Where's The Best, These Sixteen Months?

It's been to a greater extent than than a twelvemonth since nosotros updated our Cutler & Co dessert menu.

Cooking-wise, it was approximately other twelvemonth of black pepper tofu was in all probability my favourite - together with held an Ottolenghi-themed feast alongside friends. Otherwise we've been heavily motivated past times the contents of our fortnightly veggie box. When nosotros instruct a cabbage we've been turning to okonomiyaki or white beans together with cabbage, together with when a pumpkin arrives nosotros plow to miso curry pumpkin, piquant pumpkin pie or herb-crumbed pumpkin wedges. 

Melbourne bloggers proceed to inspire us likewise - Steph at Nonya chicken, dan dan mian, chocolate cheezecake together with caramel slice (with a picayune aid from cauliflower together with caramelised onion tart, black glutinous rice together with tempeh bacon, piece palm saccharide fried tempeh has us shallow-frying regularly together with the surprise mint choc-chip icecream from coconut bacon past times local veg cafe Johanna GGG for the recipe.

Spicy Peruvian 'cheese' sauce, crepas de huitlacoche con salsa de chiles poblanos together with eggy quesadillas were our contribution to the Hispanic fever that's swept Melbourne's nutrient scene, piece nosotros branched out a picayune farther alongside these Brazilian carrot cakes. Cindy also tweaked a few onetime favourites to brand them vegan friendly, inventing her ain hugger-mugger blend of herbs together with spices for Kentucky fried tofu together with taking the eggs together with dairy out of French toast. The H2O ice cream maker didn't instruct quite equally much of a work-out equally inward years gone past times but this date, rum together with pecan H2O ice cream was a dessert highlight. 

We've continued to explore Melbourne's cafes, adding Cafe Lua, Wide Open Road, New Day Rising, L'atelier Monsieur Truffe, Milkwood, Grace, Elceed, Small Victories together with Brother Alec to our favourites. Two places we've loved for years wowed us alongside expanded options to a greater extent than of late - Mankoushe alongside their fantastic cafe together with Monk Bodhi Dharma alongside their Fri dinner menu. 

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 distich of classic mock-meat places disappeared (the EBC together with the Mercy Seat) but were to a greater extent than than adequately replaced past times South, Ren Dao together with Madame K. For pubby variety of food, we've dived into Brother Burger & the Marvellous Brew together with The Beaufort, piece Shanghai Street Dumpling was in all probability the best value house nosotros discovered this year. Middle Fish, Mad Raven Pizza Deluxe, Market Lane mushroom burgers together with Kaprica all practise okay on a dollar:deliciousness ratio equally well. At the other goal of the scale, nosotros had tremendous fancy meals at Movida Next Door together with Attica together with loved the mid-priced wonders beingness served upwards past times The Moor's Head, Mamasita, Chin Chin together with Easy Tiger.

Along alongside the distich mentioned above, nosotros lost Indya Bistro together with Robbies Stein from our favourites list, piece Circa, the Prince has been transformed completely since nosotros visited.

Somewhat surprisingly 2012 has been our to the lowest degree productive blogging twelvemonth - we'll goal upwards ane curt of 200 posts for the year. Twitter has taken upwards approximately of the slack, together with we're continually amazed past times the wonderful people we've met together with overstep friends alongside via the web. Here's to a big 2013!

Breakfast Thieves

May 17, 2014

We had Sabbatum morn plans inwards Fitzroy together with spent almost an threescore minutes weighing upwards the pros together with cons of diverse brunching options: Smith & Daughters, The Vegie Bar all opened likewise piece of cake for our purposes, Grace together with Industry Beans were carefully considered, but inwards the halt nosotros decided we'd ameliorate in conclusion become together with banking concern check out Breakfast Thieves. It's been on our radar at to the lowest degree since Cafe Vue served upwards weird coils of it to us a few years ago together with this didn't actually win me over to the crusade - I only honor the texture of it off putting I think. The fritters themselves were proficient - they reminded me a lot of St Ali's version (both autumn brusque of Lolo & Wren, sure Melbourne's best corn fritters) - together with the eggs were good cooked. The pickley salad made the whole dish sense of savor a teeny chip likewise vinegarry for me, but I'm actually only nit-picking. I intend my principal upshot was that this dish sort of tipped me over the fancy breakfast edge. It's fourth dimension for a supply to messy splodges of avo, chunky mushrooms together with a pile of beans - I've had my create amount of these slightly fussy high halt brekkies.

I experience similar I'm beingness a chip unfair to Breakfast Thieves here. They produce what they produce real well, it only didn't quite represent upwards to what either of us were feeling like. The java was excellent, the service friendly together with the vibe of the house quite pleasant (although getting busy past times 9:30 or together with so when nosotros left) - it's definitely worth a await if you're an egg fan together with you're afterwards something a chip fancy to instruct the 24-hour interval started.

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There's no shortage of positive weblog write-ups close Breakfast Thieves - Food, booze, shoes, Fitzroy Commonwealth of Australia Dog Blog, Yellow Eggs, Just Keep Eating, The Bake-a-nista, Petit Miamx, GOOD FOOD GOOD MOOD, Mr & Ms, The Hungry Excavator, Windy. Is. Wigun, Samson Girl, Melbourne Delicatesses, my diet "starts" tomorrow, Eat. Play. Shop., Melbourne Din(n)ing Blog, Rumbly inwards my Tumbly, I'm together with so hungree, J & J's Food Adventures, chillipadi's kitchen, new international students, Golden Delicious Smile, Let's Get Fat Together, A Miniature Take on Food, Thanks for the smile, Gourmet Chick, melbourne's guinea pig, Little Miss Peckish, Food, Fitness & Foucault, Peekashu together with Breakfast of Champions were a chip less enthusiastic.

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Breakfast Thieves
420 Gore Street, Fitzroy
9416 4884 
menu: 1, 2, 3
http://www.breakfastthieves.com.au/

Accessibility: Breakfast Thieves has a apartment entryway together with a reasonably spacious interior. You monastic state at the tabular array together with pay at a depression counter. The privy is fully accessible (although the topographic point is a chip rickety).  

The Rootage Restaurant

January 19, 2012

Visiting MONA was move past times priority for our Hobart trip; nosotros took the ferry over on our get-go total twenty-four hr menstruum inwards the city. I'd heard many favourable things almost this privately owned fine art gallery together with its intriguing origins, but null came unopen to preparing me for it. MONA is astounding. Like nowhere I've e'er been. Like null I imagined could actually exist. Like Willy Wonka built a contemporary fine art museum, staffed it amongst arts students inwards dark T-shirts together with started selling golden tickets to anyone together with everyone for $20 apiece. I loved it.

The MONA grounds include a cafe, a vino bar, a brewery together with a fancy restaurant, The Source. We were high on holidays together with figured we'd orbit The Source a go, stopping past times at 10am to reserve a lunchtime table. When nosotros mentioned that we're vegetarian, nosotros were told frankly but politely that the menu's non actually designed for us. Nevertheless, the waiter confidently rattled off what nosotros mightiness last able to eat, made an extra complaint on the reservation listing together with promised to notify the chef that we'd last coming.

The repast started good - their warm sage together with rosemary rolls were spectacular. I can't yell upwards e'er enjoying breadstuff more!

As an entrée, nosotros were offered an onion veloute from the dinner carte du jour ($19) - a small, satiny serve of liquified sweetness caramelised onions.

Our instant entrée of peas, grapefruit, ginger together with mint ($21) appears on the measure tiffin menu. I liked the flavor combination - together with the butter pooling at the bottom of the bowl! - but the peas were over-abundant together with over-cooked for my taste.

As a main, the chef made a nicoise-style salad of vegetables ($30) off menu. The arrive at was lovely, cooked delicately, together with served amongst to a greater extent than butter.

As a instant main, nosotros ordered an upsized version of their rhubarb, beetroot, goat's cheese whey side ($12). Though I've never eaten them together before, the crimson sweet'n'sour combination of beetroot together with rhubarb was excellent. The whey didn't brand much impact.

After all those vegetables, I was upwards for dessert. Michael together with I negotiated 2 dishes to share, together with and then when our waiter described their electrical flow particular dessert ($17), built some fresh raspberries, I spontaneously tossed ane of them aside.

I'm glad I did, because this was particular indeed. The plate featured iii orangish marshmallows: dense, fragrant together with non at all gelatinous, interspersed amongst a mousse-like chocolate ganache together with pools of pistachio. The fresh raspberries some the border were dunked inwards their ain coulis, together with it was all sprinkled amongst freeze-dried raspberries together with popular rocks. Everything worked, inwards any combination that I collected them on my spoon. The portion was rattling generous together with could happily last shared betwixt 2 generous people.

We didn't detect ourselves regretting the instant dessert, though! The java floating isle amongst lemongrass anglaise together with bitter chocolate ($15) didn't await equally impressive, soundless was. The flavor pairing of java together with lemongrass was exquisite - completely counter-intuitive, perfectly balanced, together with surprisingly refreshing on a summertime day.

There is much to marvel at at MONA, non to the lowest degree the desserts at The Source! The staff addressed our dietary requirements amongst proficient grace (prior notice together with a reservation no dubiousness helps) but non the same score of inventiveness that nosotros saw inwards those concluding 2 plates. If nosotros e'er larn inwards dorsum (rest assured, I'm already pitching a Jan 2013 trip to Michael), I'll last tempted to pack sandwiches, together with then sneak into The Source for sweets.

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The Source has received favourable reviews on blogs Grimoire together with The Foodologist.

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The Source Restaurant
655 Main Road, Berriedale, Hobart
(03) 6277 9904
veg courses $12-30
http://mona.net.au/mona/restaurant/source.aspx

Accessibility: The Source is located ane flooring higher upwards the world score together with is accessible past times a broad staircase; I believe at that spot is also a elevator available. Tables are generously spaced across the flooring together with at that spot is total tabular array service. Toilets are spacious together with located on the same level.

Toronto 24-Hour Interval 5

April 25, 2012

Midweek was to a greater extent than or less other one-half day, giving me to a greater extent than or less other 2 complimentary meals. I was inwards the mood for a trendy Melbourne-style cafe repast for breakfast. H5N1 lot of places inwards Toronto appear to alone produce brunch, important either they're alone opened upward pre-lunch on the weekends or they don't actually larn started until eleven or so. The breakfast-focussed places that are opened upward early on appear to live on largely diner-style places that materials you lot total of eggs as well as potatoes, as well as then it wasn't equally slow equally I'd hoped. Still, after a flake of spider web research, I decided to endeavour out Saving Grace - it was close the identify I had to become later for work, had excellent reviews, drew long weekend queues, as well as seemed to offering to a greater extent than or less master copy brekkie dishes.

The fit-out is rattling familiar - Saving Grace wouldn't expect out of identify at all inwards Collingwood or Brunswick. And, similar cafes inwards those suburbs that describe large weekend crowds, Saving Grace is slow to larn a tabular array at on a run day. I turned upward close 9am as well as at that spot was alone ane other occupied tabular array - past times 10:30 or as well as then when I headed off things had got a flake to a greater extent than lively equally the local hipster population started to rouse themselves.

I agonised over the bill of fare for a piece - the polenta/caramelised apple/walnuts/maple syrup combo sounded pretty wonderful, equally did the rajistani eggs (scrambled amongst spicy ruby-red onion, chickpea masala as well as spicy paratha). Unable to guide betwixt sweetness as well as savoury, I settled on something sort of inwards the middle - savoury French toast (stuffed amongst gruyere, caramelised apples as well as ruby-red onions amongst greens, $9.75). Vegans beware - there's non much on offering for you lot here.

The side salad was a flake of an strange jibe amongst the French toast - something wilted would guide maintain worked amend than only a right away lettuce pile. The toast all the same hitting the spot perfectly - the apple tree as well as onion were both soft as well as sweetly caramelised, piece the gruyere added a rich savoury layer without existence overwhelmingly strong. 

I was inwards no urgent rush to larn to my run rendezvous, as well as then I was happy to only sit, potable java as well as read. I fifty-fifty decided to live on brave as well as club a latte seeing equally I was somewhere that did such practiced food. It was a mistake.

This was at to the lowest degree 50% foam, had chocolate sprinkles on hand as well as tasted of nix much except milk. Very disappointing. Luckily, the nearby Ezra's Pound does proper java as well as does it good - I grabbed a takeaway latte at that spot as well as wandered off happy.

The residuum of the twenty-four hr menses was work-related, including a pretty decent (and ridiculously large) felafel plate luncheon at Free Times Cafe. After giving what sure as shooting must live on my final PhD-related seminar at CAMH, I had a few spare hours to kill earlier dinner fourth dimension as well as decided to pass them at the Art Gallery of Ontario. It's had to a greater extent than or less stunning Frank Gehry-designed renovations since nosotros visited inwards 2004 as well as is a beautiful infinite to only wander through. Their Canadian collection is very, rattling impressive - there's almost a whole flooring of the Group of Seven, addition peachy (temporary?) exhibitions of Jack Chambers as well as David Milne's work. Lots to enjoy.

Next stop: dinner! I was inwards the mood for vegan junk-food, as well as then I jumped on the Subway upward to Bloor Street West to banking concern check out The Gasometer. It's run past times the Hot Beans people as well as is to a greater extent than eating seat than pub - they produce a flake of take-away, but their principal draw of piece of job organization is feeding the hordes of comfort-food hungry vegans who fill upward their tables.

I snuck the final complimentary tabular array inwards the identify as well as settled inwards amongst the menu. Unfortunately, I'm sort of an idiot - after scanning the half dozen starters, iii salads, iii sandwich/burgers as well as the specials board I made my choices as well as ordered. It was alone when I heard the adjacent tabular array talking close tempeh ribs that I realised the bill of fare was double-sided! I'd missed out on 12 options, including po' boys, chicken as well as waffles, fish as well as chips, the aforementioned ribs as well as something called a Southern combo.Ah well, to a greater extent than or less other identify to revisit on to a greater extent than or less hereafter visit.

Even amongst only the front-page of the bill of fare I struggled to brand decisions. The tofu-based buffalo wings sounded delicious, but I figured I actually needed to sample poutine piece I was inwards Canada. The vegan poutine (fries amongst Daiya cheddar as well as house-made mushroom gravy, $7) was a delicious mushy mess.

The Daiya cheese managed a reasonable simulacrum of melted cheddar as well as the mushroom gravy had a rich, deep flavour. The alone slight disappointment was the fries - those that were cooked good were great, but quite a few of them were a flake underdone, which was a shame.

For my principal repast I decided to run into how their Reuben (house-made seitan, sauerkraut, mayo as well as sprouts on pumpernickel rye, $11) measured up. I almost doubled downwards as well as had fries on the side, but decided I should endeavour their sauteed garlic collared greens instead.

The greens were okay, but I wanted a much stronger garlic flavour. As it was they didn't gustation similar much at all. Luckily, the sandwich brought the flavour. The slices of seitan were seasoned upward nicely, as well as the sauerkraut as well as mayo were a peachy condiment combo. It was a tidier version than that offered up locally, as well as in all likelihood fifty-fifty a fiddling amend - it was all close the seitan-based pastrami, which actually was excellent.

So my Hogtown Vegan experience was a flake mixed. I recollect it's a identify amongst a lot of potential - the bill of fare is peachy (especially if you lot read it all!) as well as I tin imagine heading dorsum fourth dimension as well as ane time to a greater extent than to endeavour everything if I was a local. As it was, I in all likelihood made to a greater extent than or less ordering mistakes (next time: Buffalo wings followed past times mushroom po' boy) as well as left feeling a tad disappointed. Although the disappointment was tempered past times the takeaway dessert I took amongst me!

I was likewise total to confront to dessert right away away, but figured I couldn't larn out Toronto without at to the lowest degree trying something sweet. So I grabbed a fried apple tree pie amongst soy H2O ice cream ($8.50) to wander dwelling menage with.

The ice-cream suffered a flake over the trip home, but the apple tree pie was soundless fantastic - wonderful vegan pastry stuffed amongst sweetness as well as spicy apple tree mush. Not bad at all.

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Saving Grace is ane of Toronto's best-reviewed brekkie places. Michele Wong, Drawn as well as Devoured, dancing through life, Amanda Factor, The Tofu Princess, Vegan Victuals, Candy Penny.

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Saving Grace

907 Dundas Street West, Little Italy

416 703 7368

Vegie  breakfasts $6 - $9.75 (plus revenue enhancement as well as tips)

Hogtown Vegan

834 Bloor Street West (near Ossington)

416 901 9779

Starters $7 - $9, Mains $11 - $12 (plus revenue enhancement as well as tips)

Accessibility: Saving Grace is rattling accessible amongst a apartment entryway as well as a pretty spacious interior. Hogtown Vegan has a small-scale stair equally you lot come upward up to the doorway but is also reasonably spread out inside. Ordering as well as payment is at the tabular array inwards both places. I didn't see the toilets inwards either.