Under the vines
I had a pretty sh*tty end to the week if I’m completely honest, I hadn’t expected my Friday to turn out like it did so I’ve been treating myself right since. Heaps of self-care after, frankly, plenty of self-neglect.
I went for a chest x-ray because my GP suspected a chest infection after a sniffle I had a few weeks ago, these things can linger sometimes as you get older, and I find myself scrolling for my year of birth these days, which means I fall into that category. After the x-ray it was suggested I have an iodine contrast CAT scan…and that’s where my day and evening turned into in the emergency room.
Turns out, it wasn’t a chest infection, but embolisms just making themselves known. I was there for several hours and I hadn’t heeded the wisdom of Oscar Wilde by bringing my journal to either read or write in. After nearly five hours the novelty wore off.
Anyway, long story short, I now have drugs and have been told to take it easy, but move while the medicine kicks in. I shall survive to eat more Eggs Benedict.
Which is why I made a journey South today after a day at home yesterday. Eggs followed by a gentle walk around lovely Japanese Gardens.
I started my day by driving the hour and a bit from Parkes, south to the selected venue for brunch. Arriving at 10.45 I just scraped in before the kitchen closed at 11am. I ordered an EB with salmon and a latte. Given my trip to the Emergency Department (ED as it’s called in Australia) I have decided that anything that adds too much pressure to my heart right now, needs to be monitored and that includes coffee…so single shots it is for a while.
On the menu the base EB was described a vegetarian, so the bacon, salmon or ham was extra cost, and firmly put this meal into the more expensive column.
The coffee arrived first as it tends to do, and was unceremoniously plonked on the table with a spoon. There was no saucer under the glass to hold the spoon, so I was grateful that I didn’t need it to stir my coffee, as the table clearly had not been wiped over since the last occupant. This was evident by the smeared coffee drips nearby to the glass.
The coffee itself was smooth, creamy, and inoffensive. It wasn’t strong in flavour and it was hot. One of the reason I like ordering large lattes is because they often come in a mug. I don’t have asbestos fingers and had I used the one napkin I had been given to make a cute cozy for my coffee, I’d have had nothing to wipe to upcoming sauce from my lips. It wasn’t the best coffee I’ve ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the worst.
Next my EB was dumped on the table in front of me with all the ceremony of a dog wanting me to throw a slobbery tennis ball, followed by the knife and folk…again directly onto the table, not handed to me, as would have been preferred. I used the precious paper napkin to wipe down the cutlery.
First up; packet sauce.
So everything from this point may be considered moot. Except that the eggs where pert and the sauce didn’t cover every inch of the stone finish plate. Maybe some investigation is warranted. I thought.
A light sprinkling of ground pepper and chilli flakes atop, fresh English spinach, smoked salmon, and muffins.
I cut into the first egg. Absolutely bloody perfectly cooked.
Golden yellow yolk with not egg white snot and lovely and warm. Impeccable.
Everything else, especially the smoked salmon, was stone cold, including the English muffin, which clearly hadn’t been toasted or had been waved under the grill fleetingly. Also, there wasn’t much salmon and considering the added cost for the fish, I would have expected more than the two slices that appeared to be present.
I also wasn’t hanging around eating this meal. I had hoped to enjoy it leisurely. Sadly I had the misfortune of taking the second to last outdoor table that happened to be next to the last table which had shortly, after I sat down, been inhabited by a family of six which included a baby and a toddler. The later of which was not kept close and allowed to roam, which included picking the moss from between the brick work under my table.
I’ve long realised that there is not point in saying anything or shooting glances of ‘can you sort your kid out please?’ because these thing only result in me being classed as the ar5ehole of the day and the parents taking absolutely no responsibility for their offspring. So I ate fastish that I could get out of there quick. Away to the gardens for some silence and solace along with a gentle stroll.
Would I go back? Probably not, least of all because the EB was average.
***
Location: The Breakout Brasserie
Address: 5/37 Macquarie Street, Cowra, NSW 2794
Website: Facebook
EB Price: $17 (Bacon and Salmon $7.50, Ham $5.50)
