A Minor Place

A Minor Place is the sort of cafe you see as you go by and think "I must try that"; partly because there always seems to be loads of customers outside, on the tables in the street or at the deck round the side, partly because it's essentially an old house turned into a cafe, and partly because it's clearly named after the Bonnie Prince Billy song, which may speak of a certain aesthetic (not quite what's now contemptuously termed "hipster"). Its location in Albion Street, between Sydney Road and Lygon Street, pretty much guarantees it's always busy; inside and out, it's full of nice little touches such as the fresh flowers, potted plants and mini-pictures. The staff were friendly and thankfully not at all cooler-than-though, which I confess I'd expected; when the smallest member of our party ran around boisterously, they offered him a fine selection of jungle animals to settle him down, including a warthog and hippo (hiding in plain sight in one of the pictures below). After perching inside for a little bit, the sun began to show and we went out to the side where there's an unexpected amount of space, long tables, green crates and wooden planters. The coffee was excellent - so good we ordered twice - and my breakfast of pancakes with strawberry yogurt can only be described as sensational. The pancakes were moist and airy and the yogurt had been whipped with strawberries into a mousse-like texture which perfectly complemented the juicy, tender berries strewn across the plate. D's bubble and squeak, served with a potato rosti and egg on top, was also pretty tasty although (unusually for him) he felt there was too much chorizo. The littlest one ate heartily of my pancakes and then devoured a delicious, fresh chocolate muffin. Minor may be the name, but the food was anything but minor and it's now top of the list for a return visit.

The Merri Table

The Merri Table is at CERES, an environmental education organisation based on 4 acres of rehabilitated landfill in Brunswick. The cafe serves organic food based on low mileage principles and is housed inside a lovely, light and airy space in the main CERES group of buildings. There has been some imaginative use of wood and other recycled materials to create a relaxed and bright environment. There are some quirky touches: Heath Robinson style artwork that looks like a series of connected clocks but isn't; a section of the ceiling that curves like a hot air balloon; and greenery everywhere.

We ordered lunch on a quiet, slightly gloomy Monday. Staff were kind, but off-hand; although the smallest member of our party was boisterous, we never felt uncomfortable and there were plenty of kids around so it's certainly child-friendly. The food was hit and miss; although I enjoyed some beautiful juicy leg ham off the bone in a lovely soft roll with cheddar cheese, and M's kids' special toastie with ham and cheese contained the same ham and was served on delicious nutty rye bread, rather cutely served with popcorn on top, D's pho was underwhelming and seemed to lack sparkle - a bit like the service.

The plants in CERES' onsite nursery are always excellent and there are plenty of other features of CERES that make it worth a visit.

John Gorilla

John Gorilla is in Pearson Street, West Brunswick. It's a real head-turner as you go past because there are some interesting pieces of street furniture (like the sunshine yellow chairs below) and there always seem to be squads of cool-looking people hanging around. This was our second visit and both times we've really enjoyed it. On a changeable Monday morning, it was quiet enough for us to get a seat almost straight away, after passing perilously close to a fabulous-looking overstuffed carrot cake and some beautiful little sweet creations such as individual lemon polenta cakes. The rooms are light and airy and filled with what seems like a highly personal selection of quirky items: the "Tasmania" trays holding the salt and pepper, the family portraits, the Charles and Di wedding memorabilia. The room out the back, where we sat last time, has now been covered over and garnished with bright paper lampshades and plant pots, and diners share one very long table. We sat at a comfortable banquette with an entire table to ourselves - perfect for keeping little ones in check. Staff were friendly and efficient: our orders arrived lickety-split (albeit one was wrong). I ordered the leg ham and gouda toasted sandwich with onion jam, which was delightful, although the liberally-applied English mustard was a little overpowering for my taste. D had the eight hour brisket which was warm, flaky, sweet and tasty and served in a generous quantity in a soft white roll. The smallest member of our party wolfed down his babycino but had to wait for his French toast as the waitress brought the wrong thing out (though that looked pretty good too). The French toast looked and tasted divine: a thick slice of brioche lightly fried and served with maple syrup. My latte was just right: a rich flavour, with no bitterness. A very pleasant experience: if it's not too busy, we'll be back to try the cakes.