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Second Chance Cafe
Three weeks ago I came across a cute little Italian cafe where a health food shop had recently been. Went in for a sniff but was on the way to the century old Carriage cafe. The cafe is not that old. That honour belongs to the railway carriage it is in. It is located in an tree lined old park near the edge of the ocean and is a most magical place indeed.
Came back next day to the Italian place for a proper peek. There were all sorts of delicious looking pastries with sliced apple, plates of very tasty elegant rolls stuffed full of interesting savoury ingredients and boring sweet and sickly stuff like donuts.
Having a fat tooth rather than a sweet tooth, it was the cheese, egg and asparagus filled rolls that caught the serpent eye. But all the rolls included non kosher ingredients such as ham, smoked salmon or chicken. The lady behind the counter said she could make up a vegetarian roll
The place was called “Firenze caffe & pasticceria“ and had been open for a couple of weeks. All the pastries, biscuits and bread were made on site by an Italian pastry chef.
Also ordered a large coffee. The guy at the counter was obviously Italian and could hardly speak a word of English. He kept asking “Take away? Take away? ” So many locals drink their coffee on the run from crappy plastic or paper cups. Not Izzie. If it is not in a proper china cup then it is not a coffee.
Asked for a mug and he gave me a cup. It was strong and bitter. Typical Italian coffee. The specially made up roll was smaller than those on the shelves and while it was tasty it was not worth paying 10 dollars for this lunch. Would have been better off just getting something off the shelf and taking out the ham or chicken
Decided that this place would most definitely not be on the Izzie lunch list. But since it would be our last visit, would indulge in some of the freshly made biscuits to nibble down on the beach. Most of them were made with almonds and they all looked seriously decadent and delicious
One of them looked like a little hedgehog in a snow storm. Not a great fan of icing sugar but the quills on this cute hedgehog were made of toasted pine nuts. Those little buggers are outrageously expensive here and had always associated them with pesto and pasta not biscuits.
It was so rich and tasty and the sort of thing that you nibble in tiny bits to make it last. It was simply the most delicious non savoury thing that this serpent has ever tasted.
It was worth another visit just to get a couple more of these critters. That was last week. But there were none to be seen. However there was a lunch special for $6.50 which consisted of a coffee and one of those delightful panini on the bottom shelf. This time they had vegetarian versions which were shaped sort of like sunflowers.
Asked about the pine nut biscuits which were not in stock and the lady behind the counter offered the Izzie a different one made with flaked almonds as a freebie
Snaffled the seat near the open window which was the only one in the sunshine. The coffee was still a bit bitter but the roll was some kind of brioche. The filling included zucchini, eggplant, sun dried tomatoes and a big fat layer of gorgeous green pesto.
So obviously the weekdays were a much better deal than the tourist infested Saturdays and Sundays. Not that the place was particularly busy on the weekend. It was interesting to note that most of the customers were Italians.
Was back on Thursday for a third time. It was still $6.50 for a coffee and roll and this time they did have the precious pine nut pastries. Got two of those for sitting by the beach. Once again got the sunny spot by the window. Both times during the week it was a Chinese guy doing the coffees. At least he doesn’t make them bitter like the Italian man did. But it’s not the coffee but the amazing munchies that made me give this place a second chance. Now it’s well and truly been added to the list of favourite lurking grounds. Eventually word will get around and either it will get very crowded or the prices will go up.
It’s funny because one of the members of the local writing group has just come from Europe and made some interesting observations about the Italians. She has recently migrated to Australia and had visions of this place being a cultural and culinary wasteland. Was she ever so surprised. She said the coffee here is better than any place she has been and especially mentioned the food. She had recently been in Italy and said most of their food and coffee was appallingly awful. Apparently the get rich quick and tourist trap mentality has taken over. But here the Italians still do stuff the old ways with real ingredients and old fashioned cooking.
While still thinking that their coffee is crap, their munchies are most definitely amazing and the old Italians with their large gardens on their quarter acre blocks are legendary. They still do stuff like pressing their own olive oil or devoting weekends to bottling their own tomato sauce. But they are becoming an endangered species. Many are getting into their 80s now and selling their houses and land. Nearly always the new owners subdivide, build 4 houses where one was before and the gorgeous gardens just get nuked in the process
There is the odd one that escapes but that is a story for another day.
Came back next day to the Italian place for a proper peek. There were all sorts of delicious looking pastries with sliced apple, plates of very tasty elegant rolls stuffed full of interesting savoury ingredients and boring sweet and sickly stuff like donuts.
Having a fat tooth rather than a sweet tooth, it was the cheese, egg and asparagus filled rolls that caught the serpent eye. But all the rolls included non kosher ingredients such as ham, smoked salmon or chicken. The lady behind the counter said she could make up a vegetarian roll
The place was called “Firenze caffe & pasticceria“ and had been open for a couple of weeks. All the pastries, biscuits and bread were made on site by an Italian pastry chef.
Also ordered a large coffee. The guy at the counter was obviously Italian and could hardly speak a word of English. He kept asking “Take away? Take away? ” So many locals drink their coffee on the run from crappy plastic or paper cups. Not Izzie. If it is not in a proper china cup then it is not a coffee.
Asked for a mug and he gave me a cup. It was strong and bitter. Typical Italian coffee. The specially made up roll was smaller than those on the shelves and while it was tasty it was not worth paying 10 dollars for this lunch. Would have been better off just getting something off the shelf and taking out the ham or chicken
Decided that this place would most definitely not be on the Izzie lunch list. But since it would be our last visit, would indulge in some of the freshly made biscuits to nibble down on the beach. Most of them were made with almonds and they all looked seriously decadent and delicious
One of them looked like a little hedgehog in a snow storm. Not a great fan of icing sugar but the quills on this cute hedgehog were made of toasted pine nuts. Those little buggers are outrageously expensive here and had always associated them with pesto and pasta not biscuits.
It was so rich and tasty and the sort of thing that you nibble in tiny bits to make it last. It was simply the most delicious non savoury thing that this serpent has ever tasted.
It was worth another visit just to get a couple more of these critters. That was last week. But there were none to be seen. However there was a lunch special for $6.50 which consisted of a coffee and one of those delightful panini on the bottom shelf. This time they had vegetarian versions which were shaped sort of like sunflowers.
Asked about the pine nut biscuits which were not in stock and the lady behind the counter offered the Izzie a different one made with flaked almonds as a freebie
Snaffled the seat near the open window which was the only one in the sunshine. The coffee was still a bit bitter but the roll was some kind of brioche. The filling included zucchini, eggplant, sun dried tomatoes and a big fat layer of gorgeous green pesto.
So obviously the weekdays were a much better deal than the tourist infested Saturdays and Sundays. Not that the place was particularly busy on the weekend. It was interesting to note that most of the customers were Italians.
Was back on Thursday for a third time. It was still $6.50 for a coffee and roll and this time they did have the precious pine nut pastries. Got two of those for sitting by the beach. Once again got the sunny spot by the window. Both times during the week it was a Chinese guy doing the coffees. At least he doesn’t make them bitter like the Italian man did. But it’s not the coffee but the amazing munchies that made me give this place a second chance. Now it’s well and truly been added to the list of favourite lurking grounds. Eventually word will get around and either it will get very crowded or the prices will go up.
It’s funny because one of the members of the local writing group has just come from Europe and made some interesting observations about the Italians. She has recently migrated to Australia and had visions of this place being a cultural and culinary wasteland. Was she ever so surprised. She said the coffee here is better than any place she has been and especially mentioned the food. She had recently been in Italy and said most of their food and coffee was appallingly awful. Apparently the get rich quick and tourist trap mentality has taken over. But here the Italians still do stuff the old ways with real ingredients and old fashioned cooking.
While still thinking that their coffee is crap, their munchies are most definitely amazing and the old Italians with their large gardens on their quarter acre blocks are legendary. They still do stuff like pressing their own olive oil or devoting weekends to bottling their own tomato sauce. But they are becoming an endangered species. Many are getting into their 80s now and selling their houses and land. Nearly always the new owners subdivide, build 4 houses where one was before and the gorgeous gardens just get nuked in the process
There is the odd one that escapes but that is a story for another day.