Dino's Deli

I’ve read that Dino’s is down the “interesting” end of Chapel Street. I’m going to go ahead and give our readers less credit than Epicure gives theirs and tell you that’s in Windsor. In my book interesting = awesome when the second-hand bookshop next door regularly has adorable kitties in their window

Awww yeah

Interesting also = awesome when the coffee is always great and the staff are always friendly, relaxed and keen as mustard to help and give you what you want. For example, when my breakfast companion S asked for a milkshake, he was advised they don’t actually do milkshakes, but they could do him the best darn iced chocolate around. And check it out

Best iced chocolate I’ve seen all day.

My coffee was great, and I knew it would be. It’s so nice to go somewhere that you know the coffee is always great.

I suppose the cup could have been slightly bigger but tasted great

I got eggs again. I just can’t help myself, I swear I will mix it up next time. These mushrooms on the side were ah-mah-zing. Definitely not from a can. And ohh that little potato thing? Awesome. Also, I’d like to send a shout out to their chef for not buttering my toast, I always forget to ask for it unbuttered and this dude just read my mind.

S got the Eggs Benedict but substituted the ham for smoked salmon. I haven’t eaten hollandaise sauce since I discovered what the ingredients are (basically egg yolk, butter and some other kind of fat. It’s essentially just fat, delicious, delicious fat) but this made me want in. Maybe you and I are due to meet again hollandaise, except not when I’m having a fat day, clearly.

Overall, funky, excellent coffee, nice atmosphere. Dino’s = #winning

Cafe Lekker

Breakfast of Champions – Country Edition. So it has just occurred to me that maybe I have been a little spoilt by Melbourne’s inner city breakfast haunts. When Tiff and I went to Miss Marie we had accepted that it was trying hard to be as inner city as you can get for the burbs, but something just wasn’t spot on. I ran this slight feeling that we couldn’t quite put our finger on past a very inner city friend of a friend during chit-chat over drinks and she profoundly mused that perhaps it was because the café was trying to be something that it wasn’t? Still, it’s the best thing Rosanna has to offer and their coffee is awesome so I’m not complaining.

Anyway, I digress. This weekend I went to Ballarat. One of my best friends/former housemate fell in love with a boy from Ballarat and she moved from Melbourne to be with him – true love or what? (nothing wrong with Ballarat, it’s just moving from Melbourne to anywhere is surely a sacrifice) (I am loyal to my city, me + Melbourne 4 eva). Another friend in Ballarat made a recommendation which aforementioned friend L agreed with, tried and tested, so off we went to Café Lekker with D for a housemate reunion breakfast, with love of L’s life, S, and their bun in her over along for the ride.

The interior is a bit stark but they get points for great booths. I love me a booth. Didn’t hurt that D got in first, did his trademark seductive lying pose in the booth, only to be sprung by the teenage waitress who was leading the rest of us to said booth. Bahahaha

Down to business - waitress was very friendly and took coffee orders promptly, and knew her stuff when questions were thrown at her re: varieties of freshly squeezed juice they had on offer (orange only it would appear). The coffee was not bad, apparently L’s hot chocolate was top notch and she knows her hot chocolates. Although did use the term ‘muggaccino’ which is off-putting, massive pet hate left over from my barista days.

Mug of chino

My eggs were poached perfectly, my relish was lovely and the Turkish bread was great – soft enough and not too hard to cut. Could have been slightly more of it but I didn’t eat all of my meal anyway, so I shouldn’t complain. I think the mushrooms were canned and not cooked in a way to disguise this (which I’m sure lots of other places do) which was the only downfall of my plate.

L and D got the Tuki lamb sausages, mmmm. While I’m so glad that I went vegetarian, the biggest threat to my resolve is sausages. God I love sausages, oh gourmet sausages, mmmm. I have such great memories of bangers and mash at my old place. Getting distracted again – it also came with these delicious potato rosti that looked pretty homemade.

S got the omelette, potentially after a breakfast themed ‘Words With Friends’ got omelettes on the brain, and like the rest of us, was most pleased with the selection.

Sorry for the fuzzy photo, I brought my 'proper camera' but left the memory card at home

L also finished with a hazelnut and chocolate muffin and check out that presentation! I kindly scored a bite - it was a great consistency. One could even say not too heavy but not too light.

The prices were quite standard for me, but they’re apparently cheap for Ballarat – I’ve been told all cafes in The Rat are, as a rule of thumb, a bit more expensive than we’re used to in Melbourne. Conspiracy theories? Or perhaps or they just do it because they can? Who knows. Extras were pitched to me as though I could substitute the bacon for multiple vegetable based sides no extra (note this was not confirmed but from the tone and delivery I was certainly given that impression) so when I got to the checkout, I was informed of the extra cost. Plus they charged for tomato sauce. FOR TOMATO SAUCE.

Outraged. Way to sour my experience Café Lekker, not even Maccas charge for tomato sauce.

So overall pretty good – interior design could use a bit of work, they could easily funky it up with some better coffee cups but the food was overall really good. In fact if it wasn’t for the tomato sauce debacle I think I would have headed straight back there on my next venture down to The Rat but I suspect next time I’ll try somewhere new (and I’ve just been informed that apparently there’s a place with mind blowing bagels, so that will have to be next on the list).