Cockadoodle Cafe & Espresso Bar, Red Hill

Located at the start of Enoggera Terrace a few doors down from Botanica, you will find a quirky and cheerful looking establishment called Cockadoodle Cafe and Espresso Bar. In the area to collect some takeaway salads and with grumbling stomachs, my friend and I decided to stop in with little A in tow for an impromptu brunch.

Finding a nice shady table was easy enough for what is normally a busy time for such cafes on weekends, and pram access was also good. Although we didn't need one, we were offered a high chair which was nice, so I think this is a child friendly venue.

The feel of this place is quite laid-back and I loved the splashes of red in the tableware and décor.. my favourite colour! :)

With an all-day breakfast menu boasting 15 items, plus breakfast specials, there really is something for everyone here. First up though we ordered coffees. They were nice and strong, but a little on the bitter side unfortunately. Next time I think I'll order something from the extensive list of nice teas on offer.

Onto the food... I opted for the Haloumi & Mushrooms on Sourdough ($15.80), while my dining partner opted for the French Toast with Berry Compote and maple syrup (15.80). The French Toast was lovely, although would have been better had it been left to soak up more of the mixture before being put in the pan. The accompanying compote was delicious and not too sweet.

I really enjoyed my mushrooms and haloumi. The flavour was great and the splash of quality balsamic vinegar to finish the dish was perfect.

All in all a nice spot for a weekend breakfast!
xx

Cockadoodle Cafe & Espresso Bar
5 Enogerra Terrace, Red Hill
Ph: (07) 3369 0610

Reuben Hills, Surry Hills

It's cold and miserable in Sydney at the moment... the sort of weather the sniffles set in and all you want to do is crawl into your doonah cave and hibernate, only to emerge for necessities... or cosy breakfasts and nice coffee.

I've been a little under the weather of late and trying to get back to good health but it is taking time. Part of the problem is I don't really have time to stop and rest and recuperate, but I think any mother in the world doing things without much family support knows what that is like!

Anyway, between short sleeps, looking after my baby and working on my business, I recently headed to Surry Hills for breakfast with Mr Ladybird. This cafe has been the talk of Sydney recently as it was voted Best Cafe by The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Cafe Guide 2012. So, ignoring the imminent parking headache, we headed to Surry Hills to check it out for ourselves.

The cafe's look and feel is quite industrial, and the open kitchen is so small - I was amazed! Make's me think that I have no right to complain about my small apartment-sized kitchen!

The menu is South American inspired with lots of unusual breakfast options, such dishes with salted caramel ice cream, quinoa, dulce de leche, tortillas..! Check out the menu here and you'll see what I mean. And the only thing I need to tell you about the coffee is that it's good, very good...

And our breakfast for the morning... Soft baked eggs with goat's curd, wilted spinach, ranchero sauce and rye sourdough ($16).

For me, it was the Baleada - free range eggs, queso fresco and black beans ($11). The picture doesn't really do it justice, but the flavour really packed a punch - yummm!

Quick service and definitely a different menu to go with excellent coffee. Not my personal pick for best cafe, but good to check out!

Reuben Hills
61 Albion St
Surry Hills NSW
www.reubenhills.com.au

Café Zoe, Surry Hills

Now that baby Roman is nearing 6 months of age, he is able to stay awake for a few hours rather happily, making outings such as going out for brunch a lot easier. It's no secret that Mr Ladybird and I do love going out for breakfasts on the weekend, and we are absolutely loving being able to do this once again!

It might not be the leisurely sips on coffee and leafing through newspapers and magazines like it used to be.. nowadays it's sips of coffee and intermittent mouthfuls of food between Mr L bouncing Roman on his knee, and me keeping an eye on what he's trying to ram into his mouth next and managing the now constant flow of drool from his little mouth! He is a very good baby though, and having a little cutie like him in tow does have some unexpected benefits. For example, I have visited the same fruit and veg store for years, and never once received a smile from the cashier until I came shopping with Roman in the pram, smiling up at her like a little angel. Suddenly her face lit up - magic! Oh yes, he's very charming with the ladies... quite the lil' Casanova! In cafes, he always manages to charm the ladies at neighbouring tables. When visiting Café Zoe recently, in fact, he was so charming that the lady at the table next to us couldn't resist the force of Roman's cuteness and asked for a little cuddle. I was happy to oblige, and Roman proceeded to chat her up while Mr L and I enjoyed a few minutes to ourselves.

Café Zoe is one of my favourite spots for breakfast. There is ample seating and you don't have to book, service is friendly, and the food and coffee are good. It is open Saturday and Sundays, and there is a separate Sunday brunch menu.. so technically you could go there two days in a row and enjoy two different menus ;) Plus parking in the area isn't too bad (for Surry Hills I mean!) Mr L and I headed there recently for a nice weekend brekky where we started with coffees of course...

I enjoyed the corn fritters with toast, salsa, scrambled eggs and a side of wilted spinach. The eggs were delicious, as was the spinach. The corn fritters were nice, but a little more corn in them would have been good.

Mr L enjoyed eggs on toast with two sides - sautéed mushrooms, as well as some seriously tasty spicy beans - I'd give a limb for that recipe... sooo good!

Now, in all my juggling of baby, nappy bag, camera and goodness knows what else I lost the receipt for our meal at Café Zoe so I can't tell you the exact prices of our meals. However, I can say that you can expect to pay around $15 - $20 for breakfasts here. Sides are $3 each, so any extras can make it a little more expensive. But all in all, pretty good value as the quality of their food and coffee is consistently high.


Til next time! xxx


Café Zoe
688 Bourke St, Surry Hills
(02) 8399 0940

Café Morso, Pyrmont

With a baby now only weeks away in the Ladybird household, I increasingly find myself contemplating my soon-to-be life as a mother. I find myself thinking about activities and favourite past times that will soon be a little more difficult to fit in whilst juggling life with a newborn bundle of joy.. One of these things would have to be the pleasure found in spontaneously going out for brunch on weekends after a lovely sleep-in. Of course, I am immensely looking forward to the changes my life will soon bring, and I simply cannot wait to meet our little one.. But as my belly grows and my due date comes closer and closer, I am keen to enjoy squeeze in as much of these simple pleasures as I can!

With this in mind, Mr Ladybird recently took me out for a lovely surprise breakfast at Café Morso in Pyrmont. The cafe is located at the beautiful Jones Bay Wharf overlooking the harbour, close by to iconic Sydney restaurants such as The Flying Fish and Doltone House. Cafe Morso also happens to be quite the high achiever, with swagful of awards to its name, including Best Breakfast Restaurant in 2009 and 2010.

And when you see the menu, you start to get an idea of what the fuss is about.. I am tempted by the french toast with pear compote, mascarpone and chocolate ganache, but with baby's nutrition in mind I opt for the sautéed wild mushrooms with truffled scrambled eggs and Sonoma sourdough ($16) and an orange juice ($5).

My Ladybird opts for the beautiful soft scrambled eggs with gruyere cheese, semi dried cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs on Sonoma sourdough  ($16), a side of baked beans with onion jam and relish ($2.50) and a latte ($3.80).

A great spot for breakfast, particularly with the weather warming up. Worth checking out!

Cafe Morso
Lower deck (west side), Jones Bay Wharf
Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW
Ph: (02) 9692 0111
http://www.cafemorso.com.au/

Monday - Friday 7am - 4pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am - 2pm

The Cardamom Pod, Byron Bay

The one thing I have always loved about Byron Bay is that there are ample and delicious food options for vegetarians such as myself. For diners like me, it is not always easy to find satisfying vegetarian options when travelling, so when visiting Byron Bay I take great comfort in knowing that in just about every cafe and restaurant, there will be at least one item on the menu for me to enjoy. But a real highlight for me when visiting Byron is dining at The Cardamom Pod - a fantastic little vegetarian cafe tucked away in an arcade in the town centre.

The Cardamom Pod has played host to many happy diners (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike) for many years now, and is popular with visitors and locals. Their offering of traditional Indian dishes as well as modern fusion cuisine means that there is something for everyone here, so it's no surprise that this place remains so popular. Run by Hare Krishna devotees, the food at The Cardamom Pod is egg-free, as well as the vast majority of dishes also being onion and garlic free. The food on offer here (like at Govinda restaurants around the world) is 'sattvic'. In Ayurveda, a sattvic or yogic diet is one that is clean, pure and wholesome. The food is never too salty nor sweet, and it satisfies the body and soul.

Hot, comforting food is available, including an array of traditional Indian dishes such as dals, paneer dishes, kofta balls in gravy, and vegetable preparations to be enjoyed alongside rice, papadums and samosas. There are also more western dishes available such as vegetarian lasagne. Vibrant and freshly prepared salads and tempting desserts entice us from the chilled display upon our arrival, and I just know it's going to be hard deciding on what to order!

We are greeted and served by the lovely Drew, who guides us through the hot food and salads available for the day. He also tells us a bit about where the cafe sources their ingredients, much of which is locally grown and organic. I also learn that a local dairy supplies them with fresh milk from which they make their own paneer - a firm cottage cheese often used in Indian cuisine. Nothing beats freshly made paneer - it's delicious!

The great thing about dining with a group of family/friends is that you can sample a wide range of dishes, and there are no hard feelings about the occasional stolen taste test from your fellow diners' plates! For your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures of our sumptuous vegetarian feast...

I thoroughly enjoy my vegetarian lasagne served with side salad. The Moroccan inspired baby spinach, chickpea and tomato salad with tangy yoghurt dressing is really good...

To finish, we share a slice of lemon and vanilla bean baked cheesecake with poached pear and syrup - simply divine!

Ladybird and family dined as guests of The Cardamom Pod.

The Cardamom Pod
Shop 8, The Pier Arcade
7 Lawson St
Byron Bay, NSW

http://www.byronvegetariancafe.com.au/


Ladybird x

Harvest Café & The Byron at Byron Restaurant, Byron Bay

Last week I travelled to Byron Bay in northern New South Wales with Mr Ladybird and my in-laws for a short break. Byron Bay is located in northern New South Wales, and is only around 2 hours drive from Brisbane. A few years ago when we still lived in Brisbane, driving down to Byron Bay for a night or two was something I would look forward to tremendously, and since relocating to Sydney I have missed that convenience a lot. With recent flooding on the Pacific Highway, our drive from Sydney to Byron Bay ended up taking almost 13 hours... but it was worth it.

It was so lovely to visit Byron Bay again, and (don't tell anyone) but I think winter is the perfect time to visit the area. Blue skies, sunshine and warmer temperatures, less crowds, not to mention the beautiful landscape - stunning beaches, pristine forest and the breathtaking hinterland - there's a reason why you feel great after visiting such a pristine part of the world.

Byron Bay is also a great place for foodies to visit thanks to the great array of eateries offering the best of local produce. I'll be posting more on the food on offer at Byron Bay, but first here is a little look into two places I visited during my stay.

First, Harvest Café, which is located in Newrybar in the Byron Bay hinterland. This cafe is situated in a renovated house with sweeping balconies, and boasts a beautiful ambiance.

Sitting outside on the balcony under heaters was nice, and there is also seating available indoors.

I just loved the look of the sofas by the fireplace - so cosy...

We visited Harvest for breakfast on the weekend. We were keen to dine somewhere outside of town, and outside of Bangalow, so Harvest seemed like a good option. We started with coffees - a cappuccino ($3.85) and a latte ($3.85).

Brown Sugar, Bondi

Over the weekend, Mr Ladybird and I headed to Brown Sugar in Bondi to try out somewhere new for our traditional weekend brunch. We have our favourite haunts that we frequent time and time again, but with the weather so gorgeous we decided to head to Bondi to enjoy the sunshine.

We arrived at around 10am to a bustling and funky little cafe. We settle in and order, only for our food to come out within 10 minutes - now that's speedy service!

I have the leek & herb omlette ($14) with marinated fetta, rocket, roasted tomatoes and toast.  And it's good, more like a crepe with the fetta, rocket and tomatoes enveloped within - very satisfying. I also go a little crazy and order a chocolate milkshake ($5.50) too, and I suddenly feel like I'm 10 years old again! It tastes just as good as it did way back then.

Mr Ladybird sips on his latte ($3.50?) and tucks into his vegie black stone ($15) - english muffin served with mushrooms, tomatoes, poached eggs and hashbrowns. The hashbrowns are scrumptious.. nice and crunchy and perfectly seasoned.

And are you ready for the egg yolk money shot?!

The only disappointment of our dining experience was being asked to move tables to make room for a group that had just arrived a the cafe. I would normally be happy to oblige, however, on this occasion politely declined as our meals had been served and we were already eating... This has never happened to me before, and I did find it a little odd, perhaps even rude... Tell me, has this ever happened to you before?

Brown Sugar
106 Curlewis St
Bondi NSW 2026
Ph: (02) 9130 1566
http://brownsugarbondi.com.au/



Ladybird x