Sugar and Spice and all things nice

Ok ... well thanks to Melbourne Gastronome's (happy 2 year anniversary C) expose on East Brunswick and Matt Preston's Epicure review, and also to an impoverished fridge and the obviousness of what is termed brunch, we girded loins and headed out to Sugardough (163 Lygon Street East Brunswick):

We were lucky enough to score a table - the joint was packed and the steady stream of punters queuing at the front never abated for the whole time we were there which was at least an hour. So mental note - go early. We got there around 11.30-ish.

Now don't expect anyone to be frying eggs and bacon in a pan - you're not going to get a "cooked" brekkie here - but they will serve you a breakfast style panini or tarte tartin. I was hoping for the former but they had run out so I tried the tart instead:

M ordered the chicken ceasar version:

These are the sort of meals that good Melbourne cafes do so well - dishes that are simple in execution - literally just stand back and throw - but complex in flavour - its using local and organic produce and using it well. I am not a fan of relishes and/or chutneys, but I practically inhaled the tomato version that came with my tarte tartin. And the pastry was TDF!! M's ceasar was a real ceasar in fresh bread - and by that I mean with anchovies!! In places like these its a given that coffee is going to be great, but the sheer number of choices where sweets are concerned and rang-tangled way in which said wares are displayed almost caused a gastronomic stroke ... but the salve that soothed the hyperventilating beast was the creme brulee - I think there were 5 choices in all - I opted for the classic - and it ranks up there with the jerulasem artichoke version at Ezards - M had the chocolate and raspberry:

Now I have a customer service story (I remember our Deli girl stories JD .. oh how we laughed!). M's meal came out along with our orange juice (freshly squeezed) and our coffees. I told him to start eating while its hot and that mine was sure to come soon. I wasn't really doing the whole meerkat thing, and was just chatting away to M, but one of the staff noticed that I had no food in front of me, so she came and checked.

A few seconds later, what could only have been the owner, came and apologised and said that they had forgotten and did I mind waiting another 5 mins. I said that was fine and she then returned with the $9 we had paid and said that it was unacceptable on their part. She even wanted to comp us for the sweets but we didn't think that was right. NOW THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!!! If you made a mistake you should pick up on it quickly and make proper amends. We were suitably impressed and look forward to many more enjoyable mornings there.

(yes I live, eat, sleep, shit in this shirt - thanks CC)

So go already!!