussions for an early morning meeting. I'd been to Gauge a few times when it opened and enjoyed both times and am still dying to go for lunch and dinner.

The lovely C offered to give me a lift and so no bike required - however the trip via bike is super convenient either via the city and over Victoria Bridge or crossing over Kulripa Bridge and riding up near GOMA. The central South Brisbane location isn't very conducive to easy parking and the large amount of construction causing the majority of available spaces to be blocked off didn't help. However, it turns out that there are about three 1 hour parking spaces right outside Gauge so if you get there early, you can nab one of those like we did. Score!

Located on Merivale St, just off Fish Lane, Gauge is unobtrusive at street level but walk inside and you are met with a feeling of a safe haven from the busy street. Decorated in cool colours with minimalistic furniture, it's open and inviting. With several large tables as well as some smaller tables, there's plenty of seating for everyone - most of which the chefs in the open kitchen can see out to. B was already seated in the corner when we arrived, looking absolutely stunning in the first of her Frocktober dresses. If you weren't aware, Frocktober is a charity event that takes place in October (I'm sure you never guessed that...) each year and participants wear a different dress each day to raise money for Ovarian cancer. B's first effort was a gorgeous 50s style dress, with a matching hairstyle and white gloves to match. To say I felt sloppy was an understatement...

Not long after arriving we were brought water and menus and had our coffee orders taken. Gauge doesn't publish their menus online (painful for the indecisive orderer such as myself) and so I'd been 'researching' Instagram actively the night before but still wasn't entirely sure what was on the menu. It had unsurprisingly changed since I was last there but I noted that the Bircher and Sourdough Waffle were still present. Gauge are known for their innovative, offbeat menu and the new additions proved that with Smoked kingfish, pearl barley, soft egg, foam and Ash sourdough, almond cream, raw beef, poached egg w XO sauce & pickled green tomatoes now featuring. And Soft eggs on sourdough are nothing to turn your nose up at, especially if you add the optional coal grilled WA octopus with pickled beetroot. And with all these amazing options, what did I choose? Even now I'm retrospectively kicking myself but I eventually chose the house organic oat bircher w fresh seasonal fruits, lemon myrtle & honeycomb. I wanted so badly to feel one of those exciting options but in all honestly, they just all felt too much for me that particular morning. C, a recent Gauge addict, opted for the ash sourdough with raw beef and B chose the sourdough waffle, parsnip custard, freeze dried honey, bee pollen & brown butter.

Our coffees arrived and I had my standard long black with milk on the side. I've realised that I really only need the milk when the coffee isn't great but Gauge do a mean long black using Coffee Supreme beans so the milk was unnecessary...I must remember that when I'm ordering. So we began our brainstorming session well caffeinated and disused the important things in life like what would be involved in making flower crowns and just what was the topless waiter going to do?

Our meals arrived, plated gorgeously as I remembered. The waffle in particular looks attractive with all the dabs of the other elements around the plate, plus waffles are just plain delightful looking. Gauge have also perfected the art of plating Bircher, which is really quite ugly if you think about it...but they arrange the colourful pieces of fresh fruit and that chunk of honeycomb prettily on top with the smear of yoghurt underneath to disguise that fact. I was most curious to see the ash sourdough and it's dark charcoal colour didn't disappoint. Raw meat is raw meat - you can't just top that with some edible flowers and make it pretty, you know? - but on top of the almond cream and bread, it still looked appetising. But hey I'm a bit odd like that so willing to admit it might not be everyone's idea of the prettiest picture.

The Bircher was as good as I remembered - soaked enough to be easily eaten with becoming mush and with a juicy, fruity flavour from the apple and some dried fruit added chew factor. The lack of milk or yoghurt used to soak the oats means that it's not creamy as is and there is a distinctly chewier texture to them, possibly also due to the oats being milled in house. Lighter than a creamy milk-based Bircher but easily substantial enough to keep you going until lunch. The yoghurt is a natural liquid version and isn't plentiful in serve size but enough to add some creaminess and a tart tang to contrast with the sweetness of the abundant cut fresh fruit and honey. The fruit is seasonal and thus changes regularly. The cube of dark golden honeycomb oozes with honey and has a delightful waxy chewy texture. A sprinkling of sunshine in the form of lemon myrtle adds a colourful contrast but no discernible flavour. It's the kind of breakfast that leaves you feeling good about the day and wanting to smugly hashtag #cleaneating #healthyeats #goodforyourinsides and all other #healthy proclamations guaranteed to get you likes from the other nutrition obsessed. Sadly no #paleo though - damn grains.

B's pretty waffles went down a treat and after I snuck a bite, I blissfully remembered the greatness that is waffles. Seriously, freshly made hot waffles with crispy edges are amazing and ought to be the new donut stat. With all those surfaces available to be made crunchy, they're SO much better than those soft doughy things and are delightful either with a simple sweet maple syrup or amazing amped up with salty savoury toppings... Although thinking about the incredible-ness that is the sweet + savoury equation, why have none of the many donut bakers really gotten behind savoury donuts? Asian bakeries have been pumping out their weird sausage and pork floss versions forever?! Something to think about... Anyway, back to the ranch (ranch being Gauge's waffles), these waffles were only lightly sweetened with a faint fermented tang from the sourdough used. The rich parsnip custard was almost savoury and freeze dried honey added intensified pops of sweetness.

I also managed to score a bite of C's dish by throwing out the old 'Would you like to try some of mine? No? Oh thanks, yes I'd LOVE to try some of yours' play. Thanks C! The ash sourdough had a slightly different flavour but hard to pinpoint in one mouthful. The beef was seasoned well and deliciously tender and didn't feel overly rich. The almond cream added (wait for it...) creaminess which muted the intense unami of the XO sauce mixed through the beef. I didn't get any of the egg or tomatoes but I imagine they both contribute well to the dish in both texture and flavour.

After finishing our breakfasts and reluctantly admitting it was time to start work, we walked up to the counter to pay. With the use of the hi-tech iPad payment system, we were able to split the bill which is ridiculously convenient. Perched on the counter were also some croissants and other pastries, all of which looked delicious and perfect for takeaway with your coffee.

Gauge is not somewhere you'd go to get a simple bacon and egg dish (though I'm sure their version is excellent) and isn't targeting the starving hungover person, unless they order multiple meals. What they are providing is deceptively complicated dishes in the guise of simplicity and they are doing it damn well. I cannot wait to get there for lunch and dinner one day and I expect this won't be the last time I choose it for breakfast either. The coffee is excellent and the menu options, although minus many gluten-free options, are outstanding. Service was friendly and good, although we did have a bit of difficulty in getting our waiter's attention a few times from our dark corner spot. Congratulations Gauge, you've raised the breakfast bar in Brisbane to an impressive height.

Details

Gauge
77 Grey St
South Brisbane

$$
DF | V | VV
Cafe

Ratings

Food | 9

Coffee | 8

Service | 7

Menu Options | 9

Value | 8

See ratings for details.

Sunday, December 13, 2015
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The Jam Pantry

breakfast

Once upon a time, I discovered an adorable cafe in Milton called Comfort At My Table. It was a loner in a small complex of shops, away from the popular Park Road strip but had a large fan base ensuring that if you didn't get there before it opened at 8am on a weekend, you were guaranteed a wait. It was here that I first discovered Nims' Banana Chutney and immediately researched it when I got home to try to replicate it and although I succeeded in making a banana chutney, it was never quite as good as Nims'. With delicious menu items such as Nims' Eggs (which included the aforementioned banana chutney along with poached eggs, bacon, spinach and pesto) and mixed exotic mushrooms with grilled lemon and goat's cheese as well as regularly changing specials (the hotcakes always sounded particularly amazing), it became a firm favourite of mine. A while back I was saddened to hear that Nims and her husband Gideon sold Comfort and although the cafe has new owners, I'm yet to return. So when I heard that the couple were opening a new cafe, to say I was excited is an understatement.

After what felt like eons, The Jam Pantry opened in Greenslopes a few months ago and a few weeks after it opened, and after much Instagram stalking, I made it there for breakfast one Saturday morning post-markets. By 9am there was already a queue outside and an estimated half-hour wait but we were able to give the waitress our name and phone number to call when our table was ready and so we trekked up the hill to the IGA, because I love browsing the local products in IGAs. Yes, I'm that strange person who can spend hours in specialty food shops and consider visiting supermarkets in other countries an exciting outing... After a short wait, I was called to be informed that our table was ready so we headed back down to the cafe.

Lovely open interior with kitschy-dressed waitresses

The Jam Pantry is housed in a cute converted shop just off Logan Rd with the eating area in the sunny front section, plus a small room off to the side, and the kitchen is at the back. Decorated similarly to Comfort At My Table but slightly less kitsch and girly with soft blue-grey hues and timber furniture. The waitresses were adorably outfitted in florals with 50s-style hairstyles and makeup. A large chalkboard hangs on the left hand side of the cafe and displays the ever-rotating specials based on seasonal produce and whatever magical combinations Nims has dreamt up under deceptively simple headings such as 'Eggs', 'Cereal', 'Waffles' and 'French Toast'. Additionally there is the 'standard' menu which includes the classic Nims' Eggs, much to my delight.

Regularly changing specials board #WhenTheBoardFlips

After ordering my standard long black with milk on the side, I perused the menu and was challenged by choosing one of the delicious sounding specials or going for my old favourite Nims' Eggs. The Nims' Eggs ($15) won out and my request to switch the streaky bacon for grilled ham was easily accepted. C, my regular partner-in-breakfast, was sold on the savoury 'French Toast' special with bacon, tomato jam, creme fraiche and maple syrup ($16). My coffee arrived shortly later and was strong and smooth with the beans locally roasted by Coffee Supreme.

Long black with milk on the side

It was a busy morning but our meals didn't take too long to arrive. And they did not disappoint. The French Toast appeared with several rashers of crispy bacon on top of the golden toast, dark red juicy chunky tomato jam, a large dollop of pure creme fraiche, a slice of grilled lemon and maple syrup on the side...it should always be on the side according to Nims and I agree! My Nims' Eggs looked just as I remembered - a vibrant plate of thick grilled pink ham atop lightly toasted sourdough with two pure white poached eggs, roasted tomato, and large dollops of bright yellow banana chutney and green pesto to top it off. After taking the necessary photographic evidence (perhaps a few more than necessary but I was testing out a new camera), we dug in eagerly.

French Toast Special with bacon, tomato jam, creme fraiche & maple syrup

Nims' Eggs - poached eggs with grilled ham, roasted tomato, pesto & banana chutney

My dish was deliciously familiar with the banana chutney as sweet and tangy as I recalled which added contrast to the saltier pesto and ham. I just love grilled ham, especially thick slabs of it like these were. The eggs were poached perfectly with the necessary runny yolks and all of the components worked together in the way that results in dishes like these classics. I loved every bit of it and even ended up eating half the accompanying sourdough (hate me later tummy) because it was damn good sourdough. Everywhere seems to have sourdough listed on the menu these days but I question the sourdough-ness of some. This one was the definition of sourdough - light, chewy, crunchy crust and actually sour. Wherever you source your bread from The Jam Pantry, don't stop! C enjoyed his French Toast although commented that it the tomato jam was sweeter than he anticipated, but hey it's called jam for a reason. He scraped that plate clean so I'm fairly certain he still enjoyed it!

After paying, I perused the shelves displaying Nims' nims xx preserves line including the Banana Chutney, Tomato Jam and several other types of relishes, jams and preserves. I'm still getting through my jar of Marmajam that I purchased when Nims had a short-lived store at the Davies Park Markets and am trying to downsize my large condiment collection so resisted but everyone else, please check them out!

Nims xx preserves for sale

Overall, I loved my breakfast at The Jam Pantry and it met my high incoming expectations. I'll definitely be back and my only issue is that it's not nearly as close to me as Comfort was. I'm not sure about the cycle-ability unfortunately so it may be a car-required breakfast expedition. Not to say that other cyclists couldn't get there...I just might be a little challenged on my heavy cruiser...

Freshly baked treats in the counter cabinet

http://thejampantry.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/jampantry

Tuesday, March 24, 2015
3 Comments

Statler & Waldorf

bircher

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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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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Gramercy Espresso & Eats

bircher

There are a lot of fantastic places in Brisbane CBD to get your morning caffeine hit but to be honest, I generally prefer other areas for breakfast location options. I just tend to find more interesting and better prices in West End, Woolloongabba and New Farm, just to name a few. However, given that I'm in the CBD five days a week along with the majority of my regular breakfast companions, I'm slightly restricted to the location when choosing a place. In saying that, they are some really great options and one of my favourites is Gramercy in the Wintergarden. When mentioning its location to others who don't know of it, the immediate assumption is that it's in the food court but Gramercy is actually just inside the small corridor entrance off Edward Street.

It's literally a hole in the wall cafe, with the service and kitchen areas occupying less than 10m2 with several small tables lining the wall up the corridor. Initially, there were only about five tables but over the last year they've expanded and apart from several more tables, there's a large counter bench with some specialty coffee apparatus displayed on it...and probably used but I haven't seen them in use! The fitout of the service and kitchen area is clever and makes use of the high walls which are tiled with bevelled white subway tiles and lined with open shelving, housing jars of dry goods, coffee beans, house-made preserves and chutneys, cookbooks and baking trays. An old-fashioned scale hangs from a shelf and is usually holding some fresh produce which will no doubt be used in the meals. Cabinetry is painted a vibrant green and the front counter is glass and doubles as a display for the freshly made baked goods, several of which are amazingly made in the tiny store!

The regularly rotating all-day menu is brief but innovative. A few standards like the Bircher Muesli with seasonal fresh fruit, honey and yoghurt ($8.80) and the Smashed Avocado with parley labne on sourdough ($9.20) have remained - luckily or I think there'd be outcry from regulars - and other breakfasty options include a Brekkie Burger ($10) and Green Eggs creamed spinach, cress, eggs and sourdough ($12). Currently the menu has lunchier options of soup and a range of sandwiches/bagels ranging between $10-14 plus a salad option.

Espresso & House Blend coffee

I met up with C for his birthday this week at the top of the mall with our bikes and as he's been sick, he requested somewhere with something simple, not too far from the top of the mall and inside so I suggested Gramercy. I walked my bike down the Queen St Mall and parked in near a bench in the middle outside of the Wintergarden. We walked through the centre from the mall to get there and had our pick of seats when we arrived around 7:30am so chose one closer to the shops after picking up a menu from the front counter. A waitress was quickly over to take coffee orders and C got an espresso ($3.50) and I decided to try the House Blend ($3) which is filter coffee made through a Moccamaster. Coffees didn't take long to arrive and I was very happy with my choice which appeared in a large mug. Gramercy Espresso use Reuben Hills beans for their espresso but I'm not sure if they use the same for the filter coffee. I usually get long blacks which I find can be a bit sour for me sometimes so I preferred the smoother filter coffee. C decided to have the Brekkie Burger, which is bacon and a fried egg on a ciabatta roll with spinach, mustard mayo and tomato relish. I usually swing between the Bircher and the Smashed Avocado on a gluten-free bagel ($1.50), which I love is a Bagel Boys bagel. Lately my daily breakfast has been avocado on toast and so I decided to go with the Bircher for something different.

Bircher Muesli with fresh berries, apple, yoghurt & honey ($8.80)

Brekkie Burger - bacon, fried egg, mustard mayo, tomato relish, spinach ($10)

I didn't really take note of how long it took for our meals to arrive but it didn't seem long. C's Brekkie Burger looked fresh and tasty with the yolk of the fried egg oozing out and plenty of crisp spinach. My bowl of Bircher was bigger than I remembered previous serves being and I was delighted to see several bright strawberries, fresh blueberries and plenty of green apple batons on top. Gramercy's use of apples batons inspired me to change the way I serve my Bircher muesli to use julienned apples instead of grated - the texture is so much better! I dug in eagerly and was instantly reminded how much I love the food at Gramercy. The muesli was creamy and thick with soft dates and macadamias mixed throughout. The vanilla yoghurt still had a lovely tart flavour and the drizzle of honey added just enough sweetness. The fruit was all fresh and sweet and pepitas added some good crunch along with the macadamias. I think I'm calling this my current favourite Bircher muesli! C was equally happy with his burger and said that the creamy mayo and relish made it especially delicious.

When paying at the counter (they split bills BTW), a freshly made large lemon and crystallised ginger bundt cake was just being placed on the counter and it was hard to not choose something to take away. However I was full from the muesli and there was no way I could eat one of them by myself....although I must get back for morning/afternoon tea one day! They also sometimes sell house-made preserves (the apricot jam is yummy) and at Christmas they had a pop-up shop in the Wintergarden. In total the bill came to just under $30 for two meals and three coffees, which I'd call very reasonable for great food. My visit to Gramercy just cemented it as a favourite breakfast option for me and a reminder that there are good options in the CBD.

http://gramercycoffee.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/gramercycoffee

BIKEABILITY

Ease of access: 6/10 (CBD streets are not great to ride but if you don't like roads it's not a far walk from any of the bike path exits and is about a 5-10 minute walk from the top of the mall )
Parking: 4/10 (No nearby bike racks or much to lock to easily)

Slightly hidden in Wintergarden corridor entry off Edward St

Shop interior

The current menu

Coffee making apparatus on bar

And some previous meals I've had...

The Smashed Avocado with labne

Grazing Plate (no longer available)

Roast Chicken sandwich on GF bagel

Thursday, July 24, 2014
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Braking for Breakfast