Pottery Green Bakers (Gordon - SYD North)

Well, amongst these years, I count my blessings that my family can all afford to spread our wings a little, to enjoy the various experiences without needing to worry. So as another weekend trip to Sydney wraps up, Mumsie and I could take the time out to go cafe-exploring, heading over to this new place that seems to have great reviews!

Pottery Green Bakery is seemingly tucked into a quiet corner of St John's Avenue near Gordon Station, but I predict it will only get busier as the renovation and upgrades to Gordon Station gets completed, and people pop on over to enjoy their morning coffee and pastry en-route to their morning commute to Chatswood & the City.

PCB has another location Lane Cove (well, judging by what's written in their menu), and I hope it looks a little like this place.

Walking in to the dimness, the eye is drawn immediately to their pastries cabinet, the coffee machine, signboards, and their cupboard of pies! *cues Stop and Stare*... one just stops and stares at everything that is on offer.

Walk on in, ask to be seated at a table, and grab a menu off the coatrack... actually, the menus are all in the shape of a coat-hanger, so they literally hang down near the coffee machine, so remember to snag one on the way through!

The noms are coming!

Mumsie had made a pot of Winter-Melon soup (冬瓜湯) before lunch - one of my favourite home-cooked soups... but unfortunately it's bloated my stomach a little. So instead of ordering two mains, we decided to share one meal between the two of us, ordering hot chocolate (Mumsie) and a flat white (me).

The lamb burger would set you back $17, but the flavoursome lamb pattie sitting within a soft toasted bun ought to win you over. Plenty of chips (crunchy edges with soft potato core) in their garlic/mayo sauce rounds it out nicely =)

Verdict 8.5/10
Cosy place, tasty food and good coffee. Pricing is fair for Gordon/North Shore, but might be considered a little more pricey compared to other sectors of Sydney.

Dragonfly Cafe - Eden Gardens (Macquarie Park)

Another day back home in Sydney, another opportunity to catch up with a friend from long ago - in this case, from over 10 years (we think). She's a friend of mine from very long ago, when we first met in primary school and music classes. Unfortunately we've lost touch over the years: barely stayed in contact but never had a proper catch up until now!!

Where, I ask, would two artsy, funny and cheerful people go? My excuse for selecting Eden Gardens is that I used to live in the apartment blocks opposite this place on Fontenoy Rd, so I've always been PAST but never into this nursery. My friend's excuse: don't we all love pretty things - especially from a feminine perspective!! Well, that she's driven past here many times too but never had an excuse to go in...

Situated opposite Fontenoy Rd in Macquarie Park (off Lane Cove Rd/A3 motorway) with traffic light turning pockets, Eden Gardens is built over the site of an old brickworks, with all the excavation cleared and filled, and is now a garden-nursery with display gardens (for exhibitions and events/weddings), conference facilities and a cozy cafe: Dragonfly Cafe (see below). The rooftop layout is quite aesthetic, with the panes deliberate set at a descending angle from vertical to the horizontal!

Food time!

Below are:
Eggs Benedict with Salmon ($16): delightfully filling for the price, with two larger-than-expected hunks of Salmon =)

Hotcakes with vanilla gelato ($11): hot yumminess topped with a runny sweet trickle of vanilla. I put this simply: once I started, I couldn't stop =)

Hot chocolate ($4, cup) and coffee ($4, +1 = $5 for a mug-size)

Food Verdict:

Nothing overly special - would probably rate it a 6/10 for ordinarily nibbles for an acceptable price.

**Plus points: go for the outdoor dining facing the nursery or the courtyard, with an open airy feel overall. Food portions are slightly larger than expected for brunching, but fair for the price.

**Down side: Could have a little more variety, menus hard to find (grab it at the cashier's counter on the way in).

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Dragonfly Cafe @Eden Gardens, Macquarie Park
307 Lane Cove Rd
Macquarie Park, NSW, 2118

Open for brunch, lunch and tea most days - see website for details

To get here: driving only, with onsite and underground parking - easily found as "opposite Fontenoy Rd, 2118" with traffic light control for traffic from both directions. Situated just north of the A2/A3 intersecton.
Public transport: buses-only, that stop at "corner Fontenoy Rd/Lane Cove Rd", with services from Macquarie Centre and Epping, possibly to Gordon and Lindfield.




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Bonus: happy snaps from around the Gardens - enjoy!

Kitchen by Mike (Rosebery)

Another trip home to Sydney, another outing for catchups!

This morning was a long awaited catchup with my bestie... it is surprising how long (or short) 3 months feels like, and how much you can miss someone :( Mebbe I should find a posting back to Sydney soon...

Today began like any other: picked her up, and off to brunch we go - but someone forgot to tell the Grounds of Alexandria that we were coming: Sunday morning, and the place was packed by 8.30am !! :( All we saw from the outside were long queues and no car parking :(

So we relied on our favourite app (Urbanspoon) to look up an organic cafe nearby: Kitchen by Mike, which is only a 3min drive across to the next sector of Rosebury.

Situated within a warehouse on 85 Denning Ave, this is a place easily overlooked at first, with an exception: the numbers are painted on the door, so BOLO: be on the Lookout!!

We found plenty of street parking, and strolled in via the main entrance/ramp:

With a large open-space kitchen and a canteen style atmosphere, it is definitely a warm cosy place to enjoy brekkie with the family, and we watched as young couples, new families with a new bub, or those with a trio in tow all come in to enjoy a lovely Sunday brunch. As for ourselves: we found a cosy corner sofa to watch it all go by, nibbling away and catching up on everything that's happened in the past three months.

The nibbles: not cheap, but what do you expect for organic and speedily served?

Eggs Royale ($13) on smoked salmon: hot, gooey and yummy!

Sourdough pancakes with lemon curd ($14) - my favourite: three slices of hot yumminess with a tarty tang from the curd. Overpriced in my opinion, but I ain't complaining

Granola, yoghurt and stewed fruit ($12): our healthy compromise - and a little on the side for filling us up ;)

Oh, and not to mention my coffee!

Overall: good food, great vibe, cosy atmosphere... with a mild zap to the wallet. Worth the trip once here and there: 8/10 for what it's worth



PS: highlights of their homewares/arts store that opened at 10am...

The Grounds of Alexandria (Alexandria)

Another day, another outing. Although I didn't get to visit the Grounds last time, I had a brilliant chance to go today - and made full use of it =)

Finding parking isn't easy, and we walked the long way around the block to get to the Building-7A entrance... but we found our way in the end. And what a sight greeted us: a relaxing shaded garden, a chook shed, organic veggie patch, with a delightful shopfront! In 30 degree heat... any shade was a delight. Being seated required a five minute wait, but into a cool shady interior.

The menu was quite interesting and varied, and pricing was quite reasonable too. Our decision: the chicken confit, and the lamb salad. However, definitely there were other things to select... it wasn't easy.

Verdict: Hmmm... mixed reaction. I loved the chicken confit, with a succulent chicken maryland tenderly cooked, and presume it was grain fed too, judging by its yellow hue. However, it was quite salty - which I liked, my friend didn't. The lamb salad, however, left a little to be desired - there is quite a bit of meat, which is good - but we didn't like the texture (rather lumpy). But I can't quite fault the dish - done reasonably.

Service was attentive, no complaints at all. Definitely a place I would revisit, but try other selections instead.

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The Grounds of Alexandria
Building 7A, 2 Huntley St
Alexandria 2015

How to get there: Huntley St, just near the Bourke Rd intersection. Off-street parking is hard to find, otherwise politely park in the proper guest spots on 4 Huntley St. Entrance is on Huntley St, close to the Bourke Rd intersection. Or... walk the long way behind Building 7B, 7C and 7D.

Hours:
Open daily 8am - 4pm.
Sundays 8am - 3pm.

Pricing: $$
Mains between $12-20.
Specialty and organic drinks available for $$.