Wednesday, January 27, 2016

The Week in Food

I'm back!

I've been away from the blog for over a week while my sister Ali and her friend Jess were visiting. We had so much fun and packed more than I thought possible into their five days in Melbourne. They headed up to the Whitsundays yesterday and will spend four days there before finishing off their Australian adventure in Sydney. 

Yesterday was also Australia Day, so in honor of the holiday, I figured I'd share a few photos of some of the amazing food we enjoyed this past week. Because food is definitely one of my top five favorite things about Australia. Potentially number one ;).

I'll post tons more about Ali and Jess's visit when I can get my hands on some of the pictures Ali took on her good camera. Until then, I'm hoping to lure some more visitors to Melbourne with the pictures below! 

Hotcakes at The Kettle Black in South Melbourne 

I technically enjoyed this amazing giant pancake before Ali and Jess arrived, but it was too good to leave out. The Kettle Black is one of my favorite cafes in our area. The place is bright, pretty, and they even crank up the air conditioning on hot days, which is somehow a rare find in this city. Peter says they have some of the best coffee in Melbourne, but as a fairly new coffee drinker, I haven't tried it yet. I suppose that's an excuse to go back! 

Pear Cider at Republica in St. Kilda 

Okay, this isn't a meal, but I'm on a pear cider kick and this one tasted particularly good on the beachside patio at Republica. This place always sticks out to me due to the ridiculously-comfortable-looking egg chairs on the patio, which I've unsuccessfully tried to snag on multiple occasions. They tend to be monopolized by the under-12 crowd.


Margherita Pizza/Salami Pizza at Rococo in St. Kilda 

I met some friends here for pizza a few weeks ago and loved it so much I had to take Ali and Jess while they were here. We enjoyed these amazing pizzas before heading over to see the penguins at St. Kilda pier. Bonus: an adorable Cavapoo puppy was sitting under the table next to us and I have now decided I need one. Or five. 

Chocolate Pancakes at Two Birds One Stone in South Yarra 

Two Birds One Stone is the kind of place that's too cool for a sign. The first time I went, I couldn't find it for the life of me and then finally spotted the smallest little lettering ever on the door. Despite the slightly pretentious entrance, I love this place and really enjoyed the chocolate pancakes. They were light and not too sweet, so I was able to finish them without feeling sickly. 

Ali and Jess ordered the avo toast, which didn't disappoint: 

Smashed Avocado at Three Bags Full in Abbotsford

One of my favorite avo toasts to date, complete with feta cheese, tomatoes, corn and quinoa salsa, and some other stuff I couldn't pronounce/had never heard of. I don't think I've ever had quinoa on avo toast before, but it was so good I'm motivated to try it myself.

Chocolate Cakes at Brunetti in the CBD

Brunetti is one of our favorite places to go for quick and relatively cheap dessert in the city. I took Ali and Jess here on their first night and we shared a couple cakes before walking around the city in an attempt to beat their jetlag!

Sandwiches at Centro Espresso Caffe in the CBD 

After spending the morning at the Australian Open one day, we were in the market for a quick and cheap lunch in the city. Centre Place is arguably the cutest laneway in Melbourne, but it can be overwhelmingly crowded, especially around the lunch hour. We somewhat randomly decided on a cafe with a relatively short line and an assortment of $5 sandwiches in the window. We weren't sure what to expect; at $5 a pop I was entirely convinced they would be inedible, but they were shockingly good!  


Fish and Chips at Apollo Bay Seafood Cafe (on the Great Ocean Road)

This isn't technically in Melbourne, but is worth mentioning as the $10 fish and chips platter at Apollo Bay Seafood Cafe on the Great Ocean Road can't be beat. We all agreed that the fish was extremely fresh and I thought the coating was perfectly crispy (I can't stand when it's soggy) without being too fried-tasting, if that makes any sense. If you're ever driving by, definitely stop!

Red Velvet Cake at Hopetoun Tea Rooms in the Melbourne CBD 

Ali, Jess and I went for tea on their last day and finished with this ridiculously good cake. Is there anything in the world better than red velvet? I think not. 

It was so fun introducing Ali and Jess to Melbourne and eating some amazing food in the process. Hopefully I've convinced a few of you to visit as well ;). Speaking of visitors, Peter returns on February 1st and then his parents arrive on the 4th, so we are excited to show them around as well! 

5 comments:

  1. Plus, we are coming before long! Looking forward to it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I knew I was making a mistake reading this while hungry - this all looks AMAZING!!! Those chocolate pancakes look so good. And that one avo-toast with the quinoa and all is so interesting! I love ordering a dish at a restaurant like that that inspires your own culinary creations later on - I might have to experiment with those ingredients now!

    ReplyDelete

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Welcome! I started Laura and Peter Down Under in July 2014 when my husband and I moved from the States to Melbourne, Australia for his job. I blog about expat life, our travels, food, and whatever else comes to mind. Follow along on our adventures Down Under!

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