The Grounds of Alexandria

Many moons ago on one of my first visits to San Francisco, I remember discovering the Ferry Building and falling in love with the industrial meets farmer's market cafe culture. Buildings completely gutted and repurposed to entertain and cater to San Francisco's busiest bloggers and software nerds. By the time I visited the 10th cafe that mixed industrial cool with vintage charm, I remember making a comment to the effect of, 'I can't wait till Sydney catches on... things are still far too modern and clinical for my liking at home." Then, this happened.

The Grounds of Alexandria needs no introduction. Every time I visit, I get struck by a sense of nostalgia, and suddenly I'm taken back to my early 20's wandering the neighbourhoods of San Fran and New York City's Meat Packing District, with a generous sprinkling of Napa's farmers markets. It's exactly what Sydney needed to shake up the cafe culture, and since, we've seen a big shift toward earthy interiors and honest to goodness food options.

Last week, my sister Joss gave me a call to say that she was hanging for a really good breakfast. A little sweet, a little savoury, and great coffee to boot! We were unanimous with our decision to visit The Grounds, particularly because we were in the mood for a breakfast spread with all the trimmings; house baked breads, free range eggs, feta cheese, pesto, bacon, and to finish on a sweet note, blueberry pancakes. Because we had the morning free, we made our way over to The Grounds to with enough time to take it all in... lemonade stands, bakery treats, gorgeous gardens and a special parking space for dogs (where I spent 10 minutes hanging out with a gorgeous Italian grey). After about a 15 minute wait, we were seated and served up a more than satisfying breakfast spread featuring all the bits and pieces we were craving. The standout - that blueberry pancake, generously topped with a delicately flavoured lemon marscapone (you'll see... keep scrolling). Family friendly and accommodating, we were already making plans for our next visit before even walking out the door.

It won't be too long till I'm back in Napa, and maybe this time I'll be reminded of home.