Nourish Cafe

Update January 11, 2012: While preparing for our latest trip to Hobart, I've discovered that Nourish has closed down. It's been replaced by another veg-friendly place called Frankie's Empire - we'll report back.

January 19, 2012

The MONA ferry delivered us back to the city around 6pm, giving us plenty of time for an early dinner at Nourish Cafe before it shut at 8pm. Michael noticed Nourish on Happy Cow as a veg-friendly venue and we wandered past it the previous evening. It looked like somewhere that would serve the simple vege-filled meals that we craved after our extravagant, buttery lunch.

Nourish is the kind of casual cafe that I instantly feel comfortable in: friendly staff who're in no hurry, a couch or two, gig posters on the walls and photocopied paper menus with a lineage tracing back to 70s hippy food. (Brisbane's Forest and Melbourne's Las Vegan spring to mind as others of this ilk.) What's notable here is that the menu isn't entirely meat free - there are a couple of seafood dishes amongst it all, though it's majority vegetarian with gluten-free options also well marked.

I was in a mushroom mood again, and after quite some humming and hawing I elected for the herbed and crumbed Rocky Mountain Mushrooms ($13.50) over the mixed mushroom ragout with beetroot risotto balls ($14). It was certainly a mountain of mushrooms, crispy-crumbed and not at all greasy. The strawberry chilli dipping sauce didn't make a stronger impression than the standard bottled sweet chilli, but I barely minded. The side salad was unusually fresh.

Michael ate the marinated tofu with sourdough, sunflower seeds, a garden salad and sate sauce ($12). This was another light, fresh winner; the kind of stuff we aspire to make at home.

We resisted the carby temptation of the mixed vegie wedges, but the bowlful eaten at the next table over looked huge and smelled great. There's also soup, a curry, coffee, lots of tea, juices, smoothies and a dessert cabinet. There's nothing mind-blowingly experimental here, but much to make a vegetarian feel right at home.

We had our share of the unexpected once we hit FOMA afterwards, from the hypnotic Prince Rama to the surprise covers (Nick Cave, Beastie Boys, Neutral Milk Hotel, Black Sabbath, Jacques Brel) and cameos (Brian Ritchie on acoustic bass, seemingly everyone from backstage on riotous dancing) sprung on us by the endlessly entertaining Dresden Dolls.

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Nourish Cafe
129 Elizabeth St, Hobart
(03) 6234 5674
veg meals $10-14
https://www.facebook.com/nourishcafe

Accessibility: Nourish is flat inside, with reasonably spaced tables. We ordered at the table and paid at a low-ish counter. We didn't visit the toilets.