Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop III

August 29, 2013

I now get my hair cut within walking distance of Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop, which is a pretty good guarantee that I'll be stopping by at least once every couple of months. After an icing OD last time, I scaled down (ha!) and sampled three mini cupcakes ($2.50 each) last Thursday. The red velvet didn't make a strong impression, but I loved the sherbetty kick of the key west's lime icing, and the peanut butter cup was perfectly portioned and proportioned, with a deep cocoa cake and buttery sweet icing.

Every time I visit this shop, I overhear at least one (and often two or three) new customer(s) ask ...and what's vegan?. There's always a little guffaw or squeal when they're reassured that everything - yes, really, everything! - is vegan. No wonder the staff are so smiley.

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You can read about my previous visits to the Bakeshop here and here. Since then it's received more blog love from veganopoulous and The Good Hearted.

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Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop
151 Union Road, Ascot Vale
0424 422 878
desserts $2-9
http://www.misterniceguy.com.au/

Accessibility: From memory, Mr Nice Guy has a flat entry. There's a wide corridor inside and the display cases are clearly visible and well labelled. Ordering and payment happens at the counter. The toilets are down a slightly narrow and uneven corridor, are gendered, and pretty narrow themselves.

Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop II

June 9, 2013

Sunday sent me to Moonee Ponds in the morning, so I strolled south to Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop for lunch. While their modus operandi is sweet-sweet-sweet, they now also offer a range of bagel sandwiches (including a gluten-free option!) and a couple other savoury selections...

... like a dawg in a blanket ($6.50). Chomping down on sweet bread dough baked around a mock sausage, all at room temperature, I felt like a kid at a carnival.

I followed up with a clownishly large and lairy slice of peanut butter chocolate cake ($5). While there was chocolate and peanut butter (and some lovely crushed macadamias) to be found, they were outperformed by sugar, sugar, sugar. Next time I'll grow up and stick to a, ahem, cupcake.

Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop nourished my inner child more than my adult body. It's lovely that they extend this indulgence to Melbourne's vegans and coeliacs - every staff member and customer in the shop was grinning from ear to ear.

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You can read about our previous visit to the Bakeshop here. Since then it's received much vegan love on melbourne with the rocket, Appetite Affliction, In The Mood For Noodles and veganopoulous, plus some omni interest on Consider the Sauce.

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Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop
151 Union Road, Ascot Vale
0424 422 878
desserts $2-9
http://www.misterniceguy.com.au/

Accessibility: From memory, Mr Nice Guy has a flat entry. There's a wide corridor inside and the display cases are clearly visible and well labelled. Ordering and payment happens at the counter. The toilets are down a slightly narrow and uneven corridor, are gendered, and pretty narrow themselves.

Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop

December 27, 2012

While Reverence had some attractive little cakes on display, we really had to walk a couple shops down and visit Mister Nice Guy's newest outlet. Here they've expanded on their well-known cupcakes with brownies, buns, pies and cakes. It's still all vegan with an impressive proportion of gluten-free items, all well-labelled.

Also impressive is the Day-of-the-Dead styled 3D artwork - fish around the magazines for a pair of glasses to really appreciate it!

Michael tried out one of Mister Nice Guy's almost famous cinnamon buns ($4.50), while I spared room only for a mini cherry b-bomb ($2). The cheesecake slices are large and fluffy and the gluten-free goods are impressive - I particularly liked the toasty roasted walnut brownie ($4) that Michael and I took home and split later in the day.

With Crumbs located across the street (albeit shut on this day) there's no doubt about it - Union Road, Ascot Vale is Melbourne's new vegan dessert hotspot.

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We previously visited and blogged Mister Nice Guy's cupcakes when they were in Brunswick. The Ascot Vale bakeshop's getting very positive blog coverage from new international students, Live Blissful, and the veganopoulous family, who've been one, two, three times and are set for plenty more!

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Mister Nice Guy's Bakeshop
151 Union Road, Ascot Vale
0424 422 878
desserts $2-9
http://www.misterniceguy.com.au/

Accessibility: From memory, Mr Nice Guy has a flat entry. There's plenty of space inside and the display cases are clearly visible and well labelled. Ordering and payment happens at the counter. We didn't visit any toilets.

Reverence Specialty Coffee & Tea

December 27, 2012

After checking out the Reverence Hotel on Wednesday night, we returned to the west the following morning for breakfast at Reverence Specialty Coffee & Tea (no relation). As you might guess, they take their brewed beverages quite seriously with espressos and pour-overs, single origins, guest roasters and three tiers of tea prepared in temperature-controlled conditions.

There's also a breakfast and lunch menu. The condensed summer version starts with design-your-own eggs and sides, then there's a couple of fancied-up avocado on toast dishes and on the sweeter side, muesli, banana bread and French toast. The menu promises that the kitchen "will endeavour to accommodate your dietary requirements" but they reserve their right to "politely refuse menu changes". There's surcharged gluten-free bread and one guaranteed vegan option on inquiry - on this day it was the corn cakes (which contained gluten).

Michael's poached eggs ($9) came with an inch-thick unwieldy piece of toast, mushrooms (+$3) and beans (+$4). While these were OK, the presentation and vibrancy of flavour didn't match what he's come to expect from Melbourne brunch scene.

I fared better with the brioche French toast ($15). It was thick and eggy - almost custardy - teamed with slightly-too-firm nectarine slices, a scoop of ricotta and a glug of caramel sauce.

Our meals were pleasant if not memorable but we score the cafe higher on atmosphere. It's simple and spacious and to our eye, accessible. The staff were cheery and helpful and patient; we didn't feel hurried along at any stage. That's surely the best way to meditate over one of their specialty brews.

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The first blog account of Reverence, on A Spotted Blog, is mixed but they seem to have shaken any early issues and have earned praise since from Let's Get Fat Together, I'm So Hungree, foodsmiths.com.au, MRWP, Footscray Food Blog, off the spork, Melbourne Cafes Photo Blog, Enlightened Bacon, new international students, All About Food and Brunch Addict.

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Reverence Specialty Coffee & Tea
155 Union Road, Ascot Vale
9375 2170
veg breakfasts $6-16
facebook page

Accessibility: This cafe has a flat entry and spacious interior. We ordered at our table and paid at a low-ish counter. We didn't visit the toilets.