Sizzler Riverton

Overpriced. Simple as that. If you just order the salad bar option, there is quite a bit to choose from and you can get a decent feed. We found that if you hang out waiting for the fresh stuff and pounce when it arrives, you can get some decent salads. Kids will like it here, especially all you can eat dessert. For the price you pay, though, you should go elsewhere for a good freshly cooked meal.

Other Things You Should Know

• open for lunch and dinner every day
• Sunday breakfast available

Location & Contact

• address: Stockland Shopping Centre, High Rd, Riverton
• phone: 08 9354 2208
• web: www.sizzler.com.au

Mernda Bakery Cafe

We were very surprised and thankful to have found such a wonderful place. On this site a bakery first opened in 1892 and they have succeeded in recreating old world food, quality and service. On a cold day you can sit inside the old cottage, but we made the most of a sunny Autumn day in Melbourne and enjoyed the country ambiance in the garden setting. There is a nice selection of home made pies and breads made in their original Scotch wood fired oven, though we went for a chicken schnitzel roll and a beef salad. The kids had a couple of mini pies. All the food was great. The kids had fun exploring the veggie and herb garden, and checking out the chickens out the back. The friendly owner even gave then a guided tour of the herbs. We’ll definitely be back (next time we are in Melbourne!).

Other Things You Should Know

• closed Mondays
• takeaway bread available

Location & Contact

• address: 107 Schotters Rd Mernda, VIC 3754
• phone: 03 9717 5834
• web: www.bakerycafemernda.com.au

Naked for Satan, Fitzroy

Naked for Satan is a vodka bar serving pintxos, which are small snacks mostly served on a piece of bread, the Basque equivalent to tapas.  You can pick from a selection of pintxos at the bar or wait for some others that are brought around to the tables.They are only $1 each at lunch times during the week, which is unbeatable value. Two of us pigged out and only was $10 each. I love my bread, and there were enough choices to find something that was appealing. Not all of them were, but that is OK. There are even some sweet ones that you can save for the end. Even if you went at a time when they were $2 each, you would still get great value.

Other Things You Should Know

• make sure you read up on the legend of Leon Satanovich after which the restaurant got its name.
• open every day from 12 noon, and closing 12 midnight and at 1am on the weekends.

Location & Contact

• address: 285 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
• phone: +61 3 9416 2258
• web: www.nakedforsatan.com.au

Oakover Winery Restaurant, Middle Swan

The Oakover winery is situated in a lovely setting in the Swan Valley. We arrived early so had a tasting of a few of their wines, which tasted all right and were good value, so we bought a mixed case for $100. It was a pretty extensive menu. We started with the Bitz Plate, which had small amounts of grilled chirizo, ginger prawns, proscuitto and fetta, chicken liver pate and toasted bread. It was a bit of a mixed bag, mostly tasting OK but nothing special.

For mains I went for the seafood paella, something I tend not to order but very glad I did. It was very filling and great tasting, plenty of seafood mixed in. My wife tried the Black Angus Scotch Fillet served with potato rosti, broccolini with port and shiraz jus. She ordered medium rare, but it was more like medium. She was happy with the dish except for the poor amount of jus.

We finish by sharing a slice of cheesecake from their cake cabinet, there was a very good choice and it was a great way to finish the meal. If it is a nice day try and get an outside table overlooking the artificial lake like we did. Oakover is well worth the trip to the Swan valley.

Other Things You Should Know

• wine tasting available.
• open for lunch every day except Tuesday.
• Available for wedding functions.

Location & Contact

• address: 14 Yukich Close Middle Swan, WA 6056
• phone: 08 9250 8377
• web: www.oakoverwines.com.au

Cultural Tastes, Mount Hawthorn

Replacing on old favourite Kopi Tiam, Cultural Tastes tries hard to please a range of people. Reading the menu, there is an obvious attempt to sample cuisines form around the world, including Canadian pancakes and Spanish omeletes.

My wife went for the baked beans on crumpet, both freshly made, with a nice gooey poached egg on top, and I tried the cowboy breakfast, a mix of beans, omelete, chirizo, bacon, potato between two slices of toast, which surprisingly went together well (not so sure about the strawberries on the side!).  The coffees were too hot, but tasted OK once they cooled. It is much better than being served warm coffee though.  We ate in garden area out the back  - a very inviting and pleasant place to relax for breakfast away from the busy street.  There are a couple of toys scattered around so you could happily bring along your kids. The bookshop and gift shop out front seems out of place. They should put more seating inside for dining, as the weather gets colder they may well do this anyway. The waitress was polite and efficient, though the lady taking orders, possibly the owner, was not. Overall the food and outdoor setting make this a worthwhile eating destination.

Other Things You Should Know

• open for breakfast and lunch all days except Monday.
• there are books and gifts available in the front of store
• also does cooking classes

Location & Contact

• address: 167 Scarborough Beach Rd, Mt Hawthorn, WA 6016
• phone: 08 9242 1688
• web: culturaltastes.com.au (though still under construction when I checked)

Gill’d, Subiaco

Much to their angst, here is another ‘foodie’ blog about Grill’d. Maybe they don’t like them because the reviews are not always in their favour. Grill’d burger are pretty good, but I have a problem paying top dollar for any burger. The basic burgers are very good, but I don’t even want to try the fancy ones like the Goats Cheese & Hummus burger, or the perfect pear with a chicken breast, poached pear, fig paste, avocado, Spanish onion, rocket and parmesan. If I want gourmet food I’ll go to a gourmet restaurant. Just stick to classic burgers and do that well, and I’ll be happy. There is a great range to satisfy everyone, including veggie burgers and specific diets. They do a pretty good chip too, and are kid friendly, so I like to go to Grill’d.

Other Things You Should Know

• open every day 11am  to 10 or 11pm
• there are a few other locations about Perth, and they are elsewhere in Australia too.

Location & Contact

• address: Subiaco Square – Corner of Roberts Rd & Rokeby Rd, Subiaco, WA 6008
• phone: (08) 9380 9497
• web: www.grilld.com.au

Munchies 2 Go, Mount Hawthorn

A large sign out the front has caught my eye every time I go past this little cafe on Scarborough Beach Rd in Mount Hawthorn. They say they have the best burger in Perth, so I had to give it a try. As you can see by the photo below, they give it a great shot. The  first thing I noticed was that the burger was huge (there is no trick photography here).

They make the meat patty themselves. It was big but a bit moist, not sure what they have added to it. A good selection of salad has been added: beetroot (of course), cucumber, carrot, lettuce. If you are after a big burger, this is probably as big as you will get in Perth. There may be better tasting burgers, but this is up there too in taste.

Other Things You Should Know

• open during the day, week days only
• cheap coffee too

Location & Contact

• address: 194a Scarborough Beach Rd, Mt Hawthorn, WA 6016
• phone: 08 9444 3342
• web:  none