First Coffee of the Year!

After an early start to the day, I waited for things to heat up before venturing out in search of the first coffee of 2012. And heat up they did, as Melbourne topped out at about 38C today, and we are all preparing ourselves for the 40C they are forecasting for tomorrow! The reason for leaving things late is that usually not much is open early on New Year's Day, and today was no exception as life began to come back at a leisurely midday.

Not all places open on New Year's Day, and I didn't want to travel very far so I went to the local shops at Glenhuntly Road in Elsternwick and looked for inspiration. In the end I chose the Goathouse which is located close to Elsternwick train station. It's a big building and restaurants have tried and failed in the location before. However, the Goathouse is part of the same group who own the very successful Brown Cow in Hampton and they are trying the same formula. Outside some decking has been laid allowing for outside alcoholic drinks, and al fresco eating. The place is a combination of cafe, restaurant and bar which is an eclectic mix lacking in Elsternwick. We have plenty of cafes, and no shortage of restaurants, and a few bars/pubs, but nothing which mixes the genre....until now.

I went in for a coffee and a light snack. The coffee was a little disappointing, not because it was bad but because they make it out to be so good. The coffee is better than average, but not special. It is smooth but a bit too gentle for my liking. It lacks the liquorice aftertaste and the acidity on the tongue doesn't quite make it. Saying that it is a perfectly acceptable cup of coffee, and if it was the worst I had this year (and it definitely won't be!) I would have had a good year. I'd give it 7/10.

For a light snack I had a fruit salad which was mainly melon but with a few strawberries and pineapple, sered with yoghurt. It was ok and there was plenty of it, but again it wasn't special. It was the sort of thing I'd do myself and I'd again probably expected a bit more. However, it was presented excellently on a serving board and was really just what I wanted.

I wish the owners of the Goathouse success, and it has a lot of good features. The decking area is excellent and will be a great place to hang out. Today the service was prompt and friendly and the menu has a bit of everything. The late alcohol license is a must and I know they had to wait a while for that to come when the place started getting together. The alcohol license gives the place more of a restaurant feel than a cafe, and that is probably where they will succeed. I am more of a cafe type, but I will still go to the Goathouse whichever way it decides to go. The presentation of food was excellent on plates and serving boards with pitchers of water brought promptly to tables.

The Goathouse was fairly packed today, and by the look of things they are getting their act together and turning the place into somewhere to be. Cafe's and restaurants have to be good to survive around here, so that will be the true test of the Goathouse. We'll know it's made the grade when I'm going in there for the first coffee of the year in 2022!