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MELBOURNE | The Nook Cafe Shop Maribyrnong is one of those places that’s a pleasure to eat at. Don’t get us wrong, we love going to the hottest inner city breakfast spots and trying the amazing, innovative breakfast creations on offer in this city but sometimes we don’t want the long lines and we don’t want our taste buds to be challenged. Sometimes we want simple, classic breakfast dishes done right and good old fashioned service, the kind of which you can only get when the owner is also the person who runs the place on a day-to-day basis.
We found out about The Nook Cafe Shop when employee Amy contacted us on Facebook and invited us in, responding to our open letter to Melbourne’s lesser known food spots. We weren’t quite sure what to expect when we drove into to the car park in small unfashionable strip mall along a nondescript street. When you walk inside however, it’s clear that there’s a real passion about the place. There are pictures of dogs being cute, along with books and homely decorations dotted around. Locals walk in and the staff know what they’re going to order before they’ve even looked at the menu. We had a chat to owner/chef Nicki Wierzbowski and she joked that the locals “always come in and take a look at the menu, but we start cooking their food anyway because we know what they’ll end up ordering”. We also had the chance to take a look at Nicki’s kitchen and to say that it’s small is an understatement. There’s hardly any bench space, no oven, and only one hot plate for grilling. The menu’s very focused, and when you see the kitchen for yourself it’s impressive that even that much variety is offered.
Speaking of the menu, there’s coffee which is tasty and hits the spot and a range of favourites like porridge, muesli and a few different types of muffins and toast options. It’s not fancy, but when it comes out you can’t help but be impressed by the size of the servings and, on first bite, the quality of the food. We went for the toast with mushrooms, spinach, avocado, feta and poached egg and a toasted English muffin with avocado, tomato, bacon, egg and relish. Both were excellent, with the flavour of the quality ingredients shining through. The Nook Cafe Shop isn’t going to make it onto any “best breakfasts in Melbourne” lists, but it’s the kind of place that anyone would be happy to have as their local breakfast joint.
The Nook Cafe Shop’s tagline on Facebook is “we’re not fancy, no kale or green smoothies…just awesome all day breakfasts” and and after our visit there, we’d be inclined to say that this isn’t a bad thing at all. Great food, a casual space, friendly enthusiastic staff, and an owner who truly cares about what she does. What more could you want?
The Nook Cafe Shop
23 Wests Road
Maribyrnong
Victoria 3032
Australia
Telephone: 0425 722 226
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: Facebook
Open
Tue – Fri: 7:30am to 3:00pm
Sat: 9:00am to 3:00pm