The Coffee And Cake Walk

The Age

Tuesday February 22, 1994

Terry Durack

COFFEE and cake are more than just two passive, do-nothing nouns. They combine, these days, to form a fully fledged action verb. To coffee and cake is to take part in one of life's most meaningful and satisfying rituals. To have been coffeed and caked is to have been blessed with a bonding, warm and caring inner glow.

Knowing that coffeeing and cakeing is the acid test of a good cafe, I set off on a little walk along Melbourne's home of hardened cafe dwellers: Brunswick Street.

First stop is the new kid of the block, Babka, the brand new baby of Frieda Ezard and Sasha Lewis, last seen at that likeable city lunchtime spot, Fitzsimmons. Although barely two months old, Babka already has that laid-back, lived-in Brunswick street feeling with its randomly distributed newspapers, and scattering of slow-motion locals who appear to float in a poetic haze, rather than walk.

The food here is eclectic even for this eclectic street, running from a breakfast special of baked summer fruits with yoghurt, Russian borscht, well-bred sandwiches, to a variety of pies, including an exotic veal pie with Moroccan spices.

Sasha Lewis' son Niko, a qualified baker who has been working with Louis Vaussenat at the George in StKilda turns out a variety of breads every day from the bakery behind the cafe, while his shoofly sticky buns are already a Brunswick Street institution.

But it is the display of cakes that takes the eye, including a glorious-looking Hungarian plum cake, a divinely decadent chocolate mudcake, and a suitably sticky Roux Brothers lemon tart. I have eyes only for the flourless orange and almond cake. Claudia Roden, who is generally credited with popularising this Middle Eastern marvel, would have been mightily impressed. A high, wide and handsome slice, it is fall-about moist with a terrific citrus twang and a satisfying, nutty crunch. Sheer magic, especially when combined with a soul-stirring caffe latte made with Grinders coffee and coaxed from Frieda's pride and joy, a Bezzerra Espresso machine.

At $3 for the cake and $1.50 for the coffee, this is one of the great Brunswick Street bargains, wrapped in a laid-back rumpus room atmosphere.

Across the road is another newcomer, Vertigo. Open late every night, pumping out coffees, pastas and fish 'n chips, it feels a bit sleepy in the mid-morning sun, in spite of the snazzy overwrought iron decor.

While nearby cafes Nova, Marios and Skizas are all go go go, Vertigo is barely open, and all but empty.

The cakes are out for all to see, however. Although not made on the premises, the solid and serious cheesecake, the carrot cake, the glossily dark chocolate cake and our old friend the flourless orange and almond cake all look the part. I pick a high-rise banana cake ($4.50), topped and middled with full-on banana icing. It turns out to be fresh with a good texture, but a little overwhelming in its sugary sweetness. And while the coffee ($1.50) is once again from the venerable Giancarlo Giusti of Grinders, my cappuccino comes with a giant airhead top that is all froth and bubble, looking for all the world like a shopping centre coffee rather than a serious cafe street coffee.

While the place comes alive at night, in the cold, hard light of day, Vertigo feels a bit me-too and lacking in atmosphere to be ultimately satisfying.

It's time to dip a spoon into the cream of the cafe crop. Along with Marios and the Black Cat, Cafe Guernica is part of the infamous Brunswick Street triangle, that murky sea of espresso strewn with lost souls and floating wannabes. With its anodised drop lights, explosions of gladdies and Coles caff crockery, this is hard-core Fitzroy where tourists (ie. those from South of the Yarra) are only tolerated.

Breakfast is served all day until 6pm and ranges from a body-building fry up to a bowel-affirming muesli, while lunch and dinner revolves around pasta, risotto and grills.

As I approach the cake counter, a chef from the kitchen appears bearing a vision covered in a comic snowdrift of cream and chopped strawberries. The bread-and-butter pudding, chocolate cake and apple- and-pear cake haven't got a chance.

I settle down with a serious slice of this just-baked strawberry shortcake ($4.50) and a Lavazza coffee ($1.50) coaxed from the trusty Gaggia, which has guts and bite.

The cake is a down home, sponge affair, all fresh and bouncy with a good spread of finger-licking, strawberry-imbued cream. It makes me feel as though I've just come home from school and ended up in an episode of `Leave It To Beaver'.

Feeling very coffeed and slightly over-caked, I hit the street again.

The time has come to get chardonnayed, curried or spaghettied instead.

BABKA. 358 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Tel: 4160091. BYO and Licensed.

Open for breakfast, lunch and morning and afternoon coffee from 7.30am. Tues to Sun. (Soon to open at night). BC MC V.

VERTIGO. 315 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Tel: 4171414. BYO (wine only) and Licensed. Open from 11am to midnight. BC MC V.

CAFE GUERNICA. 257 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Tel: 4160969. Licensed.

Open 7am (8am on Sundays) to late, 7 days. AE BC MC V.