Mart 130 Muesli

After much raving about the eggs and fritters at Mart 130, today I decided to test drive the Bircher muesli. A big bowl of wet bircher, topped with fresh strawberries, pear, melon, orange and grapes, and sprinkled with a top coating of crunchy toasted granola. The mix of soft and crunchy textures worked very well. Very filling.

Unknown Bald Fat Man Blogs About Breakfast

I was thinking of dressing up as a lady, but in the end I had to make do with a fat suit and a strategically placed Mart 130 menu. Actually, that's not a fat suit. I really am that fat. Eating eggs benedict for two years will do that to you. Anyway, the idea with this very ugly photo was to make sure that I remain a nobody, so that sneaky cafe owners don't start giving me special treatment and free food, and I'm not embroiled in an eggs-for-comment scandal. For those who missed it, Tuesday's Herald-Sun had a food-blogger article and launched Ed's new column. For those who read it, no, I don't have syphilis. I am alive and well. Just a bit fat.

Mart 130, Middle Park

It was stars galore this morning at Mart 130, 107a Canterbury Rd, Middle Park, Tel +61 3 9690 8831. First, we snare a table right next door to Slashie-award winning model-slash-author Tara Moss, who seemed to be enjoying her scrambled eggs. Then, as we're leaving, who should roll up in his groovy black Jag but Academy-award winning animator, Adam Elliot, aka Harvey Krumpet. This place is paparazzi paradise. Great for breakfast, too.



Days after I dish out my best corn fritters award, along comes Mart 130 to make me look stupid. Yes, that's right. This morning's corn fritters were definitely equal to, and probably a whisker better than those at Replete Providore. And that's quite a feat. I think it was the quality of the corn that did it. Fresh from the cob, and noticeably so. Plump, juicy, tasty little kernels, bound together in a fritter stack, with bacon, relish and sour cream. As Richie Benaud would say... Marvellous.

Not only is the food good, but it's cheap. House made baked beans with ham hock on sourdough toast (excellent toast, by the way), under $9. Poached free range eggs with asparagas, mushrooms, hollandaise and chives, under $10. Mart granola or bircher muesli, under $7. Or Pancakes with berries and lemon yoghurt, under $10.

And then there's the venue. If Bills is Sydney, then Mart is Melbourne. It's hidden away so you can't find it (at least, not without a few pointers from someone in the know). It's not a rip-off. And it doubles as a tram stop. Ding ding. Grab a spot on the back deck and soak up the Albert Park views... Marvellous.

Rounding out a star performance, the Mart team was very friendly, with great attention to detail. Good coffee (Genovese) and OJ too. My only small gripe was the portion size. My serve of scrambles and beans was a tad skimpy.

19/20 "breakfast star"



Eggs & Bacon $9.90 BB100 -1%