March 6, 2010

81-83 Church St

Hawthorn Vic 3122

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Well, well, well, what a way to kick off a long weekend…..to be treated to some quality caffeination at the hands of the one and only David Makin, who was making a guest appearance for one day only, at the newly opened and much discussed CoffeeHit!

Greeted by Dave’s smiling face(excuse the photo, I never claimed to be a photographer), I was treated to the art of the barista being put on display at its finest, the guy was poetry in motion, a pleasure to watch!

The man was a gun, in total control of not only his equipment but of the entire cafe, it was running like a well oiled piece of machinery. But this is all about the coffee, not the barista, it was just so exciting to watch though……

Dave presented me with an espresso that he effortlessly squeezed in between the multitude of orders. A dense crema, thick and rich, aromatic on the nose with delicate inflection and color excited the senses and prepared the palate for what was sure to be an orgasmic experience. A complex drop, with delicate berries, a hint of chocolate and a strong finish that lingered and left me wanting more.

The Devils Cup is alive and well in the burbs, Hawthorn are blessed to have access to such a divine drop, this was evident by all the smiling faces, lots of mums, dads and babyccinos……

“A take away cafe latte, please Dave,” I begged as I was now in a rush to host my radio show, The Devils Cup. Always keen to oblige, he prepared 8oz’s of perfectly textured milk combined with 30mls of delicate espresso which kept me fuelled all the way to radio station 3WBC…..The rest as they say, is history!

thecaffiend humbly awards 3 BIG Beans to the crew @ CoffeeHit with the mighty Makin at the helm. Do yourself a favour and head on down to check ‘em out, you won’t be disappointed I guarantee you that, if you are, I’ll personally pay for the coffee ;)

Till next time, keep on Caffeining on………………………………thecaffiend.

Coffee: Veneziano

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Steve Agi
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February 13, 2010

309 Exhibition St

Melbourne  VIC  3000

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Well, well, well, here’s one that’s sure to strike a chord with coffee fans around town , it is the re-emergence of the original 7 grams owners, the brothers Haralambopoulos: Con, Peter & Jim…….at their new place called 65 degrees.

Sure to be a hit in the heart of the CBD, 65 degrees has just opened its doors to a caffeine fuelled city that is sure to appreciate the level of quality and meticulous care these brothers are sure to bring with them.

Judging by past performances it’s destined to be a BIG part of Melbourne’s funky cafe scene.

Just opened, it’s still a work in progress with this review being a sneak peek at the place before the brothers smother it with the sort of TLC that true operators show, that really set the great cafes apart from your run of the mill corner shop….

Gracing the bench space is the instantly recognisable little red La Marzocco which is as part of the brothers repertoire as is quality, service and plenty of big smiles…

The lads are now custom roasting all their coffee and let me tell you the ristretto that I was presented with was as good if not better than any I’ve had in recent memory. Need less to say my cafe latte chaser looked incredible and tasted even better, pure poetry in a cup!!

Keep an eye out for the updated review after the renovation in the next few weeks, and whoever emails me @ steve.agi@melbournecoffeereview.com and can tell me what significance the name has, or why you would think to name a cafe 65 degrees will win a copy of the cafe guide 2010 FREE !!

No beans to report yet, waiting for the make over before the official review, but go down and check it out, tell ‘em thecaFFiend sent you! Keep on Caffeining on!

Coffee: Gridlock (Custom Roast)

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Steve Agi
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February 4, 2010

114 Miller St
Preston VIC 3071

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tropical marine bivalve found chiefly off eastern Asia and Pacific coast of North America and Central America; a major source of pearls..

Ahh, nothing like a little love at 7:30 in the morning. Coffee that is.

Catching up for a good old yarn with Ben From Somage fine foods at his local, in the artistic district of Preston West. I admit this is not my first time here, and probably wont be my last. its a cruisy sort of a hang out right on the  no 112 tram line. Pearl Oyster occasionally wow you with espresso, but on this occasion it wasn’t to be. Under that lovely peice of artwork that protruded my cup was a coffee without the TLC it deserves. Whilst it was a very drinkable morning beverage, I know that should I try my luck again, the barista may be able to wow me with those supreme flavours Kiwi’s are so good at providing. A pretty good effort, but the bar has recently been raised in our great city..

In all.. awesome food, and the coffee deserves some credit too.

MCR says 1.5 beans

Drop in if your from Melbourne’s North!

Coffee: Coffee Supreme

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jamesclarke
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January 31, 2010

56 Nicholson St

Abbotsford   VIC   3067

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Baa Baa Black Sheep, have you any wool…….YES SIR! YES SIR! THREE BAGS FULL!!!!

Yes Sir! This is the bomb……….popped in for a sneak peek at Nathan’s new house of caffaination and even though it had only been open for less than a week, it was clear he had hit pay dirt just off the beaten track. People were flocking in droves in search of a quality caffeine hit, this place was HOTTER than HELL, they had to call out the FIREHOUSE to cool it down (see pic above)

Seriously though, this isn’t the review just a teaser, wanted you all to get a sneak peak through the eyes of thecaffiend at what is surely going to be one of Melbourne’s finest coffee destinations. The place was absolutely BUZZING! Espresso Nirvana was in the air, watch this space for the official review, but until then …….keep on caffeining on!

Oh Yeah, firetrucks were there for a false alarm down the road, but it was just soooo cool I couldn’t resist the shot!!

Coffee: 5 Senses

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Steve Agi
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January 17, 2010

@ David Jones

297 Little Collins St

Melbourne   VIC   3000

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Well here it is, after the small taste late 2009, the CaFFiend is finally proud to bring to you the official review of the much talked about and the amazing new concept in caffeination , the Sensory Lab.

So many reviews, so much talk, so much hype!

Is it all true? Is it all worth the fuss?

So many reviews, everyone is talking about it, it’s all the rage, the CaFFiend feels a bit overwhelmed trying to even mix it up with some of the best palates in the country who have given the latest addition to the Malatesta Corporation stable a go.

Words cannot explain the experience, for that is what it is, it is soooo much more than merely a cafe, is it the way of the future? Is this the first ripple of a fast approaching fourth wave? As it looks as if we have moved on from the standard fare of in house roasting and the whole third wave movement and embraced the natural evolution to make coffee into a total sensory experience.

The coffee(s) must be tasted to be believed, the focus on education and customer service exemplary, the whole experience is something that I highly recommend for anyone who is keen on trying not only some amazing coffee but experiencing something totally new.

Without a doubt 3 BIG BEANS, a real winner that must be experienced to be believed. Make sure you check it out, it is the future of coffee, tell ‘em the CaFFiend sent you!

Coffee: St Ali

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Steve Agi
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126 Union Street, Brunswick VIC.
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One of the hardest things to keep a track of in MCR is new cafe’s popping up in obscure places, so when my buddy and industry oracle Nathan Wakeford from Somage Fine Foods suggested we meet at a new place, I jumped at the chance. Face time with Nathan and a new cafe, I love it.

I arrived at Miss Marmalade (just 2 days old on my visit on Friday), and was greeted by what seemed ‘very friendly’ and enthusiastic staff (I didn’t know they had just opened). The place is immaculate, clean and laid out with an obvious attention to detail. There was even a tradesman still doing his thing while I was there, but it didn’t detract from the operations of the cafe.

I had a meet, a meal and held off my coffee until after a stupendous steak sandwich (nearly registered MelbourneSandwichReview.com), and then ordered up my double shot espresso. I was delighted at receiving a well presented, and simple coffee. What hit my lips was a smooth nectar that complimented my meal perfectly. Strong, and bold, with definite chocolaty taste.

Great job guys, welcome to MCR and a solid 2 beans.
(why Miss Marmalade?)

Coffee: 5 Senses
Barista:TBA
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Peter Christo
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January 10, 2010

Address: 1a Bluff Rd, Black Rock VIC.
Ph: +61 39589 1991
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It seems that every time I promise myself to slow down, the rhythm of life goes up a beat, especially now that MCR has taken over my life, thanks to y‘all (I mean that in the nicest way). I have been trying to shed some unwanted pounds by enduring a few regular circuits down near the rotunda at the end of Bay Rd in Sandringham. It’s a picturesque spot, but I have yet to find a worthy coffee spot there to end my session with (correct me if I am wrong).

At the end of this particular session, I opted to zoom up the road a few k’s to try and find a worthy play in Black Rock, and found myself in Odo, a rather trendy looking place on the very end corner of Bluff Rd.
Seems that it is popular with the bike riders as well as the intelligentsia of BR. Papers out, deep and possibly philosophical discussions, and from what I can tell, kiddie friendly!

All good signs, and behind the counter two men, who seems to be deeply in caffeine land, taking orders and pumping then La Marzocco to its limits. I was dripping with sweat, when I ordered the Long Mac, and then proceeded to gather intel.

Coffee was Gravity, a decent contributor in the caffeine world. While it took a while to produce (it was busy), the shots finally hit my cup, and I heard one of them yell out that it was ready.

I took my first sip with some hesitation as I stepped out into the street, fearing a tongue burn, but no. The sweet bitterness hit my pallet on the walk and the aroma wafted into my nose with delight. I could taste the crème, while never having actually seen it. I was happy, and by that stage less sweaty after my run. Obo is definitely a contender for Top 100/2011, and a solid 2 beaner for now.

Great job guys!

Coffee: Gravity

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Peter Christo
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January 7, 2010

261 Carlisle St

Balaclava   VIC   3183

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Well, well, well, as the old saying goes, better late than never and in this case truer words were never spoken!

It took the CaFFiend a while but I was finally able to make my way down the ‘golden mile’ of cafes and personally thank the creator of my famous Devils Cup latte art image, see left.

David created this a year ago personally for me and although he is reputed to serve one of the best coffees anywhere in Melbourne, lazy me took so long to get down there and see for myself, but let me tell you he is serving something very special, a custom blend out of Adelaide, care of RIO Coffee which will blow your mind.

It is truly everything it is reputed to be and then some, a passionate team, totally focused and caffeine fuelled, really and honestly possibly the best coffee on Carlisle St and that’s saying something with names like Gattica, Lad Chicas, Batch and Wall 280 all within walking distance.

Three BIG BEANS for the Midali team, and a BIG recommendation to one and all to give them a go, you truly haven’t lived till you’ve had some Midali Caffeination, but a question to ponder………What does Midali mean?

Till next time, keep on caffeining on……………………….The CaFFiend!!!!

Coffee: RIO

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Steve Agi
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