http://www.sourcedgrocer.com.au/
When Sourced Grocer first opened, it was highly blogged about and I really wanted to try it out. Nina and I made 2-3 attempts to brunch there but everything from crippling hangovers to flat car batteries ruined our plans. I literally just gave up and assumed this was never going to happen.
Mochi came to visit Brisbane this weekend so it was a given that we would meet up for brunch. After shuffling through a few options, she decided that Sourced Grocer sounded most appealing to her. We could only hope that this time, everything would go smoothly.
On that note, it sure did! The weather was amazing; a perfect example of stunningly cleare Brisbane skies. Best of all, I even managed to find a parking spot quite easily, which is normally one of thing things I stress about the most.
Sourced Grocer was easy to spot on Florence Street as it opens out onto the street and there's nothing much nearby. It's an actual grocery store offering a variety of local, gourmet products. A section near the street is converted into cafe space with shared seating options and a few individual tables.
The menu is scrawled out across the back wall but before you make up your mind, have a look at the sweets on display too.
Coffees
We started off with a coffee each, mine being a typical latte. It was what I've come to think of as a typical boutique store coffee: aromatic and strong but very small in volume.
Cold smoked king salmon - with fresh rye, creme fraiche and microgreens
For my breakfast, I selected the smoked king salmon on rye bread. The bread caught my eye when my plate was brought out because it seriously looked like a thick slab of cake. And that's notable but by no means a bad thing. What I liked about it is that 'rye' is often associated with extremely dark, dry, bitter and dense loaves. This particular version was none of the above. It had a light rye flavour and the texture was soft and moist. It wasn't a burden to eat at all! The salmon was, well, salmon. I tried a bit of the other girls' food but I think my choice was very conventional so no one was interested in tasting mine :p.
Warm spiced eggplant - with cracked green wheat, pinenuts, organic kale, feta
Mochi selected the warm spiced eggplant. This looked more like my idea of a lovely, light lunch dish rather than breakfast option, but nowadays with concepts all-day-breakfast and dessert with any meal, no one's really following any rules. I tried a bit of the eggplant itself and it had a flavoursome tomatoey sauce. I thought the cracked green wheat had a curious texture.
Cuca sardines - with soft boiled egg, sourdough and housemade green sauce
Nina's pick of the morning was the sardines. It came with a side of what was simply termed 'green sauce' on the menu and this looked most exciting to me. I tried a bit of this sauce on its own and wow, it really packed a punch. I could identify some herbs (mint and parsley?!) and lemon but I didn't spend a long time analysing because I feel like figuring those things out almost ruins the magic. I just like talented chefs mixing tasty concoctions for me; I don't need to know what's in it!
After our meals, we had a brief stroll around the grocery component of the store. A few interesting options stood out to me including pre-mixed almond and date smoothies, coconut yoghurt, black bean pasta and truffle salt. There's plenty to keep either a gourmand or clean eater coming back for more.
I like the concept of Sourced Grocer. There needs to be more cafes like this in Brisbane that has a conscience expanding beyond 'tasting good'. Whether that be a focus on locally sourced produce or a focus on food that is good for the body, not just the taste buds, it brings something extra to the meal. I love dining out but I also like to keep in shape so it's nice to be able to enjoy delicious meals that don't force me to spend the rest of my day in remorse.
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