Proud Mary
| Where | 172 Oxford St, Collingwood, 3066—View map |
Contact | 03 9417 5930 |
Website | — |
Open | Breakfast Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm |
Payment | EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, Cash |
Diet | Soy |
Seating | Inside and outside |
Kids | Welcome |
Pets | Welcome |
Proud Mary, keep on burning!
Ellie Parker 02 February 2010
Lets face it, Proud Mary has got it goin' on. It is redefining the café coffee experience like none other, bringing beverages to the forefront of breakfast. Coffee is now a celebrated phenomenon of exhibitionism, art, frivolity and science. To that end, Proud Mary has seriously upped the ante.
Not that we're surprised. There is fine heritage in the form of owner Nolan Hirte, who is ex Liar Liar and who is also a man with a mighty vision. You can tell he likes certain things: coffee being the most obvious, music being another (a designated corner hosts killer decks and an accompanying selection of vinyl records featuring the likes of John Fogarty and Bowie). The décor matches the music, if that's possible. Wild wallpaper, polished concrete, mega speakers, rubiks cube salt n' pepper shakers, huge enamel water pitches with mint, lemon, grapefruit floating atop. Big, bold touches everywhere you look.
For coffee nuts, this is the mothership.Their giddy frenzy is largely due to the six group Synesso machine, which is burning a hole in Melbourne's café culture pocket in more ways than one. It would have cost a bomb, for a start. It also treats coffee like a decanter treats a Grange Hermitage- kid gloves and respect. It is also one hell of a handsome beast,greeting you as you enter with stoic charm. But if the Synesso doesn't rock your boat, you also have the option of the Clover and the Syphon. Now, those words will either be meaningless or of the utmost importance depending on where you stand. If it's meaningless, order a Clover and discover why its of the utmost importance.
Despite the focus on beverages, the nosh is equally tops. The fluffy ricotta hotcakes with white peaches have created a devout following. My version of sublime came in the form of a baked semolina custard, with vincotto glazed white peaches, rose infused mascarpone and hazelnuts. The top pick has to be the solid square potato hash, forming a brilliant foundation for seasonal specials such as smoked salmon with poached egg or bacon, asparagus, poached egg and bagna cauda.
For the kids out there who might freak out by the dazzling array of double ristrettos, piccolos, Clovers, Syphons, magic mochas, or chili hot chocolates, rest assured there is plenty of alternative beverage options.Delicious granitas come in multiple flavours: blood orange, lychee and passionfruit. The list of milkshakes, smoothies and fresh juices are also extraordinarily extensive.
Proud Mary is doing us all proud. Jump on board and take a ride down the river.