Breakfast - meal of kings

Eating out is a real luxury. Food made by someone else always tastes better than something you cooked or prepared for yourself. One of the best bits about eating out is that you don't have to clean up. Cooking is not usually the part of meal making that I detest. I abhor the cursory glance back at the kitchen after slaving away cooking a lovely meal and knowing that, after eating, I need to clean that mess up. The clean up takes the sweetness out of a meal with the speed of superman and the strength of Arnie.

Plus, I love the presentation of meals at restaurants. MasterChef come at me, but I am not going to that kind of effort! While I enjoy food (and I actually like cooking) I don't have the skill nor inclination to do that at home. I love the surprise element of receiving the meal I ordered. Especially when there are berries and flowers involved. I am always a sucker for flowers but they can make a breakfast really pop.

Breakfast is my ideal meal out. While some people like dining on a feast for dinner; I love nothing more than getting up in the morning and heading out for breakfast. It's made even more perfect if you can find a quiet spot in the sunshine but even if it is cold and dreary out, breakfast is guaranteed to cheer me up.

My love of breakfast is not a secret. I have claimed it for many years - breakfast is the bomb! Breakfast sets the tone for the day. To me a nice meal at the start of the day, preferably shared with someone you love, is bliss.

I am lucky to be in love with a man who shares my penchant of breakfast. As such, we rarely go a weekend without enjoying a breakfast out. I love that we get to start the day with a special meal at the start of the day. It gives hope for a happy day. Time spent with my love in the morning means that we get to connect. We chat about our plans for the day and soak in each other's company without being rushed or stressed.


When it comes to selecting something from the menu, I am a sucker for smashed av but I am not a one dish wonder when it comes to breakfast. I also like french toast, pancakes and muesli and I have recently added porridge to my repertoire. 

I have always loves all the little things - little containers, little jugs or bottles of milk, a pot of jam, cute salt and pepper shakers. Breakfast, like dessert, presents an opportunity for such trinkets on the table.

Breakfast seems to be more seasonal than other meals, which I love. I love the thought of reduced food miles and the freshness of seasonal produce. I love the burst of fresh blueberries or the crunch of a new season apple. I love the fragrance of field mushrooms and the zing of winter citrus.

My sweet love and I have a couple of local places we frequent - Peddlers and Aunt Billies being our favourites. Peddlers make the best white chocolate raspberry muffin I have ever had. There's also Red Cup Cafe which has a great vibe. And I love the yellow chairs at Miss Polly's.

I am also a lover of artisan breads. Trend or no; I don't care. I love a grainy fresh bread. Crisply toasted and topped with avocado, a good Greek fetta (thank God for the Greeks!) and a generous splash of lemon. I am also happy to jump onto the black salt bandwagon. Though it makes for filthy fingers, it is delicious!

Breakfast not only literally breaks the fast of overnight, it sets you up for the day ahead. One of the reasons I love breakfast out is that it is generally so much more than the breakfast I would make for myself. While I have been known to whip up a smashed av dish at home, it's never as well thought out as the ones I have had out. A beautiful bread, perfectly toasted with avocado delicately mashed with the addition of lemon and feta is easy to achieve but I would never think to add sunflower seeds. Nor do I have black salt in a little dish at home. I definitely do not grow sugarsnap peas for a garnish! And that's what you get when you go out for breakfast. You get the extra little bit of effort that would be hard to justify if you're making breakfast for yourself.

One of my all time favourite breakfasts was at Top Paddock where I had breakfast muffin. All the noms! Honestly. Probably one of the least healthy meals I have had for breakfast but it was so delicious. Crispy with a maple glaze on the outside but soft and squishy on the inside it was perfectly balances with the tartness of the berries and the mascapone was to die for. I am not usually a huge fan of mascapone but this one was smooth and creamy with the perfect hint of sweetness. It perfectly complimented the dish.

Another was a nutella french toast from a little place in Cantebury that I have been two twice since and they have never again had the dish on the menu. Still, it holds a special place in my stomach and my heart. I ate that whole dish - every damn mouthful! I didn't eat for the rest of the day but it was totally worth it.

And qunces make every dish better! My reintroduction to porridge commenced with an incredible organic dish which was an incredible mix of soft and crunch from a cute little place (Feast of Merit) in Richmond that I dined at after walking the Tan (because my favourite Richmond breakfast place (before I found Top Paddock) - Demitri's Feast was closed and I was hungry!)

Also in Richmond was a recent find where my love and I went to breakfast before I had to work on a Saturday - Friends of Mine is well worth the trip. A funky little place with the most upbeat but not in your face waiter I have ever ha serve me, Friends of Mine was a really great place to eat with my love.