Wide Open Spaces

Yesterday I returned home after a long trip overseas, and wanted more than anything to enjoy a good cup of coffee. Melbourne is a fickle city when it comes to coffee, the preferences of the urban mob leaning towards the super hot variety which turns milk into water and destroys the subtle textures of a creamy latte. It is a select population of this community who recognise the finer aspects of coffee and elect the velvety smooth option.

So I headed to the one place in Yarraville I knew was capable of a latte "with the milk not too hot". It was rather late for lunch though, nearly 2:30pm and I was concerned the establishment may already be shutting down. It was not. I was greeted at the door by an eager young man who took delight in suggesting I sit anywhere I like, and then took exception when I said the window would be fine. He explained to me that the window seats are reserved for larger groups. I checked my watch again, it was well past the lunch hour. I checked the cafe as well, there was not a single customer to be seen. The young lad must have picked up on my furrowed brow and he re-stated their policy.

It seems to me that if you have absolutely no customers, and it's well after lunch on a Tuesday, that one of the five larger tables could be made available to accomodate a cup of coffee. I thought about the other smaller tables to the darker side of the cafe - but I had my reading material to peruse and thought better of sharing my elbow with the redundant supply of cutlery and crockery already positioned on the oh so little tables. And I left.

Heading back down Anderson St I passed the inviting little new comer called "Try This". And I did. I requested my latte "with the milk not too hot" and enjoyed a very very fine cup of coffee indeed. I followed my pleasure with a brief conversation, and was pleased to learn that this was a cafe that recognised the difference between velvet and water. The young girl who brewed my java today expressed an equal confusion over the predelictions of urban coffee consumers, and said she understood immediately what I wanted.

I shall return to enjoy the coffee, and the window seat, more often.

Ten Minute Patties

I planned my run to the shops diligently. Call ahead with the order, they said 10 minutes.

It never is, but you don't want to risk it. Soppy sauce soaked into a sour dough bun is to be avoided and hot chips have infinitely less flavour once they hit room temperature. 'tepid' chips doesnt have much of a ring to it.

A quick dash to the IGA and we're all stocked up with fizzy drink and chocolate biscuits. How else does one spend a friday night? I am just in time for my 10 minute deadline and ready to head home.

Tragedy strikes - hamburgers are not ready. How can that be? We ordered ahead. 15 minutes later we have food. That's a total of 25 minutes. When asked why it took so long it was explained to me that lots of orders came in after ours. A short discussion about the logic of queue systems failed to impress upon the hamburger seller the inadequacy of her response. If it takes four staff over 25 minutes to prepare a fast-food order it is my guess that BurgerEdge will soon plummet over the precipice.

Smooth Coffee and Tea Leaves

Fact...Melbourne is rampant with coffee that is too hot and tea that is palid and tasteless. Yarraville is no exception, but is not a lost cause. Fidamas will do you a 'sloppy latte' upon request, that is a latte with the milk not too hot. Some coffee drinkers recognise that milk should never be the temperature of tea, rather it must stay creamy and rich and hence demands a lower temperature. Fidamas will also give you tea leaves, not a bag. It's a simple pleasure, but one wirth adhering to where flavour is concerned. If you had been to a tea factory you would understand why loose leaf tea is so much better.