Melbourne Patron

(As seen in GRAM magazine) Now officially THE CLOSEST cafe to my house, I am delighted to announce that new Collingwood addition, Lemon, Middle and Orange (25-31 Rokeby Street, Collingwood) does a decent dose of caffeine.  Secondarily, it is a few doors from my local watering hole, the Prince Patrick Hotel  (135 Victoria Parade, Collingwood) -- so now I can trot directly from brunch to the pub. Score!  Kidding. (Sort of.) Of course LM&O (or "the citrus place", as my housemate and I have taken to calling it) has benefits other than its proximity to the pub.  For instance: the decor. Originally an old paint factory, LM&O's premises were dolled up by upstairs neighbours John Wardle Architects , next-door neighbours Spacecraft Studio , and branding-crew-to-the-hip-and-delicious, Projects of Imagination . It's all pared-back blank surfaces of concrete, stainless steel, brick and loads of timber joinery -- with touches of yellow and brig...

I can do nothing but rave about Proud Mary (172 Oxford Street, Collingwood). I visited the renowned coffee-makers and cafe for the first time in August last year, when my sister was in town. I'd heard rumours that it was so popular, it was likely we'd have to wait for a table, so we tried our luck on a Friday morning instead of the weekend and managed to get a decent table fairly quickly. I remember being impressed by the single origin coffees on offer, and eating a delicious mushroom and polenta dish. I think my sister had some kind of pancakes or sweet dish that came with a bitter citrus sauce. (The menu has changed since then.) At that point, I wasn't blogging... so here is my belated enthusiastic amateur review! I've been back for coffee once or twice, but this was my second time for brunch. A friend and I had decided to arrive early to beat the Saturday morning crowds. (Proud Mary is conveniently/annoyingly located a stone's throw from Smith Street, on...