When I moved to Essendon 10 years ago, it was pretty barren of good eating choices. Don’t get me wrong, there was the odd find: Friends of Ours already existed, and became my local. And there’s always been that good Thai place on Mount Alexander Rd, though it’s changed too over the years. And there were other places that have come and gone in the same/same but slightly different café genre. But the variety of truly excellent eating venues in Essendon and Brunswick West is starting to rival Brunswick proper, in my opinion, as long as you know where to look. And I’m still kicking myself that I’ve been a Napier st local for years, and I’ve not looked hard enough to find the Gem that is Essendon A1 bakery. Until now. I finally stumbled in on a rainy afternoon last week, mostly to escape the cold but I quickly decided I could use a coffee and might take some zataar bread. Once inside the cosy seating area that precedes the counter, I knew I was in for a treat. In front of me, the display cabinet advertised a wide range of baked goodies, both vegetarian and filled with lamb, so I was spoiled for choices I hadn’t even known I wanted! My coffee became a late lunch, and another great experience of café dining in the Essendon area, which I am starting to love. I was the only one when I arrived, but it quickly proved a popular place for solo shoppers and the school pick up crowd.

I ordered a cheese and spinach pie, and it was heaven. Seriously. Warm, and oozing delicious, salty cheese, the bread was soft and completely satisfying. With every bite sesame seeds were shed onto my plate along with beautiful dollops of cheese that I greedily scooped up with my fingers at the end. I wasn’t’ missing a morsel! It’s true that I might have had cheaper pies, but nowhere have I had one as fresh and definitely not as tasty. My mouth is watering as I write this. The coffee was worthy of note.
I may have missed eighteen months of enjoyment by walking past this place (on many occasions) but I’ll stopping by again really soon. With a variety of pides, dips and delicious Middle Eastern bakery treats to enjoy, I want to make sure I make up for lost time really quickly!