#coffee critic

[writingchallenge]

He sits on the stool, feet resting on the bottom crossbar as he sips from the ceramic mug. He opens the little black book before him. Scribbling notes with the elegant fountain pen before taking another drink. This time he waits a moment, looking up thoughtfully before adding his final notes on the shop’s new blend. Then with a satisfactory nod he closes the book and clicks the pen’s cap back in place.

[themelbournegentleman]

Food: The Jones Empire

Well it appears that Jason Jones is operating by the rule of three. By this I am referring to the three ‘tier one’ cafe’s he has opened in recent years. All three are similar in size and incorporate very similar menus, and thus they all abide by the same mantra – breakfast is not just for the morning.

Porgie + Mr Jones in Hawthorn, Friends of Mine in Richmond and Snow Pony in Balwyn have gradually all established themselves as some of Melbourne’s best breakfast cafe’s. Whilst all three abide by a similar philosophy, they each have their own unique vibe. 

They all take on a simple and no frills approach where quality trumps quantity and attention to detail is paramount.

The cornerstone of a good cafe is in the quality of the coffee. And all three mirror each other’s quality. Having said that, I believe that Friends of Mine is the most consistent, whereas Snow Pony can be rather hit and miss and Porgies is either outstanding or bitterly disappointing due to its high standards.

All three are located in Melbourne’s East, a good distance apart form each other which further adds individuality to each establishment.

Whilst they’re not quite of a St Ali or Auction Rooms ilk, Jones’ establishments are blossoming into fine little coffee haunts of their own, and they certainly have people talking, and munching and sipping on their lattes. 

Porgie + Mr Jones                                                                                                           291 Auburn Rd, Hawthorn

On a quiet little strip in Hawthorn, a rather unassuming shopfront has transformed itself into a cosy little cafe which caters for all types. Stay at home mums prance around in their gym gear, business men wander in and out for lattes and teenagers are seen here trying their hardest to impress their latest fling.

The multi room setup includes a simple front room which has a very edgy warehouse feel to it. The brick walls, wooden furniture and worn out paint work has a tinge of old classroom feel to it. Hardly your typical Hawthorn hang out.

Low hanging light bulbs complete the groovy ensemble and provide mums with babies with a slight distraction. 

The front counter is shoved full of baguettes from Noisette and Piadini’s (must try the meatball option!) and the well thought out breakfast menu highlights Jones’ opinion on the perfect hangover cure. Berocca in an orange glass bottle voices this belief.

The middle section of the cafe incorporates a living room style theme, with leather armchairs and a stair case providing that sense of warmth within the guts of the building.

Out the back is a cute little courtyard that is typically chock a block on weekends full of fitness enthusiast getting a protein kick after a morning workout.

Whilst the McPorgie is their signature item, the main draw card is the Smashed Avocado with thyme buttered mushrooms, poached egg on a thick slice of wholegrain toast. Polished off with a latte and you will be in heaven.

As I have previously mentioned, the coffee can either be first rate or not quite there, however it usually is top drawer material.

Friends of Mine                                                                                                              506 Swan St, Richmond

In a rather ambitious location, Jones has proven again that quality will gather the crowd no matter where the location is.

Far from the heart of Richmond, Friends of Mine has set the standard of cafes in the area. With nearby Channel 9 and SEN 1116 staff members frequently coming by for a caffeine hit the corner cafe is always buzzing.

Decorated with eye catching canary yellow awnings, Friends of Mine’s all day, every day; delicious breakfast has become a major attraction of this inner city suburb.

The interior is adorned with re-born industrial furniture and the place is given warmth by the daily dose of fresh flowers that find their place around the cafe.

Like the other two, this cafe focuses heavily on the utilisation of high quality ingredients to provide oomph to their brekkies. Tom Cooper’s smoked salmon is a proven winner as is the Goat cheese. However, the signature dish would have to be the appropriately named ‘Pick.Me.Up.Please’ which incorporates a small Noisette roll, with a few rations of bacon, homemade tomato chutney, scrambled eggs and melted Maffra cheddar cheese. Mouth watering I know.

Friends of Mine ticks all the boxes and makes sure that the customer enjoys every aspect of the experience. I’m sure there won’t be many complaints about this one.

Snow Pony                                                                                                                       95 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn

I usually can’t stand a cafe on a main road, but once again Mr Jones has taken something quite risky and turned it into another gem. The huge white pony on the roof of the frontage draws attention to this cute little cafe. Once inside you are almost bewildered to discover how big this place is.

After exiting the front room you are surprised to find the waiter ushering you into a hidden room behind the kitchen. Somehow they have transformed this storage space into a cosy little dining room setting that captures all the warmth you would expect from a coffee haunt.

The youngest of the family, Snow Pony has been pampered like a little princess with clearly the most attention of the three being put into it. In fact, they have even poached prized barista’s from Porgie and Mr Jones to give the Balwyn branch a little boost.

Similar to its sister cafe Friends of Mine, Snow Pony creates a sense of home away from home with baskets of fresh, bright flowers hanging from the walls. 

Now, if the McPorgie is what draws the crowds to Porgies, then it’s not hard to see how the ‘McSnowie’ does the same over here. The toasted English muffin with gypsy ham and creamy scrambled eggs is the masterpiece on their signature all-day breakfast menu.

If there’s one thing that Jones’ Balwyn venture can improve on is its consistency. Just like St Kilda’s wayward forward Justin Koschitzke, they can be rather hit and miss with their lattes but maybe I’m being just a little critical due to the standards set by Jones’ Inc.

MG.