Thyme to Taste, Yass.

I ran away from home with a close family member, Jay (who also likes food and has featured in this blog before) in February this year.  (It was only for four days.)  COVID has restricted travel and I am sure a number of people feel a need to escape from their homes occasionally.  Yass is approximately an hour’s drive from the ACT.

While exploring the beauties of Yass and having fun (no cooking, cleaning, painting walls etc.) we ventured to a restaurant I’ve always wished to visit.  No magic was involved, no wands, fairy godmothers, or other supernatural creatures and/or events are included in this review.

While there were many tempting options, the Snapple Apple Jaffle (Sliced apple and real maple syrup, cream $8.50) appealed, but I added a side of bacon which was I think an additional $3.00 to it and a Mochaccino.  Jay ordered the same but the beverage of choice was a Cappuccino.  We were sitting outside, undercover in a pleasantly decorated and relaxing courtyard with some aged trees providing shade.  The morning was fresh and the sounds of late summer added to the ambience.  The service was swift, efficient and very pleasant.  It felt very welcoming.

(A jaffle is the Australian name for a closed toasted sandwich, or toastie.)

Very shortly the Snapple Apple Jaffle with bacon arrived accompanied by the beverages.  As may be seen in the photos, it looked very appealing.  Cutting into the jaffle, the tangy scent of cinnamon and nutmeg emerged.  Adding maple syrup, cream and the bacon I took a bite.  Apple, bacon syrup and cream blended and my stomach welcomed the contribution happily.  Sipping the Mochaccino I felt the smile form on my face.  The bread of the jaffle was toasted so it was brown, not pale and the apple was sliced and fresh, not filling from a tin.

Jay and I were silent, paying full attention to the simple, yet complex breakfast.  We ate leisurely, even though at some point wanted to eat fast because it was so delicious, but resisted the temptation.

After we finished, we conversed with the server and discovered the lovely bacon and bread were sourced from the EPIC Farmer’s Market, held weekly on Saturday mornings.  A place I often visit for the great variety of fresh food.

When I next run away to Yass, I will again partake of the Snapple Apple Jaffle (with bacon). 

I did return home, but will run away again!

I cleaned the plate!

Overall:

Very pleasant place and comfortable.  Service was excellent.

The simple menu is another benefit as it is very specific as to what is on offer and the coffee was very good.  Bacon crisp, apple not mushy, cream solid and there was enough cream and maple syrup so it did not need to be rationed.

We both cleaned the plate.

Overall Score: 4.9/5.00

The Gathering, Bungendore, New South Wales.

A chill wind was blowing as Summer finally seemed over in Australia.  Due to being an island and very few reported cases of the damned virus, life was returning to somewhat normal (whatever is normal).

Harper and I had decided to brave the wind and visit a Farmer’s Market in Bungendore and while there felt the need of sustenance.  We had seen some reviews of The Gathering and thought it might meet our needs for sustenance and protection from the wind.

Upon entering we noticed it was very popular.  The tables outside had some patrons seated awaiting their order and upon entering we found the last empty table in the corner after a kind regular told us to take some menus and seat ourselves.

On perusing the menu, Harper decided on coffee and the Borlotti Bean Casserole ($19.00) and as Eggs Benedict ($19.00) was on the menu it seemed no choice was required for me.  Briefly I toyed with the idea of the Corn Fritters but had cooked and eaten my own in the previous week, so it was only a brief consideration.

Harper ordered at the counter and was not informed there would be any delay and we waited.  The coffee arrived and as it was the House Blend of Lonsdale Street Roaster, Harper was pleased.  Then we waited.  Other customer left and their tables were quickly taken.  One patron arrived at least 10 minutes after we did and decided to sit at the largest table even though other tables were available.  And we waited.  The coffee was finished and sipping water in a noisy place loses its charm after a while when you are waiting (and possibly patience running thin).

The problem began with the customer who had arrived at least 10 minutes after us was served the full order and we were sitting without any indication of when our food might arrive.  Harper decided to ask and was told the meal was on the way with no explanation for the delay.

After another wait our meals finally arrived.  First impressions were mixed.  The evident burn mark on the top of the bagel was not appealing and while the presentation of the casserole was better, it did not make up for the wait.

Harper

The beans looked reasonable but were hard and did not have an impressive flavour.  The sourdough toast was probably the best part of the dish.  The chorizo was reasonable but after the wait, I was unimpressed. 

I cleaned my plate because I was hungry.

Score:  2.50  

I was unimpressed with both the service and the food but the coffee was good.

Jamie

As any regular reader of this blog would know, I’ve had Eggs Benedict in many restaurants and cafes.  Possibly the biggest disappointment was on the Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 as the muffins were never properly toasted and the hollandaise was indifferent.  This was another disappointment.  Possibly the food was flavoured by the disappointment at the wait and the fact that one of the eggs was not runny.  The flavour was reasonable but the slight burn on the bagel did affect the flavour.  The hollandaise was reasonable but overall it did not match the standard of, for example, Trev’s or Via Dolce.

I did not clean the plate.

Score: 2.5

The service, for us, was not very good. The burn on the bagel did not impress me and the nearly overcooked egg was also a disappointment, though the bacon was well cooked. 

Overall Score: 2.5

It is unlikely we will gather at The Gathering again. 

We admit that having people who arrived after us being served before our order arrived and other patrons who arrived a considerable time after us being served very soon after our meals had belatedly arrived, coloured our reviews.  No explanation for the delay was given even when asked Archer asked when we would be served.  While the cafe was busy, we believe our order had been ignored or overlooked. 

Magpie Cafe, Berrima, New South Wales

Sorry for the delay in writing this review. The delay is due to using Groove Music on my computer which converted all the files and then duplicated them multiple times. After many attempts to find a way of removing the duplicates and restoring some of the corrupted files (thank you Microsoft for making the task so difficult) finally a strategy worked (fingers crossed). Later an explanation of how this was achieved might be added because other people seem to seem to experience this problem. Remember to backup the files you have worked so hard to create before you use any music player to play them.

In the exciting weekend in Mittagong with Jay we did eat in more than two places but being of a forgetful nature when faced with hunger, photos were not taken. We did have a number of pleasant meals and decided to drive to Berrima as it is known to be a very picturesque place.

We had selected one cafe but due to COVID19 and the queue we decided to visit another cafe which seemed, from the outside, to be very pleasant.

The cafe was very busy. We were fortunate to be seated very quickly and were given menus to peruse. Jay’s eyes seemed to gleam with content at the choice available.

Jamie

My gaze was quickly drawn to one item.

It was a breakfast item.

I did say in the previous review that I might eat something I’ve eaten numerous times before and review it shortly after the review of The Roses Cafe, but I promise, without fingers crossed that I will not review Eggs Benedict for at least another two reviews. (Note to self: No Cafe’s.)

So, yes, despite the many offerings on the menu and the delightful array of cakes, slices, muffins etc (which sadly were not priced so it was difficult to work out the price) I chose Eggs Benedict (again).

I chose Assam Tea (one of my favourites and rarely available).

My meal arrived and I didn’t immediately eat it. I looked at it, admired, slavered, anticipated and wondered if it would taste as good as it looked and if the aroma of the food indicated the flavour.

I made the cut into the yolk of the egg and it flowed out slowly indicating care had been taken in poaching it. The bacon was crisp under the knife, the toast not soggy and the spinach present but not dominating the meal.

On conveying a fork to my mouth with the full complement of toast, bacon, egg, spinach and Hollandaise sauce as a challenge I was prepared to take. (The sacrifices and challenges I make for this blog!)

As usual the first challenge is the Hollandaise. Is it fresh, over seasoned, too lemony, store bought or made on the premises, split, too runny, too thick are some of the many issues which can occur with Hollandaise.

(As yet, I have not attempted to make this sauce but have been challenged to endeavour to make it as some people think I am too critical. While I acknowledge the difficulty level, a meal can be spoiled by a sub-standard sauce. If I do I will write about it in this blog and be critical but fear of failure is something which I acknowledge so there may be a delay.)

The yolk mingled with the tang of the sauce, the bacon flavour, spinach and richness of the sourdough bread and I shut my eyes. Yes! This was good! The sauce was very good, the bacon not a disappointment, the spinach providing freshness and the harmony of taste and texture was very appealing.

For a few minutes I concentrated on eating, with the occasional pause to sip tea. The ebb and flow of customers was constant with some lingering over their meal while others were ordering take away coffee and food.

All too soon my plate was empty, my stomach was full and I was satisfied. Slowly sipping the tea I realised I had enjoyed the meal despite COVID19, which seems to affect most experiences.

Score: 4.9/5

Jay

I chose the full breakfast but requested the sausages and sauce not to be included as they were not required and asked the eggs were poached instead of fried or scrambled.

The plate arrived and even though the photo looks good it does not reflect how appealing it appeared to me.

My fork delved into the mushrooms. Delightful. The eggs were like Jamie’s, the yolk a liquidly velvet yellow surrounded by a perfectly cooked white.

Everything was cooked perfectly. The tomatoes were not mushy, the toast was crispy. Eating the food made me happy and not at all disappointed that the place we had originally chosen was not available to us.

The staff were wonderful and very pleasant even though busy. My drink of choice was Earl Gray Tea and it was pleasant.

Score: 5/5

Overall

The service as good as was the ambience. We agreed the food was better than the great meal we had at the Roses Cafe but they were also very different experiences.

The consistency of the plating, the way the individual elements of the meals were prepared and the combination of flavours made it a very pleasant experience.

Overall Score: 4.9/5

The Roses Cafe, Mittagong

There are three Roses Cafes: one in Goulburn, Yass and Mittagong.

Introducing Jay, a further person who is prepared to support and sacrifice their taste buds in search of yummy food while participating in some food adventures (not that they are terribly hair raising most of the time).

Jay and I had arranged to attend a workshop in Mittagong (Southern Highlands of New South Wales), many months ago. Due to circumstances the workshop was cancelled but the accommodation had already been fully paid. What to do?

Despite the pandemic we decided to meet and spend some time exploring this area. Neither of us had visited Mittagong or surrounding towns for some time and it was nice to get away and pretend life was a little normal (even though it is not).

The next morning after we arrived we visited the Mittagong Saturday Markets, which are well worth a visit and then felt hungry despite sharing a yummy pistachio, rhubarb and almond croissant at the markets. We recalled a pleasant looking cafe on the main street of Mittagong called The Roses Cafe. Hungry and in need of some warmth (while face masks can keep your face warm, it was cold that morning) we wandered to the cafe where we were warmly welcomed and waited to order.

The Glasshouse Cafe, Civic, Canberra. May, 2020.

It may seem odd to do a restaurant review while the COVID19 pandemic continues, however some places in Canberra and NSW are now accepting dine in patrons.
At one time I visited The Glasshouse on a regular basis as I worked in a nearby building. It provided good coffee and had a well thought out and interesting menu. It has since changed hands and as we were nearby and hungry, Harper and I decided to eat our brunch there. There were a number of take away customers but we were the only ones eating there at the time.

Trev’s @ Dickson

It has been some time since a restaurant review was written for this blog. The main reason is how busy it has been and also the current fires, which are affecting a large area of Australia and the people and animals living here, have created a situation where the air quality is the worst in the world. Little incentive to eat out.

However, Harper persuaded me to try Trev’s as the reviews were very good and the magic words ‘Eggs Benedict’ were uttered. (Not that there is any form of obsession about this breakfast.)

Four Breakfasts: The Mill House Cafe, Queanbeyan

The Millhouse is a café in Queanbeyan, close to Riverside Plaza and it will be the last in the four breakfast’s series as Lindsay wishes to have a break from breaking our fast.

Three/Four Breakfasts:Via Dolce, Civic, Canberra

Via Dolce is on the corner of Garema Place and Bunda Street with many competing cafes nearby.  It offers breakfast, coffee, pizzas and gelato.

This is the third in our series of breakfasts and since we are enjoying them so much we may add a fourth.

Three Breakfasts: 4th Seed, Crawford Street, Queanbeyan.

4th Seed is a café in Queanbeyan which serves all day breakfast, lunch, cakes and coffee.
This is the second breakfast in the three breakfast month which of course isn’t in the same month because (insert reason here).

Three Breakfasts: Dobinsons, Bunda Street, Civic

Dobinson’s is best known for its pies and desserts.  However it also has a café, in Bunda Street, which does breakfast and lunch.

As we have done a three pubs in (a little over a month) we have now decided to do three breakfasts in a month.  Dobinsons is the first.