Out & About: North Island

Some things are seriously underrated here in good old Australia. Take bagels as a prime example... I fell in love with them mid-last year when Mr B and I took a trip to America, and was bitterly disappointed upon my return home when I wasn't able to get them as readily as I would have liked. Don't get me wrong, they're around, but they are certainly not as prevalent here as they are in the States.

So, I was very very happy when Kate told me about a little cafe she had discovered called North Island (111 Scotchmer St, North Fitzroy), whose menu features a small, but excellent selection of bagels. We decided to brunch immediately, and headed out there on Sunday morning.

This unassuming cafe seems to go slightly unnoticed on bustling Scotchmer St, and we were easily able to secure a table for 5 at 11am.

Whilst perusing the menu we ordered a round of coffees, which were promptly served and consumed. I was so happy with my cappucino ($3.30) that I immediately ordered a second! The only drawback here is that they do not serve skim milk, only full cream or soy. But hey, a little extra cream in your coffee every now and then is ok by me.

After a a bit of back and forth we all decided on our meals. I was very nearly tempted by some amazing sounding baked eggs, but remembered in the nick of time that I had come to North Island specifically for a bagel! Kate, Mr B and I all ordered the avocado with lemon and black pepper ($7), with a side of cream cheese (additional 50c), and Hil decided to be fancy with the smoked salmon, cream cheese, spanish onion & capers ($9).

What a perfect brunch this was! The lightly toasted bagels were perfectly crisp on the outside and super soft in the middle, and avocado with a fresh squeeze of lemon is one of my favourite combos, so that was a winner too. Hil assured me that her bagel was definitely worth a 3.5 - 4 out of 5, and could have only scored more brownie points with the addition of lemon as well.

So all in all this is an awesome little cafe for a light brunch, with friendly, efficient staff, delicious food and a great relaxed atmosphere. We'll definitely be back, hopefully on a warmer day so we can enjoy the quaint courtyard!