Royal Treatment

On a freezing May morning a brisk walk seemed like the right thing to do to warm things up ! I'm not really inspired to walk around a lake,oval or park.. I need to see and take in the environment around me, looking at a never ending dirt path bores me and  I  give up way too easy defeating the purpose of a walk  in the first place! I rugged myself up and headed to the other side of town - South Yarra... I parked on Chapel St and decided to walk the 1km to Windsor's Duke's Coffee Roasters http://www.dukescoffee.com.au/ and back! A little over 2kms was better than a half arsed attempt around the Tan! The walk was pleasant and over in an instant... and much more interesting! People still tumbling out of Revolver at 10am, looking shamefully off their faces.. made me giggle...   Thinking about  how hideous they must be feeling  and I was already at Dukes.  Walking in the place enveloped me with warmness and inviting staff. It  was packed for Saturday morning brunch, but that's to be expected these days!  I managed to perch myself up at the bar next to the wondrous MISTRAL coffee machine.  The waitresses were fresh and gorgeous and happily take my order with pizazz... the Barista's were also movie star handsome, chiseled features concentrating on making the perfect cup, gotta love the passion. Dukes have every kind of  coffee.. pour over, syphon and filtered.. and then just the regular kind of stuff I drink.

The food also looked marvelous... Banana Bread with Vanilla cream, banana and salted caramel nearly tipped me over the edge... with banana a delicacy these days, this is how Id like to consume mine! They also had an array of gorgeous sweet treats that I salivated over whilst waiting for my coffee, Pineapple Tart Tatin, peanut butter cookie's , the list goes on... alas I resisted all of these in favour of a soy cappuccino.  My coffee  had a dense bittersweet creama, I  tried to taste the flavours described .."Costa rica Lanca la lajas - from the foothills of Los Angeles, a clean coffee with notes of dark chocolate, strawberries and stone fruit.. Good Body.. sweet and creamy!" Wow  it perfectly described the coffee I drank (hopefully that is what I had!) 

I loved this place.. another weekday haunt if I can be bothered to do the drive! (next time I'm having that banana bread for sure)

On my walk back to the car  I bypassed Borders.. looking for some Emily Giffin books and who can  ignore a good sale (although sad that they are closing!) I found a EG book I did want for 60% off... I also  did consider buying ... 'Start Dreaming , start living', 'You're stronger than you think', and  'How to split up and stay in one piece' ... of course my better judgement told me these were a load of rubbish and I could get my positive psychology from somewhere else..  I was  much better off with my Emily chic lit!!!

Whilst over in that side of the city I just had to drop into Luxbite!! Having tasted their macaroons at Elevenses , I just had to get some for mum for mothers day.. I sat in and had a soy piccolo.  It was a perfect coffee.. so lovely and strong (using Toby's estate beans!) I picked 4 macaroons... salted caramel, white chocolate and raspberry, peanut butter and jelly and passion fruit for mum! Can I say I managed to get home  and then it was over red rover, Darby and I scoffed the lot! So easy as they are soo small and light ad downright delicious !

I was back there the next day to get actually get ones for my mum ... ironic though that I was given a Macaroon cookbook  for mothers day(the second one in less than a month!!) stay tuned for Java Jane's macaroons!!!

Oh and I think Luxbites motto is probably T-shirt material too!! (after my - Life is too short to drink crappy coffee get printed Ill be getting this one!)     Life is uncertain - Eat dessert first!!

  



Love the wedgwood saucer!!



On mothers day we caught up with the rest of the extended family for a coffee in  Flemington! We went to a favorite of my cousins called Made in Pin Oak Crescent ..she later told us she had donated all of our gorgeous Granny' teaspoons to the cafe (around 30 or so in total). This one is most likely hers served with my aunties Tea - The spoon is proudly from Eaglehawk, where I went to high School! Ill be going back just to see what I get next time. (The coffee was  good too!!)

Glad to be back online!

Until  Next time......

Check out the Eaglehawk symbol!