TL;DR: Sometimes for the best kind of eating, it pays to give the local delicatessen a visit once in a while. That is what happened here, and it really personifies many overlooked aspects about what makes eating out memorable. Good quality food, the right sort of ambiance, and a genuine all-round satisfying indication of customer service. All of it was present here, and it is this kind of experience that is not going anywhere anytime soon.
While lots of cars are whizzing up ahead, on one of the most perpetually busy stretches of road anywhere in Brisbane, down below it is something of an amalgam of any suburban street full of apartments and downtown minus the grunge. Within this area is a rare kind of eatery within the central area of town, some that are undoubtedly timeless and not following trends, somehow sticking on as popular places to go once the trendiness has gone. Hiding within the foundations of the big bridge is the old-style delicatessen, one that can always be given more love, and be relied upon. That is the beauty of it right here.
It was one weekend like any other, going out for breakfast during the Sunday morning. For the most part, the plan of attack took the gist of what often happens - groceries, which is first preceded by getting some coffee to drink. Usually, it is in and around the local area, but a slight change of pace was underway this time around. He had been doing quite the bit of work around Kangaroo Point, and that is one place that is ripe for places to eat (which I have somehow managed to pass by until recently for some strange reason). He had known a few of them, in particular that has a great view over the cityscape.
There was that one place in mind, but also on the selection platter were a few places near the Story Bridge. Finding one of the streets that is either directly under it, or at least adjacent to the lower part of Kangaroo Point, what happened was getting a convenient park then walking around to see what looked good. I can't remember if there was more that was possibly on the list, since the stop-over had one place examined before moving onto the next place - and that place was right here.
Sometimes to decide on a place, all that needs to be done is to walk right in and have a gauge if the vibe is right or not. That was definitely the case here, and what a good call it was. Walking right in, the amount of space inside was much bigger than it seemed from the outlook. Like with many delicatessens out there, it is a combination of several food services done at a specialty price. Without much of a theme, the general gist of it is getting a bit of everything for reliable eating. Some smallgoods and fresh produce are there for a decent price to purchase, the counter is big, and houses all kinds of delectable items. Both inside and outside - the front and the back - they also have a number of tables to sit at, with plenty of space to move around. It is relaxed, and has its own character is terms of ergonomics and aesthetics.
Service is pretty much what has come to be expected around this part of the world. Adding to the vibe, they are definitely friendly and welcoming folk, whom do show some elements of working hard, and . That being said, the sequence in which the orders came out was a bit strange and lop-sided, with one meal arriving before both coffees were here; the hospitality isn't something that is lacking in any way, however getting the timing right might need a bit of tweaking here and there, and if they manage to get that underway it would undoubtedly be one of the prime locations anywhere in Brisbane. To play devil's advocate here, the vibe does invite people to stay and peruse the newspapers laying around so it is not so noticeable if they take their time, and if the order is to go it is quick as lightning. This is one sort of effort that is more relaxed, and kind of follows the basics. It is not one to be avoided, but it won't necessary be used for any pointers in customer service.
With all kinds of trendiness going around the place, and many other places just seeming to float by giving out the standard fare, a place such as this is a welcome find once in a while. To give it the best description in brevity, the food that they serve is basically home-style and traditional. They use trusted recipes, along with what they have got, to create meals which have an earnestness behind their craft. They serve breakfast and lunch, along with several cakes and drinks for a snack.
Getting to the breakfasts, something exists here for everyone that comes through. The first page has the vibe of either being simple, or getting the sweet options out in the open early. All of it starts with a basic breakfast component, and as it was already said they put what they have into it, thus exuding the impression that they have their own twist on it. After that are the bigger breakfasts, complete with the big options, the Benedict, and basically anything else that most people would want when heading out to eat breakfast. Every time, the components are given due attention regardless.
Lunch is not as exciting a fare, essentially recycling a number of breakfast options alongside some burgers, salads, and a few other basic snacks. Inside the cabinet might be the place to peruse for something a bit different, or there is all the wholesale fare that is around the perimeter. Then it comes to drinks, they have the general range of tea and coffee to start off with, then all sorts of sodas with the usual choices as well as house specialties, plus a big list of smoothies, juices, shakes et al. Essentially everyone is accounted for here, and it is all in the vein of being wholesome and home-style.
From my dining buddy's plate, I got a bit of his bubble and squeak. The mixture of potato, pumpkin, and corn was a solid base which also had mix-ins of cheese, bacon, and spinach to plump it up. With the addition of chipotle sauce, this was a smoky and substantial number. The small section I had confirmed that this place was going to be pretty good in the end.
Flipping and flopping between a couple of options, the magnitude won over in the end with the Ultimate Breakfast taking my fancy. More or less, this is the necessary big breakfast on their menu, containing a bit of everything major from the sides menu. This made for one huge, substantial sucker for breakfast, and it was the right call through and through. On the plate was some thick cuts of bacon, chorizo, sauteed mushrooms, oven roasted tomatoes, house-made potato cake, poached eggs - and the yolk being soft as always - all with some toasted Turkish bread. Each component of the dish was massive, and had a keen eye of quality considered. The sausage was thick and smoky, with a good lot of meat packed in, the bacon was thick and crispy, the eggs both were so plump, and the egg yolk thick and rich. The mushrooms were plentiful, just being cooked to the point of both releasing flavour and maintaining texture, and who could forget the potato cake? This was a winning combination of having a creamy texture in conjunction to the soft, fluffy finish of the potatoes, and a crispy finish outside. It is times like this when big breakfasts are hard to beat.
Then comes the coffee. Again, we meet our "friend" Merlo. Whatever could be good or bad, this is the one that relies upon the talent of the barista at the machine. That being said, they got to be on their game to make a great cup, because some can be ordinary if otherwise. This time around though, there was a competent barista at the helm and it even was pretty strong - a bizarre occurrence even when the coffee is good from Merlo. As per usual, it was the doppio. This was nicely extracted,
While perusing the menu, among the drinks section, one item stuck out to me for how strange it sounded. Being a milkshake fan - albeit not to the extent about ten or so years ago - it kicks into drive when there is a flavour that is somewhat unorthodox, or rarer to find. From memory, it might have been read somewhere about shakes that have flavours of soda in them. That being said, among the usual suspects on the menu there was also "creaming soda" as an option. During the meal, I pondered whether or not to try it out - and this would not be being written if the answer were no.
It was a last order, that was all made to go. And it was quite nice. The flavour was a little close to strawberry, and from what I could tell with seeing it prepared is they possible used the soda syrup with the milk instead of fizzy water. Also on that, it had the right amount of thickness, a cold, creamy texture with the milk and ice cream, making it one worth sweet finish to a generously-sized meal.
So overall, with the Story Bridge Delicatessen, there is no secrets here that is out and out down-home fare. They prepare it all in house, with fresh ingredients, the dishes are wholesome and use a general recipe with wriggle room to try new things out, and it is more delicious as a result. The price is also right, as is the value for money, and it all becomes more apparent with the setting. Whether it is to go, or to stay in for the meal, the staff here make you feel welcome, and it could not possibly be in a better position to make use of every draw card a place could have.
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