Bosisto's the best on Bridge

One recent Sunday afternoon, my friend K and I had a hankering for something special and something breakfast-ish. Bridge Road in Richmond is predominantly known for its shopping and has never wowed me with its trail of food joints. While there is an abundance of very mediocre and over-priced breakfast fare, there is a noticeable lack of quality dining choices along the popular retail precinct. This to me is disappointing, because I like nothing better than an occasional cheeky Sunday morning 'shop til you drop' - by which point I am absolutely famished and in need of a decent feed. With this in mind, I was delighted when we stumbled across Bosisto's - an inviting, cosy little timber-furnished bar nestled in among a sea of average. Their lunch menu looked simple yet scrumptious, but it was really breakfast grub that we were craving.

We entered Bosisto's, sceptical about whether we could get away with ordering breakfast, despite it being past lunch time, however a friendly waiter greeted us and joked that it would be just cruel of him not to let  us to order from the breaky menu. Delighted at this news, we hurried in out of the cold and were seated at one of the cosy leather booths along the wall. I must emphasise how comfortable these booths were - I wanted to stretch out and put my feet up! The atmosphere was so laid-back, I probably could have got away with it! Despite the lack of other patrons, there was still a pleasant, buzzing vibe that made me instantly content. 

I was most impressed by the bold move to put "A Glass of Goon" as one of the menu options. No kidding. Sure, many restaurants cleverly promote cheap cask wine as their "house wine", but to just cut the crap and simply put "goon" on the menu got me downright respecting Mr Bosisto, whoever he is, before I had even tasted anything. I won't lie, it is probably the greatest thing I have ever seen on a menu. 

Flashbacks to uni days aside, this daring little eccentricity was by no means any indication of things to come. The standard of food was far superior to what one might expect from a menu that included goon. K decided to channel her inner-sweet tooth and ordered the scrummy French toast with  a generous drizzling of honey and toasted walnuts ($16), while I couldn't go past the "il Classico" - gooey poached eggs, melt-in-your-mouth buffalo mozzarella, garlic-infused  oven roasted tomato and perfectly paper-thin slices of prosciutto ($16). Drool! It was so, sooo good.

Satisfied with our meal choices and incredibly comfortable nestled inside our booth, we decided to make an afternoon of it. As the late afternoon August rain set in, we sat chilling out with deliciously naughty Bloody Mary's for another hour or so, soaking up the ambiance inside our warm little Bosisto's haven. I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Unless we'd ordered the goon, then perhaps our Sunday afternoon really would have got better! Hmmm... anyone for a layback?

Bosisto's Liquor Bar

318 Bridge Road

Richmond

Ph: 9428 6888

Baclava toast and ouzo for breakfast

From their clever reuse of industrial fetta tins as seating, to their innovative breakfast menu, Demitri's Feast hits the mark when it comes to finding an original breakfast spot in Melbourne. Demitri's stands out as one of the best in its class, insisting on using local, fresh, seasonal, free range and organic products to serve breaky and lunch with a distinctly Greek influence. Its bright Meditteranean-blue exterior stencilled with white tree patterns quite literally stands out among the drab shop fronts in Richmond's Swan Street. 

You won't find any plain old bacon and egg rolls at this place. Demitri's prides itself on its trademark quirky twists on classic dishes. You won't see a drop of maple syrup in sight when ordering the Baclava French toast ($11)- Demitri's signature dish and a local's favourite. Rather, the two whopping slabs of eggy, toasty goodness come served with a dusting of crushed walnuts, a dollop of the freshest greek yoghurt and a heavenly orange honey syrup. But words don't do it justice. You just must try this Greek spin on a French classic - it is seriously awesome. 

Other menu items include Poached Eggs with ouzo and dill cured salmon and spinach ($15.5), Sage Mushrooms with manouri cheese, toasted almonds and rocket on sourdough ($12.5), Zucchini Fritters with free range bacon and oregano roasted tomatoes ($14.5) and Semolina Pancakes with Greek yoghurt, rose jam, pistachios and orange honey syrup ($11). I could go on, but you get the picture. It's mouthwatering stuff. 

Be prepared to wait for a table for five or ten minutes (they don't take bookings), but  trust me, it's worth the wait - the brilliant waitstaff will ensure you are taken care of with a coffee-hit ready for you in the nick of time. Or, for the more daring / not-yet-sober, a shot of chilled ouzo before breakfast, in authentic Greek style. The Age Cheap Eats named Demitri's as 2010's Breakfast of the Year - and with good reason. Since first discovering it, I have made a cheeky visit every weekend for the past three weeks. Simply nothing else beats it on a lazy Sunday morning. I dare you to knock back an ouzo.

Demitri's Feast

141 Swan Street
Richmond, 3121
Ph: 9428 8659