The Very Good and the Oh-So-Very Bad.

This is what happens when you decide to get a good breakfast at the Greenhouse and then, after what seems like a whole day, night and afternoon of drinking, end up at the (literal) ass end of St Kilda in backpacker hell with something you can't swallow.


First, Greenhouse.


Egg and Soldiers. Or as the menu describes, "Freerange 'Green Eggs' Soft-boiled served with Baker D.Chorico 'Soldier' toast." $7.50
The only problem with this was that the eggs were hard boiled. Came with veg-seasoning organic salt. Unnecessary, but still good. Also, with the eggs, can you say 'same supplier as Vue?' Thanks, Shannon.


Tuna Niscoise roll. $8. Also on Baker D.Chorico bread. Very good, raw green beans sliced throughout really did it for me.


Avocado with Lemon, oil and Murray River salt flakes. $8
Very well toasted bread. I was really craving avocado, but when I went to order, the staff said that the avocados were too ripe, and when asked to pick on that wasn't too ripe, they were happy to oblige.
They also sliced the bottom off a cheek so it could sit on the board. Clever bastards.
Oh yes, wooden cutlery, like Cafe Vue. Ahem.




The aftermath. Notice the 4 coffees and the pineapple juice in an Aesop bottle. $3.50, freshly squeezed.


Now, St Kilda Hell-town. I think that was the name of the place.


What the hell is this? Mushroom with your oil?
Two forks to demonstrate this. They were not cooked and made me want to die. Also, sauted spinach was crunchy.
*COUGHMcCainsHashbrownsCOUGH*



Oh yes, I mentioned...CUP-O-SAUCE?!?!?!?!?!



I am not quite sure how you make canned beans coagulate.
Also, I saw a table of (obvious) foreigners who lathered their scrambled eggs with tomato sauce and asked for baked beans on fries. Their meat-breakfast also came with fries...I mean, what the?
I should have known better, but really, desperation and a night of booze does evil things to the mind.


And, finally, the only thing that made anything bearable on the table.
I would like to say that if there is anything I learnt from being in New York is that when you're eating crap food, and the produce is shit, you can always cover the taste with condiments.

Oh yes, I blame what is on the left and right of me, and also in my hand for the above. (How's that for the use of prepositions?)

Greenhouse and some cider.

Ok, Greenhouse is currently my new love.
For those of you who have not heard of it, it is a completely sustainable structure,based on that of a house which is a cafe/bar that is temporarily situated at Federation square on the Flinders Street side, next to the entrance of ACMI.
It was built on site over two weeks and has a living rooftop. This means that they grow shit up there.
And on the walls.


Check out these strawberries!
Anyways, the Seamstress kids and Shannon Bennett from Vue de Monds have chipped in and supported the whole thing and I cannot say anything other than me being in love with this place.


They serve all their coffees in jars and if you order a beer (which are supplied by Little Creatures) they will give it to you in an Innocent Bystander wine bottle which has had the top cut off.
Genius!




Actually, something I am not too fond of is that they don't serve alcohol till 4pm.



Seeing the weather, I would have loved to have a cider with my roll. This is the roasted tomato, fior di latte, basil and balsamic roll. Their breads are all from D.Chirico Bakers.
If it were not so hot and I had not just exercised, I would have eaten a licorice and apple muffin. They sell a range of cakes as well as quiches, do breakfasts from 7am and sell their own muesli and jams (strawberry and rosewater & gellee carrot and vanilla).



I have a thing for birdcage lampshades. They make me all warm and fuzzy inside.


I also noted that they were a little overstaffed, but maybe that is because they were having a function at 4:30.



So, I relied on old faithful and sucked down a (better) cider at Hell's Kitchen.
Plus, it wasn't 4pm yet.