Our Bags are packed ...

We're ready to go.


I am hoping to be able to post a photo a day
So, check back occasionally
and join me in my first trip to the USA !

Lena's Cafe One - Reservoir

2017 UPDATE:
This Cafe is permanently closed and looks like it will be part of a re-development of the corner property.

* * * * * *

2016 UPDATE:
Arthur and Lena have sold their Cafe to new owners and I am yet to go see what they have on offer.
With the recent building of the new Reservoir Library next door, parking is still available but not accessed through the lane-way (now a pedestrian mall).

* * * * * *

I have been resisting writing up this lovely new Cafe for a while, as I am not sure  if I wanted to "Share it" with everyone just yet!  <VBG> But it is just too good to keep to myself.

When Lena's opened almost a year ago on the corner of Edwards Street and Spring Street,  I wondered how it was going to survive but I have discovered that it is ideally situated.

Just across the road from the Reservoir Train Station and with a Bus stop outside the door, it has plenty of passing traffic.  The Reservoir Civic Centre and Police Station with their huge off street car park is just next door.

The owners, (Husband and Wife team Arthur and Lena) are vibrant people who love their work and it shows in their food.

The cabinets are always stocked with the most delicious assortment of Focaccia, Pizza, Quiche, Croissants and Salad to make into healthy sandwiches.  Or browse the menu board for something HOT. My favourite is the Warm Lamb Salad.

If that is not what you are looking for,
then there is the fresh made Juice option
or Yoghurt
or Ice-cream
or just Coffee and Cake.

Well worth a visit.




Lena's Cafe One
1 Edwards Street
Reservoir Vic 3073
Ph: 9090 7002

Now THAT wasn't on the Calender

Regular visitors (to my Aussie Kilted Quilter Blog) will be aware that I have a LOT on my calendar this year. Things were settling into a plan (of sorts) and I was thinking 'Yes I CAN do this'.  And then DD came home and said....

"Mum - I need to go to a Conference - Will you come with me?"

To many of my readers it is a common occurrence to pack bags "Jump on a 'plane" and end up somewhere else - BUT....

believe it or not ...

I have never flown ...

anywhere ...

before ...

You may well guess by the photo that this is NOT a 'local' conference.

Now, I love going on adventures and this is going to be one BIG adventure.

I have worked out that by the time I get back home 

I will have flown 35,000 km  

on 9 different types of Aircraft, 

cooling my heels in 7 different airports, 

over the space of 17 days.

And I have been reliably informed that I will be travelling through ...
a Gazillion timezones!

I realise that it would be daft to go all that way, just to go to a conference. Without seeing anything - other than the insides of airports and the conference venue (albeit a very NICE conference venue). Therefore, I have planned a little side trip to visit an Internet Friend on the way. 

So folks .. in a little over Three Weeks DD and I will be on our way to Alabama then on to Michigan!

AND - If anyone has any hints on what to do in an airport for 8 hours - your comments will be appreciated!!!

Tao's - Bulleen

A special event requires a special dinner and so we found ourselves recently at Tao's in Bulleen.  What can I say about this Restaurant with its intriguing Modern Japanese/Australian Menu?

.... Be prepared to try ANYTHING but do not hesitate to go.

We arrived for Lunch and so had the "Set Menu" for the day - our choice of 4 dishes for each of the 4 courses.

This is the Starter - it wasn't on the menu, it just came.. with instructions to eat from right to left.
(I have never had Oyster before - Oh Yum!)

DH chose for his Entree the Sashimi platter.

I had the Thai Style Crispy Chicken with Lime Chilli Sauce.

And from then on it was just one delight after another ....


The Staff were, of course, very polite and attentive.
The courses came quickly so if you were on a tight lunchtime schedule there is no need to worry.



Oh.... and the Dessert -
I'll leave you with Perfect Creme Brulee









Tao's Restaurant
201 Bulleen Road
BULLEEN  VIC  3105
www.taosrestaurant.com.au

The Mills Cafe - Coburg

When they built The Lincoln Mills Homemaker Centre in Gaffney Street Coburg, it was good to see a cafe set up in the far corner. What more could you ask for when you have spent the better part of the morning at Bunnings?
Unfortunately the Original owners sold up and the new people.... well, lets just say.... we stopped going there.  So I was very pleased the other day when I saw that it is now "Under New Management".

The pleasant new owners may just have won us back.  The Cafe felt fresh with new table tops and a clean approach. (A staff member not only wiped down the tables but the chairs as well, and then returned with a broom to get the crumbs from under the table - now that's good service!)
The menu is basically the same but a glance at the Specials board out the front showed a few new additions - like Barramundi (Fish).

With any Cafe, the Coffee is only as good as the Barista.
Our first visit the coffees were perfect - yes, even DH went back to compliment the lass behind the machine.  And the Soy Latte (for the Lactose Intolerant one) was made by someone who understood, as she too 'had to drink soy'.

The second visit - different Barista, different quality coffee, I gave 'brownie points' for the coffee art but - - I couldn't drink mine.  (I didn't fret over it too much as it was included with the poached eggs breakfast menu.)

I will return, as I really want to check out the new menu, but my drink for the day, Coffee or Tea... or maybe one of their freshly squeezed fruit juice concoctions, will be determined by my mood and who is behind the Coffee Machine.






The Mills Cafe
Lincoln Homemaker Centre
6a/64 Gaffney Street
COBURG  VIC  3058

Ph: 9354 - 5001
Open 7 days

Charlie's at La Trobe University

I have been hearing a LOT about 'Leo' over the years from DD who has had ample opportunity to check out ALL of the Coffee shops at La Trobe Uni during her time there doing 2 degrees and a Phd.
Leo, works at Charlie's and I understand makes the best coffee on Campus.

So - when I had cause to visit the University recently I  just had to see for myself.
I must admit that arriving between lectures gave me a good indication as to how this team works.
I was initially dismayed at the sight of the queue outside and I was told "No Mum - those people are waiting for their orders...."  I was then led inside where one lass took our order (greeting DD by name).
We then went to join the others and in no more than 10 minutes, while I watched Coffee after Coffee and the occasional Tea being dispatched efficiently to the waiting throng, had our Coffees and were on the way to find a shady/quiet seat to enjoy them.

And for the actual brew... Not bad at all, but next time I won't ask for a weak one!

Lady Bower

Situated just around the corner of Reservoir's Broadway shopping strip in Marchant Avenue is a small Cafe that looks like it would be more suited to the bustle of High Street Northcote.  The owners have converted a couple of shops into a pleasant "Indoor/Outdoor" dining area, with the clever use of artificial turf on the concrete floor instead of mats.

The staff have on the most part been very pleasant and happy to chat if the cafe is not too busy.

So - How does the menu stack up?

Coffee, has been a bit hit and miss. DH has, on both occasions we visited, stated his Strong Flat White to be 'a nice coffee' (high praise indeed) but the follow-up Long Macchiato was disappointing.  My weak Latte was a little too weak and unfortunately - tepid. 

The Breakfast Menu has lot of things on Toast.

There does not seem to be any choice in what kind of toast you have (Multigrain) and it seems that there is only one setting on the toaster - CRUNCHY!

I prefer my toast crisp but not that crisp that it shatters when I cut it.

This visit DH tried the Omelet which came with a nicely dressed salad.

I tried the Grilled Cheese on Chutney with the plus Egg option.  The eggs were beautifully poached, and I enjoyed them.  What I didn't enjoy was the cloying over-sweet (homemade) chutney coupled with a generous amount of what quickly became cold grilled cheese and nothing to offset the richness of the dish.

That being said....

On our first visit, we ordered from what must have been the Summer Menu.

Perfectly poached Eggs on toast come with nothing except a grind of black pepper unless you order a serve of something from the add-on  section.  In this case beautiful marinated Rosemary Mushrooms.

And just to show it is not all Toast and Eggs - 

Poached Peaches on Warm Brioche with Labne, Muesli and Salted Caramel Sauce.

Once again - way too sweet for me, but I will be watching the menu for it's return, and next time I will share it with someone else -

-with maybe a Pot of Tea.

Lady Bower

1a Marchant Ave

Reservoir Vic 3073

(On the Broadway side of Reservoir Station)

Closed Mondays