Sweetness @ Pope Joan

What: Pope Joan
Where: 77/79 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057

All the blogs and food magazines are full of praise for the wonderful breakfast/brunch place Pope Joan and for good reason; it is amazing!

I could spend all day blogging and talking about the cornucopia of food at Pope Joan, but what really took my fancy last month when I was only a little bit hungry in the morning was their homemade Jam Doughnut, with Berry Jam and Cream – YUMMY!

The menu is constantly changing and keeping me guessing (but you can preview their latest menu on the website if you wish to be less surprised in the early hours of the day). I have personally been there several times and amongst my all time favorites are:

• Coffee, coffee and more coffee (of course)
• Boiled eggs, soldiers, bacon bits, herb salt
• Poached eggs w/ whatever they are serving them with this month (never been disappointed)
• The Cuban Sandwich: pulled pork, pickles n cheese (unbelievable)

Recent recommendations:

• Heirloom tomatoes roasted, basil, smoked mozzarella rarebit
• Spanner crab omelette, coriander, chilli salt

Make sure you do try it – you will not be disappointed.
Be warned it's busy, but well worth the wait.

Lush

Late night dessert?

What: Tom Turtle
Where: 169 Bourke St, Melbourne CBD

Ever had an early dinner out in the CDB, and suddenly it's late and you feel like dessert (or a second dessert)? Well how can you go wrong with ice-cream – especially if it has been frozen into cubes.

Our Order

"ABRAZO" = 2 warm nutella crepes and 8 cubes of decadent ice cream and sorbet flavours:

• 2 x cookies and cream
• 1 x cocoa bean
• 1 x lemon lime & bitters
• 1 x pear & burnt caramel
• 1 x raspberry sorbet
• 1x almond mocha fudge
• 1 x peanut brittle

Best shared if you are only peckish – with a mug of hot chocolate.

Lush

Penny Farthing

What: Penny Farthing Espresso
Where: 206 High Street, Northcote VIC 3070

This adorable little bar/restaurant fits the bill for a chilled night out, close to public transport, great atmosphere and good food.

Named after the Penny-farthing high wheel bicycle – originally named such due to the large front wheel (Penny) and a much smaller rear wheel (farthing)– the restaurant has used a clever play on the words (and its origins in British currency) for their name and menu options.

With a Farthing (the smaller wheel) representing their smaller dishes or entrées, and a Penny (the larger wheel) representing their larger dishes or mains.

Entrée (aka Farthing)

• White bean & fennel croquettes served with chilli & lime dip
• Polenta, fig & chevre stacks with black sesame ash & toasted pinenuts
• Rice flour crepes topped with duck, prosciutto & radicchio, finished with pomegranate kernels

 Main (aka penny)

• Baked field mushrooms stuffed with ricotta, lemon thyme, olives & sundried tomatoes
• Confit duck legs on orange & sweet potato puree with beetroots, candied walnuts & coriander

Side:

• Crispy chat potatoes tossed with chives & served with a mint aioli

Review

The best dish of the night was definitely the confit duck leg – WOW!

I have to say I least preferred the mushrooms and polenta – as I thought they were a bit too sweet (rather than savoury) and thus unbalanced to my palate.

I recommend ordering several farthings and penny’s and sharing with friends (plus a bottle of wine of course).

Lush