Allara Street, Civic
October 2023
It was brunch time! (When isn’t it brunch time?)
I was hungry, so were Harper and Lindsay.
Lindsay had previously eaten at Playing Fields and had fondly mentioned their Watermelon Juice and the Big Breakfast.
It was close, it was open, it was chosen.
Entering there was a pleasant smell of coffee, the noise wasn’t overwhelming and there were tables available. Looking at the menu it was difficult to choose. The Halloumi and Avocado Roll appealed as did the Pancakes but, of course, there was one item which gave the siren call.
Yes, I chose Eggs Benedict with smoked bacon, spinach with a side of mushrooms with a Lemon, Lime and Bitters. (See, it was slightly different).
After quite an amount of contemplation Lindsay chose the Special: BLT with a side of chips and a watermelon juice.
Harper had a similar problem bur finally decided on the Big Breakfast with scrambled egg, drawn by the chipolatas and a cappuccino.
The food came very quickly. On placing my plate in front of me, the waitress noticed the bacon was missing and returned it to the kitchen where was speedily rectified.
Each plate appealed. I envied Lindsay’s chips. The were golden with specks of seasoning, not too thin or thick. The tomato in the sandwich was a lovely colour and the bacon was crisp. Eyeing the Big Breakfast, it was obvious there was no false advertising. It was big.
Looking at the Eggs Benedict I did not wonder if I had chosen correctly, but gazing at Lindsay’s BLT it seemed there were other brunch items in the world.
Cutting into the yolk, it flowed out smoothly. (In a bakery in a certain shopping outlet, I previously ordered the same thing only to be disappointed the yolk of the egg was solid and there was not enough botted Hollandaise to moisten the rest of the plate. As photographs are not available, the place will not be named but I will not return there.) This egg did not disappoint and I enjoyed the sourdough and spinach on my forkful. The bacon was crisp, not leather and the mushrooms were very tasty. The Bunderberg LLB was cold and refreshing.
Lindsay offered a bite of the BLT and I accepted. The tomato was a flavour explosion, the bacon crisp and the lettuce fresh. In addition, the chips were well cooked and flavoured. It was a temptation to order a side of the chips but knowing how appetites (mine in particular) can disappear it was decided it would be too much.
Harper permitted Lindsay to sample the chipolata and hash brown which were complimented. The eggs were the right consistency and well-seasoned, the baked beans were met with favour, bacon crisp, tomato well grilled, in short every part of the big breakfast was satisfactory. Harper also expressed pleasurable surprise at the taste of the coffee.
Were the plates clean? Lindsay’s certainly was. Due to my greed for the mushrooms, I could not quite clean the plate, though I wished I could. Harper could not quite finish the toasted sourdough but expressed satisfaction with the brunch
We will return. (If the BLT is still available, I might try that, or the pancakes. Maybe I won’t have Eggs Benedict… Maybe)
Score: 4.5
Clean the Plate 