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Organic Market and Café
Shop 5, Druids Avenue
Stirling South Australia 5152
W not available
E not available
T 8339 7131
F not available
OPEN Monday to Friday 7.30 am to 5.30 pm, Saturday 8.30am to 2.00 pm
FOOD The Organic Market and Café is something of an institution for hills folk and despite the fact that numerous establishments that have opened in recent years they remain the locals local. Like Wild Thyme on Melbourne Street it is a caféand small supermarket combo. There is something really lovely about The Organic Market and Café from the old–fashioned big red light bulbs decorating the tree at the entrance. They made an exotic backdrop for two gleaming red Harleys watched over by a gorgeous sad eyed cocker spaniel tied to their little fence and loking longingly at the food of a teacher marking papers in the peace and quite of their outside area. Inside everywhere you look is a rumble tumble of little touches that make the whole. Small things like self–service cold water, tucked in amongst a clutter of community newspapers and a little exhibition tacked to any available remaining wall space. Then there is a gorgeous decoupage table with matching stools, bright shiny tomato red with old–fashioned tomato can labels set into the sheen. There’s something of a hippy feel in parts of their little but very well stocked supermarket, and other parts that are a reminder of the gorgeous delicatessens in the hills of northern Italy, with a table laden with different types of olives, sun–dried tomatoes and the like. Fruit and vegetables are lovingly displayed on purpose built metal stands that have the look of tiered cake plates for giants. Nothing is massed but there is plenty of quality and variety and they also run an extensive selection of sprouted, organic and gluten free bread. In fact The Organic Market and Café ispretty much a one–stop shop that includes lovely big organic chickens. To put the café in the proper context it is important to explain there is great simplicity in their food. The standard is about the same as okay home cooking, but their simple food is freshly made, tasty and inexpensive and at least it doesn’t pretend to be something that it is not. We are utterly fed up with being served food that in most good restaurants would go in the bin. Its tough when you run a restaurant, especially if trade is quiet, but there is a huge difference between something made fresh that day and nasty soggy reconstituted frozen pannini, horrid sour re–warmed mash potato or micro–waved cake that has been lingering for a month in the fridge, probably uncovered, if the taste is anything to go by, for god knows how long. There are none of these disappointments at The Organic Market and Café.
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Their blackboard menu usually runs to a soup, a pasta and a mixed salad, probably no more than six choices at any one time and all embellished with a range of focaccia and wraps, made that morning and just about always run out of by 2.30pm. Coffee is excellent and we shared a quince tart and a very good honey cheesecake. In fact, the honey cheesecake was so good we wish whoever made it would share their recipe. Price must always be taken into context and whilst a slice pie or cheesecake is never perfectly cut or prettily plated, we are more than happy to compromise the look for the taste and freshness for the small price. Breakfast is not the full bacon and eggs type, but freshly baked sweet and savoury muffins, Bircher muesli and fruit compote and just assembled focaccias.
The Organic Market and Café caters for their community and when many nearby establishments are almost empty during the lunch hour they remain as packed as ever. This is the hills place for a snack, a fresh bread roll, a just made wrap, a slice of cake and a great coffee and it has to be appreciated they do not pretend do be anything they are not, which after the many recent dining disappointments is a very welcome change.
WINE — unlicensed. |
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