August 28, 2022
The weather was glorious on Sunday, so we lined up a westside lunch with our friends formally known as the Moody Noodles (... then added time to deliver a few of Michael's calendars by bike, and refill the pannier with groceries from Vincent Vegetarian Food). They suggested Small Graces, a café with plenty of outdoor seating in the heart of Footscray. It has the polished concrete, varnished wood and pastel accents common to so many Melbourne cafés, but the menu sets it apart. That menu starts with a long list of build-your-own elements: toast, eggs, bacon and avocado to be sure but also hummus with hazelnut dukkah, arepas, wilted greens in shiro miso, relish, and almond feta - all made in-house.
There are composed plates as well, with plenty of well-marked vegan and gluten-free options. In spite of all this variety, three of us made the same order! We just couldn't get past the arepas con frijoles ($20) and each added potato hash ($4.50) on the side. None of us were disappointed: the stout little arepas were so pillowy, and I piled mine with the accompanying avocado. The slow-cooked beans were thick savoury comfort topped with crumbled almond feta, and and all this creaminess was cut through by the jalapeno-spiced escabeche pickles. The potato hash swung back to rich comfort food, smeared with a vegan-friendly aioli and rosemary salt. Few things can persuade me away from sourdough waffles (with apple crumble and cashew icecream, no less!) but this meal did it and I felt no regret.
I usually like to order an iced chai when I see it on offer, but the agua de panela (described as Colombian 'lemonade'; $5.50) was a better match for beans and arepas. Even Michael ordered one to follow his coffee.
Small Graces' staff were friendly and attentive, and there's so much more on the menu that I'd like to try. It's an instant addition to my mental list of Footscray favourites.
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Small Graces
57 Byron St, Footscray
9912 6429
Accessibility: There's a narrow, flat entry. Indoor and outdoor furniture is densely arranged and regular height with a mixture of backed chairs and backless stools. We ordered at our table and paid at a low counter. Toilets require swipe card access on request from the staff; the loos are located around the corner, through a heavy door and down a hallway. I noticed gendered narrow cubicles and one ungendered, labelled-accessible cubicle with a baby change station.
What a delightful sounding place, the menu looks great. I think I would have ordered the same thing.
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