Small Axe Kitchen

I’m travel sick at the moment. Terribly, terribly travel sick. I’ve done a number of small trips this year, more than I’ve done previously (I think) and normally I come back refreshed and happy. But not this year. I just come back longing to have another trip coming up the following week, and perusing the internet for more travel sale deals. 

I actually need to have another full holiday to plan. 

But in the mean time, I’ll do with breakfast pasta at Small Axe Kitchen and pretend I’m in Sicily - just for a little bit. 

Recently opened on Victoria Street in Brunswick, Small Axe Kitchen is a bright and inviting space, and as mentioned, inspired by the colours and flavours of Sicily. From Italian cook books on the shelves, to Italian mints for sale next to the iPad cashier, to a menu which has almost nothing I’ve ever tried before (and that’s fantastic). The Italian references aren’t in your face, a little more subtle upon first glance, but when once I noticed them, I found it simply adorable, quaint and a little homely. 

Service is with a smile from absolutely everyone in store, and why not? It’s a sunny Sunday on a long weekend, tick tick. 

Coffee is from Code Black Coffee Roasters - and as we’re wandering down Sydney Road after brunch (to satiate my need to op shop), Brad brings up (without prompting) that the coffee was good. He doesn’t often do that. 

Chai is smooth, sweet but still with a good bit of tea flavour in there. 

As mentioned, I love the menu, as it mostly has non-traditional breakfast items, but that all read as delicious breakfast options - with Italian flavour. From a fried scamorza sandwich with green tomatoes, to Sicilian meat balls, to soft polenta with broad beans, peas and nettle. I’m normally stuck between 2 options, at Small Axe Kitchen I’m trying to narrow it down from four. 

I instruct (or perhaps I dictated…) Brad to get the breakfast pasta with maccaruni, guanciale, peas, mint, salted ricotta and a slow cooked egg. It’s just beautiful, hearty and wholesome, but somewhat surprisingly to me not overly rich. Perhaps just my bad perception that deliciousness equates to be drowned in cheese, but this balanced proposition is a fantastic start to the day. Especially if you need to be filled up like Brad does. I loved the long rolled pasta, which were perfectly al dente - great body. The gooey egg yolk in the middle was just perfection as well. 

Although I initially thought I’d go after the smoked eggplant or charred octopus (especially after seeing it on Instagram - so pretty), when I realised there was polenta crusted sardines, on organic toast, smoked olive tapenade, golden currants and pinenuts, my decision was swayed. 

I love sardines, and these meaty little morsels are gorgeously golden on the outside and well seasoned. I go gaga over the smoked olive tapenade, the richness accented by the sweet currants. At first I worry there’s too much of my gluten free toast, and not enough sardines to go, but I quickly realise that the sardines are stacked high, and I don’t need to worry about that. Definitely very happy. 

As Brad heads out to the street to look for an ATM (at the time Small Axe Kitchen was cash only), I eye off the sweet display - which are supplied by Fatto e Mano, and quickly devour an almond biscotti. All I would have been missing is an espresso - if I drank coffee anyway. 

Basically, I loved Small Axe Kitchen. As the weather gets warmer, the outdoor seating area is going to be so good and well used (loads of outdoor seats, and plenty of space for all the doggies) and I want to come back to try everything. They’ll also be starting ‘Family Dinners’ soon - there was a sign up list in store, and all six A4 pages I flipped through trying to find a space to put my name on was full! Good signs guys, good signs. 

Small Axe Kitchen

281 Victoria Street

Brunswick 3056

 

Two Little Pigs

On a cool, but comfortable Sunday morning, 3 little piggies and their partners went out for brunch. Jo had organised a brunch catch up for herself, Bryan and I, and our partners at Two Little Pigs in Brunswick. 

For whatever reason Two Little Pigs had been completely off my brunch radar, perhaps because it's in the north and I tend not to pay attention to that side of town because I'm dreadfully lazy, but once Jo brought it up, and I had checked out the menu that was on offer, I couldn't wait for the weekend to roll around!

As the name might suggest, the cafe is mad for pork, with sausages and cured meats hanging across the room as you walk in. 

I was initially worried as we walked by that there would be no space for an impromptu table of six, but fortunately there's a relatively spacious courtyard with bigger dining tables, and some darned strong heaters, which I made sure to curl up next to…Brad can deal with the cold…right?

Coffees and hot drinks came in cheerful yellow crockery, coffees looked smooth and my chai was hearty and rich. 

The upside to doing brunch with six people, even if it can be a bit hit and miss in regards to finding a table, is being able to see and try lots and lots of dishes. 

The tall white boys of the table needed their fill, and opted for the 'Two Little Pigs', which really wasn't all that little! A giant plate of free range eggs, thick cut bacon, house made sausage, duck fat mushrooms, spinach, mashed potatoes and apple chutney, the plate must have been double the size of my face! With bleedy poached eggs, the boys chowed down their their plates, Brad completely finishing the lot with a satisfied lick of his lips. I assume all good.

Jo and Bryan's partner, Fatbee (as he's called), went for 'Pea's & Ham', a serve of crisp roasted pork belly, with poached free range eggs, green pea veloute and some sourdough toast. 

What a stunner this was! In aroma, in colour, and in the audible crunch that conjured food envy with each bite. I loved that the guys at Two Little Pigs weren't afraid to push the boundaries for 'breakfast' and really dish up something really interesting, and maybe a touch rich, but that's what the fresh pea veloute is there for. 

Bryan opted for a lunch dish, the pork belly waldorf sitting on the fence between healthy and decadent, with roast pork belly, celery, royal gala and granny smith apples, walnuts, egg yolk mayo and preserved lemon. The pork belly looked fantastic, and although the 'salad' looked relatively simple, it was insanely delicious. The yolk mayo really adding a delightfully rich edge to the freshness. 

And what did I order? Uh well, one of the few dishes without pork. What's wrong with me? Who knows. But goodness, I still left happy. My 'Bubble & Squeak' with poached eggs sitting on a chickpea fritter of braised beef, caramelised onion, truffle oil and corn kernels was comforting, with creamy fritters and the strong aroma of truffle tapping you on the nose. Delightful, and not overly heavy. 

I had recently read that if you have low blood pressure (mine's relatively on the low side), that eating salt tends to help, so when I saw the duck fat fries…well Bryan was an enthusiastic supporter and with six people to share the load, it was even more difficult to resist!

They weren't as crunchy as I was hoping they might be, but they had that moreish flavour, with a wee bit of parmesan shaved over the top, that meant Bryan and I couldn't stop picking at it!

To wrap up, we got brunch dessert (again, six people, sharing the load, good times!) which was one of the specials of the day; Nutella doughcakes with strawberry butterscotch ice cream. They were so fluffy, and as the name suggests, are made up of quite a lot of dough. I definitely could have gone for more nutella inside, but overall, still very tasty and something different to your average pancake. 

From not knowing anything about Two Little Pigs, I left absolutely besotted with it. I love a menu where every item on it has me excited, as there's so many different things on it that I haven't seen before. But more than that, it's beautifully presented and deliciously executed as well. I'm intrigued by the charcuterie, and although I don't think I could make the commitment to have it for breakfast, I do hope to meander down for a late lunch to give it a go sometime. 

Two Little Pigs

146 Sydney Road

Brunswick 3056

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Albert Street Food and Wine

This is a story of two girls. They met on twitter after one of them posted a blog post about the other's work place. They chatted now and again on the microblogging platform. They also decided they should eventually get a meal together.

After a couple of misplaced eating dates, one trip out eventually pushed through. At Albert Street Food and Wine. There they met, ate, drunk and chatted until they were the last to leave the restaurant, when the clamour and buzz had died down and the windows were dark.

Albert Street really ended up being the perfect spot for them to meet. It was bright with the sunny evenings Melbourne has been having, clean without being too slick and just very comfortable to be in. The crowd was lively and cheery chatty could be heard all evening.

The girl that blogged food (and had a camera) loves yellow. So Albert Street wooed her aesthetically with it's cheery pops of sunshine.

The two of them took forever to order. The poor waitresses must have returned to the table, many, many times, until they actually opened up the wine list. Although they ended up talking to the waitress anyway and asking for recommendations, who was quite knowledgable and more than happy to oblige.

Bread arrived, nice and cosy in a bit of brown paper with a basil oil butter. A slightly different twist to the usual.

Whilst cheese came up in conversation, it seemed much more appropriate to start with the charcuterie plate, the small one of course. So that we could eat even more later!

With a rustic air, on it's cute little wooden board, the selection looked like a treat. This particular night the girls nibbled on pistachio salami (the addition of nuts was marvelled at), bresaola with a gentle hint of spice and spicy salami that made one of the girls exclaim: Face is burning! Oh and a couple of ribbons of cured pork cheek which were lusciously fatty and terrible.

A recommendation to try the Baccala with 'green goddess' (a mix of capers, asparagus, artichoke and olives) and grilled bread had been made and accepted. 'Baccalà' means salt cod in Venetian. And well, salty the baccala was! But not overwhelming so, it was really quite tasty, but both the girls felt there wasn't enough bread for the amount of Baccala served!

Everyone who had visited Albert St, prior to the girls visiting, seem to rave on about the heirloom carrot soup, vin santo, scallops. Carrot soup? What could be so fascinating? The girls ordered one portion which was kindly split into two bowls, which was just as well. It was still a lot of soup!

The vivid hue was warm and charming and the flavour, godsend. Mmm's and aah's filled the space. It was delightfully sweet, with little hidden bits of perfectly cooked scallop. Light, yet creamy, the soup was perfect.

They couldn't resist the squid ink risotto, with cuttle. Although it came looking a bit heavy and oily, it was surprisingly light and absolutely delicious. The rice was al dente and it was quite an interesting twist to the typical Italian-mama risotto. It was clear the mediterranean influence was here. The cuttle added a smooth and contrasting texture to the al dente rice grains.

The last main, beef tri tip with anchovy caper butter, looked a treat. A delightfully rosy shade on the inside, the meat was very tasty, although the anchovy caper butter really gave it a good kick of salt. At this point, sides might not have been a bad idea earlier, but they stuck to it and finished it all anyway. It would be a shame to waste the beef!

A brief interlude with peppermint tea to aid the digestion. The girls had talked food, cooking classes in Italy, photography, tennis and family. Yet they were still not finished, and they called over for the dessert menu.

After such a feast you would think they would be full, but no. Both girls professed a love for the sugar, the sweet, the sinful to your teeth. They ordered two. Two whole desserts!

The menu had been changed quite recently since opening, as one girl (with the camera) was looking forward to trying out the truffle pannacotta, to find that it had been replaced by a pistachio pannacotta.

Such as it was, she instead decided to order 'Coeur a la creme' with apricots and golden raspberries. With a single rosemary leaf on it, not to be eaten, but to infuse flavour into the mix of yoghurt, cream cheese and…well, cream. It was the perfect note to end the night on. Light and airy, the tang of yoghurt, and sweetness being added by the fruit. She may have had multiple cravings for this dessert since.

The other girl (the one without the camera), loves cooked peaches and chose the amaretti semifreddo with a roasted peach. Beautiful. The peach was perfect and not too sweet and the semifreddo really fulfilled that need for something ice-creamy. A great combination of flavours.

As they licked the last bit of sweetness off their spoons, the waitress came by to clear their plates, commenting that they really got the best of the menu that night!

Albert St had provided the girls with somewhere smart, yet very enjoyable to be in. It was the perfect dining atmosphere, the food was creative and delicious, service was always delivered with a smile and although there was slight disappointment at no 'snickers' dessert being available....this time.

Since the visit, there have been dreams of the 'Coeur a la creme' and temptations of random dessert runs just to have it....

Albert Street Food and Wine

382 Sydney Rd
Brunswick, VIC 3056

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