(degusted 27th August, 2011)
Like many things these days, stumbling upon stand-out items when tweeting or surfing the interwebs is one of the best parts of living in a techno-filled world. Our attention was drawn to
Demintri's Feast where, through the magic of bits and bytes, we were presented with critical information: they do a Baclava french toast. The concept is simple but we're suckers for simple things done in different ways or in new combinations, so this had us sitting up all googly-eyed and alert like a startled pair of meer-cats.
In the way that Adrian Cronour (Robbin Williams' character) called out in "Gooooood morning Vietnaaaam", Demitri's Feast had us hollering in a similar fashion in anticipation - "Kali'mera Baclavaaaaaaa!!" on the drive out to Richmond. (Kali'mera = good morning, if our all-too brief stint in Santorini served us even remotely well).
On paper, this place looks the goods. A neat little cafe serving up a range of breakfast items with a distinctively Greek influence; neat.
Smack-bang in the middle of the Richmond action on Swan Street makes it easy to find and easy to get to; double neat.
Reports from several reviews were that the staff were uber-friendly; hat-trick.
Arriving at 10AM on a Saturday was always going to be a risky proposition, and there were indeed already a few couples and a group of 4 waiting to be seated. Being a few pegs down in the queue, we were a bit hesitant about waiting, but were re-assured by the staff (whose friendliness certainly lived up to the hype) that there were a number of tables vacating soon. We had come all this way specifically to eat here, so we metaphorically chalked ourselves up on the waiting list and stood around in the bustling doorway of this quaint little cafe.
Before getting too carried away with the sugar hit to come from the french toast, we built a protective stomach layer of Sardines on toast and an item off the "lunch" menu - the hand-made "wild" spanakopita. The sardines were - to our pleasant surprise - not actually very 'fishy' (either smelling or tasting). One of the degusters thought the older one had lost his marbles when he went about ordering the sardines, expecting to have to resort to a handful of fisherman's friend lozenges to take away the Poseidon's curse (fish-breath). Not here, not a chance. The sardines were delicious and light: think a bruschetta, but with some protein kick. Really, really good - and probably healthy, too (not that healthiness was high on the priority list at this hour of the Saturday).
The spanakopita was intrinsically good, probably a little dry for our liking, and although we enjoyed it, this didn't get a chance to shine when we plated it next to the sardines and the hero that we had come to try - the Baclava french toast. A reasonable size, split between two this was a fist-sized portion each.
Soft and thick, with a dollop of sweet yoghurt and a crumbled walnut praline over the top, and a small pouring jug filled with sweet orange blossom syrup - the baclava french toast was everything we had wanted. Other reviews have mentioned that this dish was a bit too sweet - and we can concede that some might find it so. The solution may be in the self-application of the "solution", so to speak: just don't pour too much of the syrup over the top - this allows you to dial-in the required level of sweetness. If only the 'sweetness' in relationships was this easy to adjust...
All up, it was damn good - both the food and the service. If we were Jay-Z and Beyonce, we would write a song about it, then choreograph an urban-inspired interpretive dance routine to express our delight... But we're not - so you're reading this blog post instead.
The issue with waiting for a table should not discourage. We observed plenty of people who were willing to wait here for a sampling of the Greek-styled breakfast fare - indicative of a local little eatery that is getting a heap of positive votes through the most reliable of metrics: bums on seats. On this evidence and on the basis of the food we tried, we would have to agree and head back there soon ourselves.
You didn't think we'd degust at a cafe and not mention the coffee did you? Multiple orders of espressos (doubles, to be sure) and Soy mocha's were consumed, and each and every one of them was spot-on. Heart palpitations, dilated pupils, and smiles all round.
Notes:
-A number of vegetarian meals on the menu should keep the peace in a diverse dining group. -With floor space being at a premium, it's probably not great for kids :(
Rating: NomNomNom
 |
| Baclava French Toast |
Like many things these days, stumbling upon stand-out items when tweeting or surfing the interwebs is one of the best parts of living in a techno-filled world. Our attention was drawn to
Demintri's Feast where, through the magic of bits and bytes, we were presented with critical information: they do a Baclava french toast. The concept is simple but we're suckers for simple things done in different ways or in new combinations, so this had us sitting up all googly-eyed and alert like a startled pair of meer-cats.
In the way that Adrian Cronour (Robbin Williams' character) called out in "Gooooood morning Vietnaaaam", Demitri's Feast had us hollering in a similar fashion in anticipation - "Kali'mera Baclavaaaaaaa!!" on the drive out to Richmond. (Kali'mera = good morning, if our all-too brief stint in Santorini served us even remotely well).
On paper, this place looks the goods. A neat little cafe serving up a range of breakfast items with a distinctively Greek influence; neat.
Smack-bang in the middle of the Richmond action on Swan Street makes it easy to find and easy to get to; double neat.
Reports from several reviews were that the staff were uber-friendly; hat-trick.
Arriving at 10AM on a Saturday was always going to be a risky proposition, and there were indeed already a few couples and a group of 4 waiting to be seated. Being a few pegs down in the queue, we were a bit hesitant about waiting, but were re-assured by the staff (whose friendliness certainly lived up to the hype) that there were a number of tables vacating soon. We had come all this way specifically to eat here, so we metaphorically chalked ourselves up on the waiting list and stood around in the bustling doorway of this quaint little cafe.
Before getting too carried away with the sugar hit to come from the french toast, we built a protective stomach layer of Sardines on toast and an item off the "lunch" menu - the hand-made "wild" spanakopita. The sardines were - to our pleasant surprise - not actually very 'fishy' (either smelling or tasting). One of the degusters thought the older one had lost his marbles when he went about ordering the sardines, expecting to have to resort to a handful of fisherman's friend lozenges to take away the Poseidon's curse (fish-breath). Not here, not a chance. The sardines were delicious and light: think a bruschetta, but with some protein kick. Really, really good - and probably healthy, too (not that healthiness was high on the priority list at this hour of the Saturday).
 |
| Delicious Sardines with a smattering of sweet and sour peppers, fresh herbs - fresh, light, delightful |
The spanakopita was intrinsically good, probably a little dry for our liking, and although we enjoyed it, this didn't get a chance to shine when we plated it next to the sardines and the hero that we had come to try - the Baclava french toast. A reasonable size, split between two this was a fist-sized portion each.
 |
| "Wild" Spanakopita |
Soft and thick, with a dollop of sweet yoghurt and a crumbled walnut praline over the top, and a small pouring jug filled with sweet orange blossom syrup - the baclava french toast was everything we had wanted. Other reviews have mentioned that this dish was a bit too sweet - and we can concede that some might find it so. The solution may be in the self-application of the "solution", so to speak: just don't pour too much of the syrup over the top - this allows you to dial-in the required level of sweetness. If only the 'sweetness' in relationships was this easy to adjust...
|
| Bacalava French Toast, with sweetened yoghurt, orange blossom syrup and walnut praline. This ought to get you singing. |
All up, it was damn good - both the food and the service. If we were Jay-Z and Beyonce, we would write a song about it, then choreograph an urban-inspired interpretive dance routine to express our delight... But we're not - so you're reading this blog post instead.
The issue with waiting for a table should not discourage. We observed plenty of people who were willing to wait here for a sampling of the Greek-styled breakfast fare - indicative of a local little eatery that is getting a heap of positive votes through the most reliable of metrics: bums on seats. On this evidence and on the basis of the food we tried, we would have to agree and head back there soon ourselves.
You didn't think we'd degust at a cafe and not mention the coffee did you? Multiple orders of espressos (doubles, to be sure) and Soy mocha's were consumed, and each and every one of them was spot-on. Heart palpitations, dilated pupils, and smiles all round.
Notes:
-A number of vegetarian meals on the menu should keep the peace in a diverse dining group. -With floor space being at a premium, it's probably not great for kids :(
Rating: NomNomNom
Meh It’ll Do Nom(x3) Must go back!
Done and Degusted @ Demitri's Feast
Wild Spanakopita
Sardines w/ sweet and sour peppers on sour dough
Baclava french toast
Sardines w/ sweet and sour peppers on sour dough
Baclava french toast
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