Friends Of The Earth and a stroll around Collingwood

I had a very early start to the day yesterday and as much as I don’t like waking up at 5:30am, I do love being out alone on crisp clear mornings.  I was waiting for a tram in the city at 7am and although my hands were freezing, I had to snap a pic of Collins Street:

When I was done with my appointment I had some more errands which took me to Melbourne Central, which is a shopping centre complex (and train station).  I was surprised to see this community garden set up in Melbourne Central, and people were seated against the plants reading or chatting with friends:

Glad to be out in the fresh (polluted city) air, my next stop was Smith Street in Collingwood:

A closeup of the poster in the top righthand window made me laugh in a resigned, unhappy way.  Meet our new prime minister:

I loaded up the Happy Cow app and found that I was around the corner from Friends Of The Earth.  Sweet!

On offer were a selection of sweet treats such as donuts from Crumbs though I opted for the fine looking cake which was apple and walnut.  The texture was very crumbly but that didn’t stop me, naaaatch:

I also ordered a soy chai to go with it, which was lovely:

I wish I had more time to look around Friends Of The Earth (check their website) and I’ll definitely be back:

 

Friends Of The Earth is located at 312 Smith Street, Collingwood.  Website here.

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Lunch at Gluttony It’s A Sin, Collingwood

Husband and I were passing through Collingwood today and as luck would have it, I very recently read about a cafe called Gluttony It’s A Sin and their vegan menu.  There are non vegan items too and I always like a thoughtful vegan menu as it means Husband and I can both find something we like.

The vegan menu has dishes that all cost $17.  The options were (and my memory is faulty here) a Japanese noodle dish, a gnocchi and pan fried veg dish, a portabello mushrooms dish and the coconut veg curry with Indian bread, which is what I ordered:

Although I’d never eat a curry-rice dish with bread at home,  I have to say this bread was delicious.  I used it to mop up the last bits of the curry.  The curry itself was fine, sweet without being too sweet though admittedly the presence of peas and corn kernels was a bit of a surprise (only because I never put them in my curries.  Peas maybe but definitely not corn).  But not a bad surprise as I very much enjoyed this piping hot curry on a cold Melbourne day.

The layout of Gluttony is just right, spacious enough not to be squished too close to people at the next table.  Staff were friendly and I liked that the music volume was low.  Always a plus in my book as I caaaan’t staaaaand loud music in eateries.

When we were done it was back to the car and off to finish our errands for the day.

Gluttony It’s a Sin is located at 278 Smith Street, Collingwood.

Sloppy Joes at Las Vegan Cafe

I never knew that sloppy joe referred to food.  Growing up, a sloppy joe was always an item of clothing.  I think it was only a few years ago that I discovered it’s also something you eat.  I always meant to try the food version but it’s not the sort of thing my family go for, so I never bothered.  And to be honest, the idea of a kind of bolognese sauce in a bread bun didn’t appeal much to me either.

Well, the other day I had some business to do in Collingwood and Las Vegan was very closeby so that’s where I went to eat, being a hungry vegan and all.  I’ve been there before and enjoyed my nachos but this time I saw the sloppy joe and knew right away that’s what I’d get.

The cafe was quite full with only one person serving but the atmosphere was laid back.  To be honest though, I was starting to get a little peeved after half an hour when my meal still hadn’t arrived.  It arrived bang on the forty minute mark, with an apology for the delay which was appreciated. I was in a hurry that day too, hence feeling a bit frustrated at the wait.  Behold:

My sloppy joe and chips sure looked great (in person, not so much in this photo).  Unfortunately the sloppy joe itself was cold.  Now, maybe it’s supposed to be that way, I don’t know.  In which case, I’d prefer the meal be warm.  If it’s supposed to be cold, it’s not something I’d order again.  I’m just not a cold meal person but hey, I put my salads and icecream in the microwave so feel free to ignore me.

Welll.  The sloppy joe tasted awesome.  The mushroom mince was great and the bun, although a bit too cold compared to the mince, was good and thick and chewy.  The chips were just right too although I’m not a fussy chip person these days.  I was absolutely stuffed.

A word of caution: ask for extra paper napkins.  It’s called sloppy for a reason.  The sauce was running down my hands and one napkin wasn’t enough.  Hell, take a packet of baby wipes or something!  Or maybe it’s just because I’m a sloppy eater.

Despite the delay in getting my order (on a day when I was already frazzled and in a sooky mood I admit) and the temperature of the meal, I’d definitely return.  Las Vegan have some great food and I look forward to trying other items.  When I left, I realised I was charged less than what the menu stated.  Perhaps this was because of the delay?  I don’t know, but I’m definitely going back!

Here are some pics of the drive back home:

Las Vegan Cafe is located at 22 Smith Street in Collingwood. http://www.lasvegan.com.au/