For some (evidently depressing) reason, I started this blog on my birthday, so today not only marks my own birthday but also the first anniversary of the Pursuit of Banana Bread! And here I am again, blogging on my birthday… Wooo? There are some very fun statistics to look at here, if you’re into that kind of thing. But if […]
Happy Birthday POBB!
The Pursuit of Banana Bread
You know there’s something wrong when getting a takeaway coffee becomes the highlight of your morning. It became the highlight of my morning mid-2022, a few months after my second baby was born. I found myself waddling a double-pram to the park each morning and proceeding to sit and with my eyes trained on a toddler who required constant observation […]
First Year Wrap Up
Well, it’s been a fun and fattening year, during which I’ve really gotten to know the good, the bad and the ugly (literally) of the Newtown cafe scene, and beyond! So let’s look at the stats. I’ve visited 138 cafes over the past year. I’m pretty proud of that effort. Overall, this is what I found: Coffee Banana Bread 34% […]
Is Newtown done? The future of the pursuit.
As the Pursuit of BB approaches the end of its first year, I’ve really slowed down because I’ve kinda felt like Newtown is done. It took me a while to realise the Wolf and Honeybee was in Newtown, but once I checked that off, I thought that was it. I’d been intentionally skipping Tokyo Lamington, since I both already loved […]
Els & Co Bakehouse, Newtown
I just happened to be visiting a friend at the Flourmill Studios, otherwise I never would have found this place. Tucked away down Gladstone St (think behind Young Henry’s), Els & Co is very off the beaten track and seems to primarily cater to nearby workers. The decor was a strange mix of bamboo and fake jungle leaves, with mismatched […]
Ariana’s Place, Newtown
I got a kick out of the advertising for this place. The flyer was in an envelope addressed “To our special friends on PHILLIP STREET, ENMORE” which is not only a little over-the-top, but also not even close to my address. Inside the envelope, the flyer was a dramatic open-the double-doors fold-out thing referring to the cafe as a “unique […]
What makes a good iced latte
Summertime and the livin’ is easy. The cotton is high and the coffee is iced. If only it were that simple, but the rules of coffee and everything that goes into making a good one are different when you’re trying to serve it cold. The ice waters everything down, so you need more milk and consequently at least a double […]
Little Island Hungry Sea, Balmoral Beach
I’ve had a really good run with cafes in Balmoral, so I was a little hesitant to try this little takeaway kiosk since there are so many seemingly better options. But this time I didn’t have the pram and needed the convenience of being right next to the playground, so we just toddled on over and were pleasantly surprised. Everything […]
Goods, Marrickville
My goodness, Goods has got the goods. Sleek and chic, this little hole-in-the-wall is part cafe and part hipster gift shop. The Butter Boy cookies caught my eyes (and the toddler’s) and I almost came out with a Goods-branded tote bag to boot. The manager/barista took pride in telling me about their roastery and Goods obviously cares about delivering a […]
Coco Madness, Chatswood
Sometimes you’re just in a busy semi-urban Westfield with very few options, so I tried out Coco Madness because I wasn’t game enough to go to the Three Beans after my experience at their Broadway branch. But Coco Madness wasn’t exactly a fantastic alternative. Even in a small, the coffee was too milky. I could barely taste the coffee, so […]
Kellerman’s Cafe, Marrickville
Conveniently straddling both Enmore Park and the Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, I loved being able to order poolside while the toddler splashed and the baby whinged. My coffee was surprisingly good for a pool kiosk, as was the banana bread. I ordered chips and nuggets too and everyone was happy. Although none of it was especially remarkable, that wasn’t the […]