Thomson Cafe and Food Store
A home away from home in Northcote.
Overview
Sometimes you want a great cup of coffee without a side of pretence. Sometimes you want a rustic and wholesome meal without having to make it yourself. And sometimes you just want a pot of homemade preserves without having to sterilise jars. Where perhaps might we find a cafe like that? Thomson Cafe and Food Store, my friends, fulfils all of the above and feels like an extension of your own home, in the best possible way.
Whether it's a takeaway coffee or lunch for the family, these guys know what's up. With limited seating of under 30, intimacy is felt no matter what the occasion — in more of a cosy way rather than an accidentally drinking your neighbours water kind of way.
When it comes to the menu, it's broken down into breakfasts, egg based goodness and 'lunchy things'. If it's closer to the AM the freshly baked crumpets served with butter and house made lemon curd ($11) is a hearty and decedent choice, while the avocado on organic sourdough served with house marinated feta, lemon, and toasted seeds is never a bad idea ($9 for one slice, $13 for two). For a more egg-based feed, the #2 baked eggs with caramelised onion, spinach and house marinated feta served with sourdough ($15) is creamy and rich, just the way you want it. Hangover = cured.
When it comes to lunch, the virtuous among us can't go wrong with the brown rice salad with pickled ginger, avocado, cucumber, nori, black sesame, wasabi mayo, and salmon ($19), while a sandwich of poached chicken, walnuts, tarragon, spinach, parsley and aioli ($14.50) goes down just as nicely.
For those who steer away from caffeine, hot chocolates of almond milk, raw cacao and dates heats you up without the sugar, while green juices and smoothies keep you going.
We can't really fault this little local cafe who not only make most of their food and baked goods in-house, but grow most of their produce as well. We just hope you don't all go at once.
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