My Monthly Chronicles August 2024

Although winter is known for being the season to rug up inside against the cold, we had a busy August getting out and about.  It was especially busy at the start of the month trying to do as much as possible before I started my new job. (You can see more of my eating on the home front at In My Kitchen August 2024.)

Coffee and Bagels (aka Little Box Brownie), Coburg

Above is the interior of a place we have often passed at 150 Bell Street, near the Coburg Train Station.  On its windows it says Coffee and Bagels.  Inside the dark windows give way to a bright cafe with a green counter and a 1950s retro vibe.  This is run by Sophia Purvis of Little Box Brownie.  It has her sweet vintage aesthetic.  In the past, I have eaten from her food truck (actually a cute caravan).  This was our first visit to the cafe to buy Sylvia a latte before we boarded a bus to Preston.  I hope to go back to eat there.

Cheshire Cafe, Preston

When we had lunch at the Cheshire Cafe (583 Gilbert Road), I was more impressed that I expected to be.  I had the special: Cauliflower and potato soup with oven roasted leek and thyme served with cheesy bread. It was lovely and comforting in the cooler starter of August.  Sylvia was delighted with her Fried eggs on toast with sides of grilled haloumi and herb thyme.  To drink we had a matcha latte and a kombucha.   We are keen to return.

Ilza, Docklands

The Japanese cafe, Ilza (03/673 La Trobe Street) has been on Sylvia's wish list for some time now.   It seems that the longer we have wanted to go there, the more food we are likely to order.  We started with side of Corn Cheese Harumaki (spring rolls) and Edamame with Shichimi Salt.  Both were very good.  Sylvia found the harumaki a bit sweet and I found the edamame a bit spicy.  She then had the Cold tofu salad udon when she really enjoyed with tangy spicy ponzu sauce that worked really well with the vegies.  I had the  Crispy tofu skin curry udon.  The tofu skins were in a really really crispy batter but I would prefer the contrast of a slab of tofu rather than the thin skins.  I was happy to have some Sylvia's fried onions (which she dislikes), cabbage and corn to up the colour of my curry.  Sylvia had really wanted to tast the orange matcha. At first it seemed just ok but once she stirred the match in properly it was amazing.

Docklands view

It was interesting to be in the Docklands area of Melbourne that is very close to the city but was considered industrial and inaccessible for years.  It has been developed into cafe and shops and tourist activities but still seems oddly empty.  We got to the city regularly but rarely go to Docklands!

Turkish Lamp Workshop, Docklands

We were in Docklands for a Turkish lamp workshop held by art masterclass.  It was fairly easy to do with the template designs and lots of options of cut glass and beads.  Which is not to say it was quick.  The class was two and a half hour long and had to be finished at home.  You can see the finished product on my In My Kitchen August 2024 post.

Admiring the co-Australian of the year.  I was so impressed with the story of Prof Richard Scolyer who tried innovative immunotherapy treatments for melanomas and then chose to be the guinea pig to try these pioneering therapies on himself when he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer known as gioblastoma.  A year later, he is cancer-free.

Amazing Graze Tearooms, Ascot Vale

We spied the Flowers by Grace at 524 Mt Alexander Rd and found that there was an adjoining Amazing Grace Tearooms that was pink and pretty and irresistible. Flowers and high teas make for great party planning and that is what they seem to specialise in.  I had forgotten to bring both my phone and my wallet.  No money, no googling, no photos.  Luckily Sylvia had a phone with some money on her debit card.  We ordered drinks because that was all we could afford.  It wasn't cheap!  Sylvia enjoyed her peach iced tea and I quite liked my drink when had cranberry juice and maybe something like pineapple juice and passionfruit.  It was more aimed at pricey high teas for parties so I am not sure we will return. 

Emils, Pascoe Vale South

While we were overseas earlier in the year, my parents and E went to Emils (347 Reynard Street).  It is a beautiful cafe located in the house where the family grew up while their parents ran a milkbar out the front.  We had been very keen to go and happy once we were being served wonderful food in what I think used to be the lounge room.  

For drinks, Sylvia had apple juice and I had the Green Goddess Juice: silverbeet, celery, ginger lime, green apples, cucumber, chia.  It was very vegetably but also sweet and refreshing.  Sylvia ordered Emil's big breakfast: poached eggs, zaatar grilled flatbread, haloumi, shakshuka, saute spinach, potato hash.  She asked for it without meat but with falafels on the side.  Look at the flatbread in the photo!  I had the Super salad: grilled broccolini and asparagus, kale, beans, peas, super seeds, feta, smoked almond, lime yoghurt (no egg) and a side order of well seasoned crispy fried cauliflower on a yoghurt sauce.  We are looking forward to returning.

The Quarter, CBD

On a visit to the city, we had lunch at The Quarter in 27-31 Degraves Street.  This is one of the buzzing laneways of Melbourne that we walk through every now and again but rarely stop to sit down to join the crowds enjoying the good food, good vibes and great people watching.

Sylvia really enjoyed her Toasted Focaccia with Mushrooms, Rocket, Spinach, Haloumi, roasted Pumpkin and Tomato Relish.  She was bemused by the tiny mushrooms that were definitely not the Portobello mushrooms promised by the menu.  I was even more baffled by my Super Grains Salad.  The menu as correct in saying it had Quinoa, Currants, roasted Pear, toasted Almonds, baby Spinach, Pumpkin seeds, Cashews, fresh Mint, crispy Kale and Lemon dressing.  However it was not a grain salad.  It was a leafy salad with a few grains.  I was disappointed.  Sylvia found her meal very filling and was happy to share her side serve of Fries  with me.  So we left having eaten enough.

Flinders Waffles, CDB

After the Quarter, we went ust up the lane to  Flinders Waffles (6 Degraves Street).  Sylvia had seen their amazing waffles online.  I had the Flinders Street Station nutella filled waffle.  They were quite soft and light but so uncannily like the actual station just a block away.  Sylvia got the Taiyaki: a fish shaped waffle filled with red bean paste and topped with soft serve matcha ice cream, sprinkles and a waffle.  Unfortunately the soft serve would not stay on her waffle, not even when the staff reluctantly replaced the first serve of ice cream.  No wonder it was so busy.

Johnston Collection, East Melbourne

The Johnston Collection does not give their address online, not even when you book.  A mini bus picks up tour groups at a nearby hotel.  I think this is due to restrictions to avoid extra traffic in already busy streets.  We had a tour there to see the rooms furnished for the theme of Fit for a King.  I hope to share more photos and information in a blog post.

Miniature Tudor Village, Fitzroy Gardens, East Melbourne

After the Johnston Collection tour we walked back into the city through the Fitzroy Gardens, stopping to enjoy the delights of the Miniature Tudor Village and the Fair Tree.  It was such a magical place for me as a child that I always love seeing it.  Now the generosity of the place fills me with gratitude and joy.  The miniature tudor village was sent to Melbourne by a small town in England as thanks for food parcels sent during and after World War II.  The beautiful Fairy Tree was carved by Ola Cohn as a gift to the children of Melbourne in 1931-34.  

Rong Cha, CBD

The indulgent S'mores Hot Chocolate with toasted marshmallow lining the cup and a cracker on top beckoned Sylvia. So we visited Rong Cha (8 Little Lonsdale St,) while in the city.  It is a Thai traditional cafe that gave us a chance to try something new.  The hot chocolate was not a success because Sylvia was not keen on the extra soft sweet marshmallow.  But I loved my refreshing Salak lime soda.  I'd never heard of Salak or Snake fruit before but would have it again.  I liked that it was slightly bitter and not too sweet.  We also shared the Pang Nueng: steamed bread with Thai tea and Pandan sauces.  While chocolate is my usual go-to, I really enjoyed this mildly sweet option that is quite different to the usual sugary sweet and carby options in cafes.

Coburg Farmers Market

It was great to be back at this wonderful farmers market at Coburg Primary School.  The sun shone, the stallholders were friendly, we bumped into old friends, there was a tyranny of choice with good food, and we bought some delicious purchases (which you can see in my In My Kitchen August 2024 post.)

Laughing at Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee on the ABC.  It is unexpectedly hilarious with a retro set, great banter and absurd comedy. 

Chookas, Brunswick

This cafe is one that we visit the most, and my post on Chookas (1 Ballarat St)has been the most visited recently on my blog.  Often Sylvia goes there with her dad at the weekend and I go with her occasinally.  This is a recent lunch of egg and pickles with a nori and a kombu omusabi.  I had eaten so I just had a kimchi cheese omusabi.  It was so lovely to sit looking out on the tree lined laneway with our cool drinks (yuzu soda and iced coffee) on a fine winter's day.

Wild Timor, Coburg

Another regular cafe I go to is Wild Timor (282 Sydney Road).  Usually I just have a drink and catch up with friends.  Occasionally I also order food.  Last month I had the hash browns with crushed peas, beetroot relish, avocado and lime hollandaise sauce.  I didn't have the eggs but ordered some feta on the side instead.  It was delicious and a nice change from the usual breakfast dishes.  Kerin also enjoyed her fancy omelette.

Code Black, Brunswick

My mum loves a coffee at Code Black cafe (15-17 Weston Street) when she is in Brunswick.  She rates it highly and the Code Black coffee is available in many cafes we visit.  So a visit was on the cards for Sylvia and me.  She had scrambled eggs on toast with feta  (she loved the feta).  I had the French lentil salad with (according to the menu) summer vegetables, cashew hummus, fresh herbs and cranberries.  It was not surprising in the middle of winter that I did not get served summer vegetables.  My vegetables were radish, squash and radicchio.  I think I would have preferred summer vegies but it was a nice salad with the cranberries giving the needed lift the flavours.  I had the hot chocolate again because I loved it so much in July.  Sylvia loved her Melbourne Fog: an Earl Grey tea with a frothy top and slice of dried orange on top.  They do great food and drinks but I am not a fan of the black interiors.

Artocracy, Brunswick

After Code Black we walked up Sydney Road.  One shop we really liked was Artocracy (435 Sydney Road).  It was a really beautiful local craft collective with lots of different sections by different makers.

Streaming movies: we watched Juno recently.  It has such an amazing soundtrack with musicians such as Belle & Sebastian and Kimya Dawson that really added to charm of this quirky film from 2007.

Fluffy Torpedo

We also finally got to Fluffy Torpedo's Brunswick shop (213 Sydney Road).  Last year we had amazing white chocolate vegemite ice crea (mine) and honey soy ice cream (Sylvia's) in the Smith Street store in Fitzroy.  It is a kooky ice cream place with unusual flavours and decor.  Brunswick continues the fun, though I prefer the decor in the Fitzroy shop with the sour strips in resin covering the floor!  

The ice cream in Brunswick lived up to the Fitzroy flavours.  I had two half scoops: iceberg lettuce sour green apple sorbet and chocolate x chocolate mudcake ice cream.  The iceberg lettuce flavour was odd but after a mouthful or two it was great and refreshing.  It was a fine pairing for the intense chocolate ice cream with chunks of cake.  Sylvia was also very happy with her ice cream flavoured with buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup.  Then we went home and had a walk to enjoy the sunset.
 

View from a city office

This is a view from one of the offices I have spent time in since starting my new job.  The view of St Patrick's Cathedral is magnificent.  This is the first time since 2000 that I have worked in a city office.  So much change since then.  There are now rows of forlorn empty desks.  I love being able to work from home some of the time but appreciate a bit of office time too.  

Offices these days lack the fun and buzz of pre-covid days. This is mostly due to less people about but one of the offices where I work is also feeling a bit sad as a whole department on my floor has moved out in preparation for the building being demolished.  It is a long time since I have have seen so many empty offices and empty desks.

Tin Pot Cafe, Fitzroy North

It is many years since I visited the Tin Pot Cafe (248-250 St Georges Road).  I have fond but vague memories.  It was good to go again with Sylvia.  She had House made baked beans with poached egg and feta on toasted ciabatta and I had White bean, tomato and kale soup served with herb toast.  Sylvia loved hers and I liked mine.  I really loved my pot of rosehip and fruit herbal tea and Sylvia very pleased with her cappucino.

So far so good!  What made it worth visiting was the beautiful vintage decor.  The green room had a large communal table in the middle and lots of shabby chic furntiture and brick a brack that looks like the it came from second hand shops in the days when you could find a real bargain.  Vines, mirrors and pictures festoon the walls.  There are cute little nooks with an aristocratic arm chair where you might find a student with a laptop or a rough old guy, who looks homeless, sorting his plastic bags.  This is old school Fitzroy.

In fact the charming decor trumped the food until we ordered a Blueberry and frangipane brioche to share for dessert.  It was amazing.  Like the previous food, it felt like going back a few decades but this made me nostalgic for desserts of the past.  The large slab of what looked like a tart was a generous helping.  There was lots of rich frangipane and jammy blueberries on a lovely soft brioche base.  I was very glad we shared it as it was really filling but so so good.

Archies All Day, Fitzroy

After my parents raved about Archies All Day (189 Gertrude Street), we had been keen to try it for ourselves.  It is a lovely bright space of white painted stone walls and wooden tables.  Sylvia could not go past the Huevos Sucios (Dirty Eggs).  This was a full plate of tater tots loaded with cheddar cheese, avocado & tomatillo salsa, black beans, jalepeños, fried eggs and chipotle mayo.  The tater tots smelled so amazing that I had to try some. But I went a healthier path and ordered the Miso Glazed Pumpkin Salad that came with roasted miso pumpkin, cashew cream, lentils & quinoa, leafy greens, pickled onions, feta, pepita seeds & fried kale.  We both loved our meals.  They were unusual, delicious and very satisfying.

The mysterious cat, Fitzroy

After Archies lovely lunch, we had a very pleasing walk along Gertrude Street.  It is much changed since I used to go to a hippy cafe called Vegetarian Orgasm many years ago (which I have learnt is not something to say to your teenage daughter as you stroll down the street)m but there are always lovely surprises.  We saw this lovely grey and white cat at 124 Gertrude Street.  It looked like the boss of the place but we could not find a name of the shop anywhere.  My best guess was Dig for Dinosaurs based on the name by a display of dinosaurs on a pianola.  The shop was closed so we never found out.  In the end I just had to conclude that the cat was the shop owner cursed by a wicked witch to be in cat form during the day.

Cottage Industry, Fitzroy

Another amazing shop that we did go into was Cottage industry (67 Gertrude Street).  I was loved their sign by the door saying "Sorry but after too many accidents, NO food or drink permitted in store".  Inside the shop was stuffed full of gorgeous crafts: Scottish knitted cardigans, tiny ceramic animals, floral hot water bottle shaped wheatbags, Irish woollen blankets, cardboard pigeon garlands, cow flower vases, a tram ornament and all manner of temptations.  Not the sort of thing to spill your drink on!

Reading The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do.  This is an uplifting book celebrates the good things in his life and is compassionate about the difficult times.  I would expect nothing less from the man who conducts warm hearted interviews white he paints portraits on Anh's Brush with Fame.

 

Seedling, CBD

I finally caught up with a university friend, Jane, in the city.  We ate at a tiny health food cafe called Seedling (275 Flinders Lane).  They had colourful bowls of salad and we both chose to have a plate of salads.  Jane was pleased with her peas and I loved my rice and kale salads.  We were both very pleased with our choice.  And it was great to catch up.

Sal's Authentic New York Pizza, CBD

On a cold windy night I was looking for a quick bite before going out.  I stumbled across Sal's Authentic New York Pizza (289 Flinders Lane).  I had a couple of slices of 5 boroughs pizza: NYC blend mozzarella, creamy ricotta, black garlic sauce, marinara and pesto splash.  

On the table is a sign saying "Please let your pizza pie rest for 3-4 minutes before eating.  Enjoy."  I was so pushed for time that I ignored the kind advice.  I am used to places where if pizzas are sold by the slice they are have sat in a warmer too long and are not that hot.  This pizza was in the warmer but it was heated before it was served so the bottom was crisp and it was really hot.  I burnt my mouth but it was really good pizza.

Victorian Parliament House, CBD

In August I heard our mayor talk at a history society meeting and then our local MP organised for a group from the society to take a tour of Parliament House.  It is such a beautiful building that was built by politicians who had plenty of money from the gold rushes.  More photos to come.  Though I will not be sharing the one of our group with the Premier Jacinta Allen.

Recent new articles:

• Land of the free, home of the crazed, in The Shot by Ronni Salt, 30 August 2024.
• Australians are the world's biggest gamblers - could banning ads help? in BBC News by Hannah Ritchie, 26 August 2024.
• Peter Dutton's calls to ban refugees from Gaza have proved too much for some MPs, in ABC News by Laura Tingle, 17 August 2024.
  
• Illustrator of children's classic Where is the Green Sheep? never imagined it would be commemorated in coin form 20 years on, in ABC News by Jostina Basta, 15 August 2024.
• ‘Fairytales’, media leaks and Canberra’s underbelly: takeaways from Linda Reynolds v Brittany Higgins defamation trial, in The Guardian by Sarah Basford Canales, 10 August 2024.