Melbourne Patron

(As seen in GRAM magazine) 25 March 2014 saw the opening of Proud Mary owner Nolan Hirte's second venture, this time on Brunswick Street:  Stagger Lee's . Not quite open for two weeks yet, this place is already ridiculously busy, and has had the gossip mills churning for months - so it already has a lot to live up to. Its location, 276 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy (corner of Victoria Street, a hop-skip-and-jump south of the prominent Johnston Street intersection), has already won half the battle for the venture. Guaranteed foot traffic, some outdoor seating, a nice amount of natural light, proximity to all the action of Brunswick Street, and a window bench for people-watching ensure the place is set for the levels of popularity everyone expects it to enjoy. Although there are many cafes to choose from along Brunswick Street, most are overpriced and lacklustre in standards, catering more for the shopping lunch crowd or afternoon-latte-sipping hipsters. Not many do a rip...

Top Paddock ? A new cafe in Richmond? Pfft, I'm not going there. Richmond doesn't have quality cafes that actually last. Plus, Richmond is a huuuuuge suburb. I'm a PT kind-of-a-gal. Tell me EXACTLY where it is, then maybe I'll check it out. What? 658 Church Street, near the river? Just down the road from my work?! No WAYYYYYYY! Okay. I'll probably get there one day. A venue for a belated birthday lunch, with my weekly lunch date? ...Why the hell not!? Geez. That was easy to find. And this place is huge. And schmick. I don't think I've ever seen so much cool designer lighting. Are they recycled crystal vases with lightbulbs inside, casting different geometric patterns on the wall? White coffee machine. White marble benchtop. Bar stools. Long communal table. Small private nooks. Clean. Airy. You have HOW MANY different coffee blends? I'm in love. Okay. What are you having to eat? One steak sandwich, please, ...

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...

In Melbourne's coffee scene, there are two venues that come up a LOT (plus many, many more - this being Melbourne and all): Proud Mary , which I am privileged to live near, and St Ali, which until recently, meant a trip south of the river. It was therefore very exciting to hear that St Ali recently decided to bank on its good name and open a second venue in North Carlton, aptly named St Ali North (815 Nicholson Street). Bike parking It's easy to find - Velo Cycles sits on the Park Street bike path, just where it crosses Nicholson Street, and St Ali North is behind the bike shop. I imagine all those serious northside cyclists are a huge untapped market - and the northside locals will bolster the success of St Ali North. After our large Saturday night drinking sesh at Ferdydurke , my housemate and I dragged my hungover sister and her friend out for a recovery breakfast. We got a park right outside (despite this being the busiest I've ever seen Park Street - the...