cafe: Some-Day, Wembley

cafe: Some-Day, Wembley

13 Oct 2018

Western suburbs hipster. Crowded, friendly, loud. With an (entirely unproven) impression that customers live in the area.

Crowded ! We had passed by last week -- and passed on by. Customers spilling out the door onto the footpath. Filling the available tables on the corner of a busy street. The same today but we park -- quite close by -- and look inside. A "share table" for four in the inside corner, we sit, do not need to share.

Loud. Not noisy. Music from a speaker above our heads, talk talk talk across the small indoor space, loud but we can easily hear ourselves speak. Cheerfully loud.

Only one visible tattoo, no weird hair. The staff standard is loose short shorts on slender people. All cheerful.

We try a decorated doughnut. Not the Royal Show style doughnut -- light, warm, freshly fried -- but the mass produced, larger, more solid variety. The type that is bought in bulk then, presumably, decorated on site. Tasty, very sweet, one shared is plenty.

Coffee is not too hot -- and not too big. In fact, coffee cups are small. Coffee for connoisseurs rather than for people with an actual thirst.

We spill back out onto the street. Customers are still arriving.

Rated two out of three. A pleasant experience but nothing to convince us to be regulars. Unless we move house to be within walking distance.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"If money won't make you happy, you won't like poverty either." … Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

The Last Quarrel / Duncan Lay

The Last Quarrel

(Arbalester 1 of 3)

by Duncan Lay

fantasy

copyright 2015

read in October 2018

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

My first comment is: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK.

Okay, rated at 6/10 which is not bad. But it is the first of a trilogy -- and I can find no mention of that fact anywhere in the book. Which really annoys me. Do you already have the complete trilogy ? Fine, read it. If you only have book one -- be warned: nothing actually happens.

There is a host of characters. Four with some depth, the rest are 2D stereotypes. Of the four: one is an inspiring hero who falls for every trick and trap set by the baddies. This hero is an idiot.

His wife has issues, realistic issues. Which she puts aside in order to make promises; she has no idea how to make good on those promises. Their son is a wimp who has -- apparently -- potential. Everyone ignores that potential in order to teach him how to kill.

The fourth interesting character is another idiot, constantly shouting, Look at me ! look at me ! I've found the baddies ! Which causes no end of embarrassment.

I rather like these four. Despite their inherent idiocies.

The story itself is enjoyable -- but slow. With plenty of plot threads which -- I guess -- will eventually all join up.

The blurb says that the author "writes on the train", to and from his day job. I could easily believe that he gets on the train, forgets what he has previously written, so starts a new thread.

Now we get to the real problem with this book: absolutely nothing is finished.

There is no attempt to make this a standalone book. Major characters are guilty of murder, imprisoned, dead, at sea, out of sight for several chapters. Some cliffhangers but mostly just, to be continued. A real book has beginning, middle and end. This book just has a lot of beginnings.

Okay, it's easy to read and quite enjoyable. Yet the final impression is, What the hell ?!

If you have the complete trilogy, fine. Otherwise, read a book which has an actual ending.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"It's a funny kind of month, October. For the really keen footy fan it's when you discover that your wife left you, months ago." … Denis Norden had it as "cricket"
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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: The Hardware Store, Scarborough

cafe: The Hardware Store, Scarborough

Definitely hipster ! with the hardware theme applied as various tools attached to brick walls with the plaster scraped off. One area has plaster removed to leave the shape of an exposed brick Australia. Very clever :-)

We share a sticky sweet slice, caramel with a claim of peanut paste. Caramel... salted ? Interesting, very nice, not necessarily to be repeated. One slice is plenty for two of us.

Single source coffee is available, I'm not sure if all coffee is that single source. Good coffee anyway.

The customers really do make us feel out of place... Young, hip. Tradies, office workers. Just... all giving a hip impression. The two women next to us talk in a style which -- without hearing clear words -- makes me think, empty headed, self centred, unthinking. I hope I'm wrong, it's just an impression :-)

Outside the shop... is even more hip. Saturday morning, cars & enormous 4WDs lining up for the one or two parking spots. (We park out back -- plenty of spots but only one is vacant.) People walking by are -- I notice the women -- well dressed, big breasted, in an important hurry. There is no feeling of casual non-work day here. Perhaps it is quieter mid-week.

There are half a dozen seats free when we arrive, two dozen free as we leave. It is a busy time but service is not slow. With smiles.

Rated 2 out of 3: we enjoy the experience but not enough to go out of our way to return.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"It's a funny kind of month, October. For the really keen footy fan it's when you discover that your wife left you, months ago." … Denis Norden had it as "cricket"===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Satchmo Cafe, North Perth

cafe: Satchmo Cafe, North Perth

Is this café really "hipster" ?

Sure, there are some interesting hair styles. And definitely tattoos. Yet the café appears to be in a café... That is, it is not in a repurposed shop. The walls are smooth finished plaster. The entire place seems to be neat... established... well set up.

Complete with a Satchmo theme. Several stashes of LPs. You know, vinyl records. Suitable Satchmo-style music. Independent of the LPs, I suspect :-) "Soul" written on the menu... And that is the thing: This is a soul café. It may or may not be hipster.

Coffee is excellent. Lots of choice of type though no separation by bean source. Limited selection of cakes, though that suits the hipster emphasis on brunch rather than coffee & cake.

Our cake is delicious. Nicely warmed, soft and fluffy. I realise that "coffee cake" -- like "tea cake" is to be eaten with coffee, there is no coffee flavour. Learn something every day :-) We're told that the muffin is also delicious.

True to the hipster claim, close parking is crowded. Not to worry, a near empty supermarket carpark is across the road. Also as expected, it is crowded with both dine-in and takeaway crowds. And unfortunately, very noisy. No sound dampening, conversation is difficult.

Rated 2 out of 3: well worth the visit but lacking the undefinable extra which would bring us back as regulars.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"It's a funny kind of month, October. For the really keen footy fan it's when you discover that your wife left you, months ago." … Denis Norden had it as "cricket"===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Hamptons / City Beach

café: Hamptons / City Beach / 02sep18

We are following a list of "hipster cafés", for coffee & cake & review. This café is on the list -- but we were there for a family dinner. There was a preference for "dinner food" -- several of us choosing fish & chips. We did not really look for any hipster offerings. Anyway:

This is Fathers Day, close parking is at a premium. Easy parking is several carparks away but still close. Inside -- given the day -- is teeming. But not overwhelming.

This is a new café in a new building: definitely outside the hipster norm. There is plenty of family chat (our own family chatting, that is), little time for evaluation. I don't remember any "hipster" food, though it was probably there.

I leap straight to sharing a plate of fish & chips and an entrée of garlic prawns. The prawns are excellent, on a bed of rice which is sharp rather than spicy: delicious. The fish & chips are also delicious -- with a fish which does not go solid in the time it takes to eat it.

We share a nice dessert and coffee is good.

I'll rate this as 2 out of 3: we enjoyed it. But this does not evaluate the café as a hipster provider of our standard coffee & cake.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"Out of my mind, please leave a message." … Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Hylin / West Leederville

café: Hylin / West Leederville / 06sep18

We've been told that identifying features of a "hipster" café include unusual hair styles and -- essentially -- tattoos. By those standards, Hylin is not really hipster. However...

It is crowded. (Though not enough that we should have booked ahead. And I suspect that booking ahead would simply destroy our own hipster cred.) Walls are painted brick. The café does seem to have started as something else. (Despite being "a new architecturally designed café".) It is in an area where parking is at a premium. (Though when we get there, it seems that only the "main" road is short on parking space.)

And there is a choice of coffee beans. We choose Colombian and it's good coffee. Not that we can tell one coffee from another. (Though I believe that I can distinguish "good" from "bad" -- according to my own preferences, anyway.)

In a break from tradition -- we eat lunch ! (Usually we are after just coffee & cake.) Many of the offerings are -- by our standards -- "different". (What sort of place have you taken us to ?! ask our friends.) A few odd spices and flavours, some that we have heard of but not yet tasted. (A quick smart phone search: What is chipotle ? Is it very hot ?)

There are enough recognisable choices to satisfy. Poached eggs, chipotle sauce, mixed green leaves, are in a lot of the offerings. I choose eggs, green leaves, no chipotle -- with croquettes. Which are light and tasty, not over-tasty. It comes with a rather nice mayonnaise.

We all enjoy our meals. There are "exotic" choices but our own choices taste good to our traditional palates. I rate this café 3 out of 3: we would go again, not just "to review" but because we enjoyed our meals.

We didn't look for cakes. Coffee & cake may require a separate visit. And perhaps a separate review and rating.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"Out of my mind, please leave a message." … Ginger Meggs

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Mary Street Bakery / West Leederville

cafe: Mary Street Bakery / West Leederville / 01sep18

Plenty of parking -- but it's Saturday. I suspect that week-day parking would be... lucky if you can.

First impression: absolutely packed. Twenty people queued to order, just two spare tables. Then we are told that the queue is for takeaway, we sit for table service. Good !

We order a "choc malt doughnut" and coffees. The doughnut arrives, it's... a cold doughnut with sweet icing. I think I can detect "malt" but not "choc". A bit more solid than a fresh cooked doughnut. Not complaining, it's sweet, has enough body to satisfy two. Just what we want.

Coffee takes longer to arrive, with apologies for the delay. Luke warm coffee... which is as I like it.

Waiting for the coffee, we look around. Looking for evidence that this café is, indeed, "hipster". Okay, it's a repurposed space. Walls of scraped-back brick, floor is well worn concrete. Instant shelving supporting various service items. I don't notice any stylish artwork.

We are, perhaps, the second-oldest people in the café. The only older couple look somewhat bemused. If my life depended on it I would suggest that many customers work in marketing, dressing down to emphasise that they are actually, of the people.

We have enough time to watch the takeaway queue gradually take their orders and go. Many -- strangely -- takeaway only coffee...

Why, we wonder, would someone come to a café to buy just coffee ? Office workers who must be seen back at their desks ? But it's Saturday. Lonely people who want to experience the almost-sociability of a crowded café ? Then why buy and leave ?! We watch: some customers take their coffee and walk, others get in their car and drive. Is coffee so essential ? Why did they not make & drink coffee before they left home ?

Perhaps, we (or I) decide, this is the next stage of eating out. More and more people eat out. Eating out is no longer a special occasion. So why sit still while eating out ? Get the food -- or just coffee -- and take it away to whatever more exciting activity is next on the busy agenda...

We, however, sit, sip, enjoy. Watching other people is one of the great joys of life. Others, I guess, prefer to take their coffee and keep on moving.

Our coffees come with a smile and an apology for the delay. Staff are friendly, their smiles seem natural. There is a pleasant buzz to the café atmosphere. Very enjoyable, for the people-watching as much as for the coffee & cake. And, of course, pleasant for the good company :-)

Score 2 out of 3: We enjoyed it but would not go out of our way to visit again.

Although: There are four "Mary Street Cafes". I prefer one-off cafes, for the expected variety. I would not go out of my way to revisit this café. But it's good enough that I would enjoy testing any of the other three of the same name.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"When it comes to ideas, some people will stop at nothing." … per Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)