There is a definite “handmade” feel about The Estelle on High street, opposite Palomino. The back courtyard (including outside dunnies) sports a rustic brick planter box, a door masquerading as a table, potted herbs in recycled containers and real tomato plants.

The short-but-sweet menu is presented in “oh so cute” How and Why books and similar which make for alternate reading material to the usual daily papers.

The coffee is served in gorgeous double handled retro-styled cups and is rich and satisfying. The cups match the sugar bowls (just like nana’s), the vases, the tiles, the paint…you’d think they were made specifically for them, but I understand it was a lucky coincidence.

The menu pays homage to the likes of Gerald’s bar and Handsome Steve’s , featuring a fish of the day, a meat of the day, and a shared plate for two of the day offered at dinner time, with a few tasty entrees.

The breakfast / brunch menu is also a little bit left of centre featuring recently Beetroot cured salmon, brioche croque madame, black pudding and malted onion jam omelette. The beetroot gave the salmon an earthy touch and a great pink colour (not so great for hangovers perhaps?), the brioche toasted into a light golden sandwich with a perfectly fried egg on top.

When we visited for dinner it was a darn hot night. Be warned, the humble vibe goes so far as to eschew aircon. The meat of the day was lamb shanks (it was 36 degrees!), baby snapper was the fish, and the shared plate was steak…I ate from the entrees and JB started with Sydney Rock Oysters and ordered the snapper.

From the entree list I tried the Northcote smoked salami served with lightly pickled cucumber; baby beets with hazelnut praline, goats curd and sherry vinegar; Zucchini Carpaccio, balsamic and parmesan wafer; potatoes roasted in duck fat with garlic and thyme. (I did have to share some of these with JB).

His snapper was served with a fresh fennel and orange salad. He pretty much picked the bones clean, so I think that must have meant it was pretty darn good!

They’re still getting their act together, so the service can be a bit hit ‘n’ miss, but that can only improve.

The menus are so interesting – I am looking forward to going again and again and again…(copies on Flickr)

I’m not a huge fan of “the usual”, nut I really hope The Estelle catches the imagination of enough folk to keep on doing what they are doing, cause I’m loving it.

The Estelle Bar and Kitchen
243 High Sreet
Northcote
9789 4609
Closed Monday, 8am until around 11pm, Sunday 9am start!)

Coffee was much better today – delicious in fact, and they has keen beavers chatting to folk as they came in the door, much improved.

But 10 mins for a take away is too long … lucky it tasted darn nice.

I found the space a bit difficult I guess, the large communal table was pushed up against the stools along the window, and the least messy unoccupied table (where we sat), making me feel quite claustrophobic. Quite a feat in what is a large room, with massive, industrial height, ceilings that was quite cold. Too cold. It was like the tables were chosen for their look, not for how they would work in the space. It felt quite awkward for the humans, but grand for showing off some intriguing craft/art.

We cleared our own tiny table, searched about for some kind of menu, and I set about to find some coffee and sustenance.

I found the layout quite strange, it didn’t really provide a focal point, or any clues on where to go or what to do to get served, there was a throng of people hanging around the coffee machine, but I think they were waiting for takeaways. I meandered over in that direction anyway and eventually caught the eye of a waitress (waitperson? waitron? server?). She took our order efficiently.

JB ordered a danish, which was quite delish actually, and made by “some guy in Prahran”.

The sandwich was ridiculously huge and thick, and just not what I wanted at all really. The bread was sliced so thickly that the cheese couldn’t melt without the bread burning. I had to insist that JB eat half. What was going to be a bit of brunch turned into something much more substantial. Half of that sandwich did me for breakfast and lunch.

It came with some shredded cabbage, sprinkled with a few sesame seeds. We had no cutlery. Cabbage stayed on the plate. I went back over to the coffee machine to order another coffee…it really was a bit strange, where another waiter pretty much ignored me for 3-4 mins, then barked at me to move while he took a single coffee out to someone. I eventually got him to organise another coffee for me.

The coffee was a bit weird. My first seemed quite tasty if a bit bland, but my second was bitter. I thought this was quite strange as the same person made them, only about 10 minutes apart. These were made with the house blend, which they say they are always tweaking. Perhaps they “twoke” it.

The crowd was a strange mix of mature age students, mums & bubs, construction workers and economics professors (just a guess there! the others were easier to classify). They were fairly busy when we first arrived, but most moved on within 10 mins of us arriving there. Our plates were never cleared so I didn’t feel much like hanging around and finishing the paper.

I like the idea of the tasting, roasting, growing process being highlighted, but I have to admit that I’m not convinced that the taste of single origin coffee is the best. The idea is nice, but like a single vineyard wine, unless it’s absolutely top notch, it’s probably better off with some other beans mixed in. I think they lack complexity and are nice for a change, but not for my daily grind thanks.

I just wanted to be warm, temperature-wise and hospitality-wise. I guess, you’d be happy enough it if was your local, but I’m not sure I would regularly go out of my way to visit, unless I was mad keen about single-origin beans. If so, go, try coffee, roast…enjoy!

I will go again though, to be fair, maybe it was just a “cold grumpy day” for me. Maybe their heaters were broken. Maybe the staff were new. *shrug*

Seven Seeds
114 Berkeley St, Carlton 3053
9347 8664

A quick scan through the mental rolodex of places I’ve always meant to get to, but haven’t - Birdman Eating.

It’s not far away, the parking gods are on our side and we are quickly contemplating the menu.  

Breakfast is good here – it’s an art and they take it quite seriously.  The Baked Eggs change regularly and we watch a lot of them come out of the kitchen.  But today, my thoughts leap to melty cheesy bread.  Welsh Rarebit.   And it was a proper rarebit, not just grilled cheese on toast.  The cheese had been cooked into a cheesy, mustardy sauce and then spread on toast.  A quick stay under a hot grill and the bubbly cheesy goodness was making me very happy.

And it’s always hard to go past beans on toast.
These had a delicious Moroccan spice background adding a woody cinnamon and a subtle heat. I don’t especially like baked beans, but I was tempted to swap cheesy goodness for beans.  

Next time I want the housemade crumpets with leatherwood honey;  or the Coconut Quinoa Porridge, with banana and palm sugar; or maybe baked vanilla ricotta with fruit and almonds.  Then again, maybe the Black Pudding, or the Kippers will take my fancy, then again, there are always the baked eggs!
 

The coffee wasn’t bad, wasn’t great, but the Chai was worth writing about, and is a nice gentle finish instead of a third coffee.

3 coffees, beans, welsh rarebit and chair was $36.00 and good value.

Birdman Eating
238 Gertrude St
(Smith St End)
Fitzroy  
9416 4747