Top Eatery

Up until very recently this corner shop was an institution that gave me no cause to dally on my frequent passings-​by (it’s just down the road from where I live). It had to me all the hallmarks of a greasy spoon: the unimaginative name, regular cohorts of fluoro-​clad construction workers out the front and utilitarian décor. But then I stopped in one morning on my way to town and was pleasantly surprised to find this was more than your average corner store.
First thing I noticed was that the Grinders Coffee sign out the front. A closer inspection revealed a decent espresso machine inside. Did I dare risk my first coffee of the day on this unknown quantity (there’s nothing worse than a mediocre brew that will cloud even the sunniest summer morning)? ‘Fortuna favi fortis’ and all that, so I went for it, asking the shopkeeper/​barista for a flat white and one of their BLATs which were advertised at a thrifty $ 6.20 on an outside chalkboard. The total came to just $ 9.90.
I arranged myself at one of their footpath tables and within minutes out came my mug of coffee (I hadn’t specified a larger size but maybe it’s the default) and my sandwich, unceremoniously served in a white paper bag, but hey, I’m not complaining… The coffee lacked the latte art heart, leaf or what-​have-​you which you might get at a fancier café, but it tasted fine — not burnt or overly bitter, with a good foam consistency. The BLAT was pretty darn good as well, being served on the same black sesame encrusted Turkish bread that the more expensive joints use. The bacon was well-​crisped, generously portioned, and there was a good amount of avocado too. The only thing that distinguished it from a higher-​end café’s rendition of the avo-​augmented BLT (apart from its much cheaper price-​tag) was the cheaper bottled mayonnaise they used, as opposed to a house-​made aioli you might otherwise receive.
I left feeling very satisfied with the meal, one I could have quite easily paid almost double for at one of Boundary Street’s more boutique joints. The vestiges of the old corner store remain (a hotbox with dim sims, spring rolls etc & a small corner selling groceries, catfood and other miscellanea) but it’s pretty clear that many of the old greasy spoons are lifting their game to keep up with the populace’s increasingly sophisticated palate.