The warmth in the cold

I had errands to run in Orange the other day, so I spent 80 minutes on the road to my destination. I arrived around 10.30 and decided to get the job done before heading home. I thought I’d only be there an hour or so. Naturally, as tasks have the want to do, they took longer than planned, so I found myself hungry while waiting for a document to arrive in my inbox so I could finalise the undertakings of this location.

Banking, night lights, ribbon, cat food…

Of course there was just one thing to do given it was a cold, damp, and windy while waiting for an e-script that never came.

Brunch!

The café I went into was right next door to the bank. A thin, almost invisible building in the streetscape. The only giveaway it was there were the two tables with chairs outside. The sat forlornly on the pavement in the grey light. As tempted as I was to drag Fe out of the car and sit outside with her. I left her tucked into the blanket on her bed on the front seat of the car, snug, without fear of her overheating.

I ordered an Eggs Benedict with spinach and bacon, this was classed as “two toppings” as it was served very plain as standard. I also added a large latte because I had left the house without my morning coffee. I was starting to be a little hangry.

I sat at the small wooden table, inside the door of the thin café. Only wide enough for a single table on one side, and tables with a bench and two chairs on the other. This is a cosy nook that is decorated with memorabilia of movies, music, and graphic novels. There’s a painting on the wall in the toilet of Superman sat on the loo reading a comic. This alone lifted the growing hanger.

As the coffee arrived in a large turquoise ceramic mug with a neat milky flower in the froth. It was deliciously hot and creamy.

When the benedict arrived I could immediately tell the sauce was house-made. The thinner than usual texture and deep yellow colour, also I could see the rest of the ingredients on the plate indicating that the sauce had dolloped out of the packet, but had been ladled with some care.

The bacon was crispy and the Turkish bread lightly toasted. The eggs poached and firm, with only the very center of the eggs still runny. The spinach was over wilted leaving it watery and slightly furry on the tongue. The only unwilted leaves where the ‘garnish’ on top. Can it be considered a garnish if it’s a significant part of the meal?

cosy and light
surrounded
yet alone to ponder -
perfection over…
…cooked yolks

The only thing stopping this from being a place I would go back to and take friends is the eggs and spinach. However these details would not stop me from returning to this establishment with the friendly staff, warm atmosphere and welcoming patrons.

Location: Benson’s
Address: 240 Summer Street, Orange, NSW 2800
Website: Facebook

EB Price: starting at $21.50