Local Press Cafe, Kingston

It’s taken me too long to get to the most talked-about cafe in Canberra: Local Press, on the Kingston Foreshore.

I’ve big plans to arrive right on their opening time of 8am (on weekends) this Sunday morning, but it’s not to be. I’m still borderline gloating that we’ve made it to Kingston by 9am on a Sunday morning, but soon realise we’ll be competing for a table with people who’ve been up for hours and have already exercised and look pretty damn good for it. (I really wish I was a morning person.)

Local Press doesn’t take bookings so it’s all a bit chaotic: there are people waiting in various spots around the cafe for a table to come available. Many people are up at the bar in the centre of the cafe as a holding area, but with agreement from our waiter we take permanent seats there.

While this gives us a seat I think it confuses things a little bit, because it takes us some time to get a menu. It’s then only a few minutes for our orders to be taken, and our drinks arrive reasonably quickly, but it’s a good 40 minutes before our meals come out. It’s easy enough to guess this will be the case given the huge amounts of people they’re serving, but be prepared for a leisurely breakfast, not a speedy one.

Local Press is known for its cold pressed juices so I can’t go past the apple, kale, celery, lemon, cucumber and parsley juice for $7. It comes out in a cute bottle – which gets a good shake – and a straw.

Apple & kale juice with flat white

It’s cliche: I do feel healthier for drinking it. But I also feel conflicted because I really feel like I could have a second one, but would that make it too much of a good thing (or unhealthy?). I decide against it. Boyfriend is a little disappointed with his coffee, which he describes at lukewarm.

Poached eggs on rye ($13) with smoked salmon ($4 extra)

I have major food envy of Boyfriend’s dish of poached eggs on rye – it’s presented beautifully, the colours bounce off the plate, and there’s a lot of it.

Mine’s not so pretty, but there’s just as much.

Salmon and eggs sandwich with dill yoghurt, chilli jam, baby spinach, truss tomato ($14) and avocado and seeds (extra $3)

I don’t eat this like a sandwich, rather enjoying a slide of avo and seeds on toast, and another slice of chilli jam with eggs, baby spinach and yoghurt. There’s a lot on this plate as well, and it’s a struggle to finish. The overwhelming impression I’m left with is just how fresh it all is; it really does feel like only the best ingredients have been used.

Local Press Cafe’s food is as well designed and prepared as its decor and seating – to the point that it borders on too good, if there is such a thing. The throngs of people are testament to that, but serve as a warning – this isn’t for you if you’re in a rush. Bring in a newspaper and relax with a juice and a coffee, and prepare for the breakfast to be your main meal of the day!

Date: Sunday, 26 October 2014

Where: Kingston Foreshore

Cost: $45.50 for two breakfasts, a coffee and a juice

Value for money: The meals are assisted with the add-ons which makes them more expensive; for the quality of the ingredients and the amount, it’s great value

Worthwhile factor: Worthwhile

Want more? Try out the website, or Rachi’s excellent review.

 

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C Dine Bar, Kingston

C Dine Bar is the recent winner of the AHA Award for Best Restaurant in Canberra. It has a prime location on the Kingston Foreshore, and I’ve always admired its vast outdoor seating and heard rumours of its excellent seafood.

10 minutes after arriving at the Foreshore we’ve taken advantage of the bright warming sunshine on this cool day and we’re sat outside with menus and views.

Not so sure about Foreshore

It had been raining. We’d been warned that it would continue to rain. Everywhere, shops were sold out of plastic ponchos. I remained hopeful that the weather would clear and we’d have a great and just slightly damp day, while T2 remained a bit more sceptical. But, being Foreshore veterans, there was no way we weren’t going. And, we both turned about to be right about the weather…

I woke up the morning of Foreshore to go to a dreaded exam. There were dark clouds and it was spitting, and I was rugged up in a jumper and ugg boots. But, on the other side of the three hour time warp that is an exam, there was a miracle: sunshine! And heat! And the ground was relatively dry! Amazing. It was time to forget about the exam and put on some summer appropriate clothes!

Foreshore is a music festival which claims all kinds of fans with a number of stages, and a big open area. Some of the big artists this year were LMFAO, Gotye, Boy and Bear, and even Salt n Pepa! It was a line up to get excited about, and we’d bought out tickets mid-year. But, that’s not where the costs stop. Music festivals are synonymous with exorbitantly priced drinks and Foreshore is no different, so we had a few pre-drinks beforehand before heading down to Parkes with our tickets in hand.

So, what does T2 reckon about Canberra in general?

* This post was by T2, a co-author of In The Taratory from 2011-2013. *

Canberra. The mere mention of this word usually results in a screwing-up-of-the-nose or rolling-of-the-eyes. I’m now used to this reaction when I tell interstate friends where I live. But, after three years of being based in our nation’s capital, I’ve come to realise that there’s much more to the city than meets the eye. While it certainly is public servant territory here, it really doesn’t have to be all work and no play.