Guest Reviewer does Bayside! Vic, Australia.

Here's an email review I received from an MCR Fan.
Thank you Davinia!

Peter Christo
PS: Pics anyone?

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A couple of spots that I would like to see reviewed is "The Cafeteria" on Bluff Rd, Black Rock. It has a relaxed, classy bayside atmosphere, produces a lovely brekkie (the freshly baked coconut and lime bread is a one of a kind treat) and my dear friend, Andy works behind the counter and serves up a loverly skinny latte.

I cant speak for the rest of the team, because Andy only ever has made my lattes there. But a great (and popular) cafe.

Also, just up bluff road from the Cafeteria is "Chives", which serves many hospital staff a real caffiene fix from Sandringham Hospital across the road. I tried a tiny little glass of black coffee with icecream in it last week (just to experiment) and didn't know what to think. Id never had anything like it before and I think Ill save my money next time. But I am glad I tried it. The staff are friendly, the interior is not as sun bathed as the Cafeteria, but it is a welcoming cafe offering some very appetising lunches and nibbles.

-Davinia

BWS On Nepean - Melbourne

 

I have been meaning to try this place for a while. It is a BWS drive through bottle shop on Napean Hwy. They turn it into a drive through coffee shop from before 6am, to I'm guessing late morning. Two pretty young ladies made me a pretty good Macchiato before my breakfast seminar at the Point in Albert Park. Pretty good, but no bean. 

Kat Bahlloo - 107 Acland St, St Kilda, VIC Australia.

This place is a sincere departure from your general techno hole. It is a fully licensed cafe and bar and has the most friendly young lass from Canada serving up the coffees.

That friendly (and genuine) hospitality translated into a lovely Long Macciato. She is not a 'fully trained' barista, but I think she did well in delivering a coffee at the right temperature and consistency. I mentioned I like the milk on the side, but other than that she did well.

They have just cut across to Dimattina Coffe. For me not the best brand in the market but this place ticks a wide range of boxes. Cleanliness, Friendliness, Great breakfast, great coffee and an environment perfect for road warriors looking for a place to do a little work off the laptop. Oh yes and wifi off ADSL2 for just $2 per hour... fantastic.

Two solid beans and a high recomendation to visit!

P

Here's the pic...

MCR & Black Gold

Hi all,

until now MCR has been a bit of a hobby, but more recently I have been getting a niggling feeling all is not perfect in paradise. Reality is that there is a disparity between our kicking back enjoying a long macciato in the CBD, and the farmers who produce the coffee. A new movie about this issue called Black Gold. It has gotten rave reviews at the sundance film festival. Here's a snippet from the director:

"We were provoked to make a film about coffee after it was announced at the end of 2002, that Ethiopia was facing another famine. Twenty years earlier people across the world had been motivated to respond to this crisis in Ethiopia. But still, even now nothing seems to have changed. We wanted to fire up a western audience to realize that the problem had not gone away. But this time we wanted to find a way to make it connect to our every day lives. Read the snipped form the directors below:

"Our hope was to make a film that forced us, as western consumers, to question some of our basic assumptions about our consumer lifestyle and its interaction with the rest of the world. And in doing so, we wanted to challenge the way in which the Western media bombards its audiences with an overload of de-contextualised images depicting poverty in Africa with no link to our own lives. ...."

We are talking to the producers of the movie about what we can do, and have also renamed the coffee club pod to "Black Gold" as a group that shares knowledge and ideas regarding how MCR can help locally. IF you are interested, join black gold off Podmatcher.com.

Peter

Orange - 126 Chapel St Windsor VIC Australia

This place was a welcome step up in quality. They served me up a long macciato that was devoid of even the sligtest bitterness. Its crema was smooth and creamy and it was nice and hot as I like it (amazing the luke warm macc's served up aroud here). The service was friendly, attentive and relaxed. I certainly felt welcome. No wifi, but it made up with ambiance that was groovy and hip. I'll be back for my bean review.