Quick burger @ Dikstein's Corner Bar

Dikstein's generally makes me my morning coffee (along with some of Melbourne's finest and most interesting muffins - Blueberry Crumble or Bread and Butter Pudding anyone? Oh yes!)

So I thought I would try one of their lunch offerings. I wasn't disappointed.

I got a waygu beef burger (Turkish roll, Gruyere, fried onion, bacon, and all the usual trimmings).

The patty was absolutely wonderful, moist, flavoursome and fresh tasting - no smelly beef here. And the rest of the burger was delicious.

It was a little expensive at $13 (but then so is everything they sell - other than the cheap pizzas to draw the Barristers in for a bottle of Wolf Blass or five), however I would recommend a visit.

Photo of the week: Croque Monsieur @ Creperie le Triskel

So in at work over the weekend (fun!) I decided to wander down to hardware lane and treat myself to something nice for lunch.

I had been to le Triskel many years before and been satisfied with what I had had there and so decided to give it another shot.

I ordered a Croque Monsieur and a hot chocolate and was very satisfied by both.

The hot chocolate was rich and velvety with a generous infusion of an excellent bittersweet chocolate.

The sandwhich arrived quickly and was lovely. The toast was crisp, the melted Gruyere on top was melted to golden perfection and the center was a lovely combination of fresh ham and a gooey, cheesy bechemel. The salad around the outside I could take or leave, but for lunch in a rush and on a weekend at work I was very happy.

Take away lunch @ the Deli Counter, Queen St Melbourne

So the Deli Counter is a little cafe and lunch place that has popped up along Queen Street, offering organic and vegetarian lunch fare.

Plates (or take away boxes) range from $16 - $20 (mine was $18) and give you the option of a meat and three sides, or a vegetarian dish and three sides. I took the roast lamb as my meat and zucchini cooked with preserved lemon, roast cauliflower and spiced pumpkin as my sides.

So, I'll just come out and say it, I didn't like it, at all. I may have chosen poorly (for instance, the chicken looked OK in the store) but nothing had much flavour (except for an unpleasant metallic aftertaste that stuck with me through two black coffees and dinner).

Starting with the lamb - it was bland, bland, bland (the only flavour seemed to be garlic, nothing else) and it was also very very pink and chewy. Undercooked is of course not usually a problem; I like my steak as rare as the next person, but not when the meat isn't the greatest quality and needs some cooking.

It got somewhat better with the veges. Parts of the cauliflower were ok (the nice caramalised roasted bits) and the rest was mush. Flavorless mush. The zucchini was better, having nice caramelisation and some actual spice. The spiced pumpkin lived up to its name and was nicely roast and nicely flavoured.

All in all, disappointing. I won't be back, however other people seemed to be enjoying their meals (in particular the chicken) when I was waiting for my take away box, so your results may absolutely differ.

Melbourne's best Reuben sandwich @ Mason Dixon, Collins St

So it took a very long time, but the Reuben at Bowery to Williamsburg is no longer the best in town. That honour now goes to the wonderful people at Mason Dixon on Collins Street. They are a new outfit that has already generated big lunchtime crowds, and with very good reason.

I had their signature dish, the MD Reuben (grass fed corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, on toasted rye) and a slice of their house made key lime pie.

The MD Ruben was perfect. The ratios of corned beef, to kraut, to cheese to dressing were all amazing. My big criticism of the Bowery Reuben over time has been the sheer volume of filling (often compensating for the quality of the inputs) as well as the fattiness of the meat. At Mason Dixon, the ratios are right, and the flavours and textures from each element just sing through. Nothing overwhelms anything else and the burst of flavour from each bite was truly excellent. The corned beef was also amazing, perfectly lean and flavoursome. It also came with a great pickle, mini pretzels on the side. They also (thoughtfully) included a mint for post lunch breath freshening. I've *never* had that before!

I am not generally the biggest sandwich fan, but the MD ones are well worth eating. I really enjoyed the key lime pie too, it was tart and the pastry was super short. However, great as it was, all I really wanted to do after finishing the MD Reuben was eat another MD Reuben. 

Toasted cheese and smoked cola @ Boombap, Melbourne

Boombap has become one of my new favourites for a sandwich on the run. Though it takes some finding, the hunt is well worth the reward.

I ordered a Grilled Cheese Sandwich (American Cheddar Cheese, Dijon Mustard and Jalapeños on the most amazing sourdough toast) and a bottle of StrangeLove Smoked Cola.

The sandwich was fantastic, perfectly toasted and crunchy on the outside with a wonderfully gooey (and spicy) cheese filling. A toasted cheese is one of those things that either hits the spot or fails painfully, and Boombap was right on target. Not to mention that it came with amazing sliced pickle on the side and a generous serving of crinkle cut chips. Amazingly satisfying.

Also satisfyingly delicious was the StrangeLove Smoked Cola. I hadn’t heard of the brand before, but Boombap is proud to be one of the first places carrying the product. I am sure glad they do, and will be back for bottles of the stuff in future. Imagine a wonderfully citrusy and herby cola (almost a cinnoto) that in an of itself is the perfect balance of sour and sweet. Then infuse that with a rich hickory smoke. It was a revelation, and you really need to try it.

Boombap, your food is great, your staff are lovely, your little shop is super funky. You have a new convert, and I will be back. 

Quick lunch break bagel @ Bagel Works

So the place is called Bagel Works, but quite honestly their bagels don't.

This little place was buzzing on a Friday afternoon, and I had to wait quite a while to order and again to get my bagel. 

I went with a classic poppyseed bagel with cream cheese. A simple combination that is hard to screw up. Only thing was, Bagel Works managed to do it, and it was mostly down to their inputs.

The key to a good bagel place is good bagels, and Bagel Works doesn't have them. My bagel had the texture and consistency of a pana de casa, heavy, bready and dry. It was also sweet, like European cake sweet, not sickly but very strange. 5&Dime and Glicks bagels are not perfect, but they are bagels. Bagel Works has round bread rolls with holes in the centre that taste like cake. 

The cream cheese was also quite odd, more sweet than sour - where did they even buy it? I'd like to know for the next carrot cake I bake.

On the plus side (and their were some strong pluses) service was great (the staff were super friendly and efficient even despite the lunch rush), and I was offered a sample of delicious looking smoothie as I waited in line. The location is also good, close to the legal heart of the city.

However, I can't go so far as recommending it. Sorry Bagel Works - change your bagel supplier and win a new fan!