Even though my face is glued to the window looking for boutique frontages as we travel by tram through Melbourne & suburbs and by car through Hobart and the Tasmanian towns, I get very excited when I find a great little coffee shop or restaurant we can stop at for a bite to eat.
Now the coffee and food too ! ~Part 2
Foodwise finding a satisfying place to eat is not too dissimiliar to my fashion prerequisite in my former blog. Ambient frontage, welcome atmosphere that feels like a great experience when you walk in and then an 'eye run' over the cuisine to see if it appeals. Of course there is a need versus want factor just like fashion buying.
On my travels around Tassie [Tasmania for overseas readers - the mainland fondly call it this] I had a craving for scallop pies and I loved every little flaky morsel (want) but it WAS cold, so my goosebumped legs told me, till I realised the cold wasn't going to go away and I dragged out my hip new footless tights ... see my previous post.
Just had to have it - Acland St, St Kilda, MelbourneBut then no cold excuse in Melbourne! The windows of the patisseries in Acland Street in St Kilda so enthralled me with its ambience I just had to have a double layered custard slice - well I shared - and the temperature was 39 degrees so think I would classify it as a want. At least with the fashion wants you buy, it can be worn again!
Definately have your coffee in Acland street at 95 expresso, great coffee and fun to watch the passing people with so many different accents drifting by.
Hopetoun Tea Rooms MelbourneOn the subject of ambient eating places that draw you in, would have to say that the Hopetoun Tea Room in the Block Arcade Melbourne would take the cake. Have a look at the photo and I ask you - would you too just HAVE to line up just so you could get a table, then be so thrilled to get in, in such a short time, that you had to order not only a cherry pie but apple strudel as well - shared though!
Melbourne still, in raptures when I wandered around the Prahran markets off Chapel Street. Row upon row of not only fresh produce but cheeses, homemade pastas and a lot of unusual continental food that I would have just loved to take home and try. For a light refreshing interlude, the Oriental Tea House in Chapel street is just the place. The lanes of Melbourne city are another story.
I know you are wanting to know in my tour of Tasmania where that scallop pie came from? Actually can be sourced from many places but I enjoyed the curried (mild) one from the bakery at Richmond, a beautiful historic town not far from Hobart .
Along the national highway on the way up to Launceston I found some little gems - actually, local knowledge passed on. Just into Campbell Town, so pleased we took the time to stop at the Red Bridge Cafe & Providore. Loved sitting in the historic building of 1836 drinking a big cup of the best coffee & a moorish light lunch.
Not far from there, on the next morning coming back from Launceston saved breakfast to stop at the village Perth (Tassie Perth !) at the ut si cafe, set in a restored church building and surrounded by its own herb gardens. One word for this place ... gourmet!
Another different styled cafe gem that I found south of Hobart is The Red Velvet Lounge set in a historic building in Cygnet. As the name leans toward, 50's eclectic decore, fun, terrific menu, ... a place where you can buy their stoneground bread and a jar of homemade chutney to take home. My eyes were glued to the sweets cabinet all the way out so I could think about what I would order next time when I didn't have such a satisfying main .
Since I don't want to extend this to a Part 3 blog there are two places that I need to mention in Hobart.
As soon as I fly in and my sister meets me I always say .."take me to Jackman & McCross!" Positioned in the middle of historic Battery Point, it is a gourmet bakery & cafe that meets most of my casual cuisine needs (pork & sage gourmet sausage roll AND salad!) and the needs of our PM too, on her last visit!
Those little touches - tricycle cafe bar, Salamanca Hobart
Makes all the difference - The Red Velvet Lounge, Cygnet TasmaniaIt is always the special small touches that make a difference to experiencing both fashion and food ventures. I was sold when the tricycle cafe bar at Salamanca Place brought out their water in old fashioned milk bottles with a big piece of mint slotted in it ... I was endeared when our milk came out in cute little capped bottles sitting in the cups at The Red Velvet Lounge.
To me this says loud and clear ... I care about the experience you have and I want to make it as wonderfully memorable as possible, so that when you are home the memory makes you smile. Hope if one day you visit these gems you come home with a smile as well ~ just like I hope you do when you come home after a visit to the San Nizet studio.
Because I care ... 
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