📍Maverick, Melbourne

I got to Melbourne, had a donut from Daniel's Donuts, and dropped off my bags. I went to look for my friend who got there much earlier than I did but waited for me to eat. We didn't plan this meal at all. We tried to go to a sandwich shop but they had already sold out most of their menu for the day. Around the corner, we walked by Maverick and decided to go in.

Right as you walked in, there was a counter for to-go orders and to pay on your way out. An open cafe kitchen area was directly behind it. On the right was the main dining area where we were promptly seated. We came in towards the end of service so most of the place was empty.

I've been to a few Australian-style cafes. Most of the ones I visited are in New York but even in places like Miami, Los Angeles, Barcelona, London, and elsewhere. They take on a bit of the local character in each city. Still, they remain consistent with how their menus are structured. This was my first Australian cafe in Australia and it felt consistent yet local to Melbourne similarly.

I started with a cold brew, my first coffee in Melbourne. They brew using Axil roasters, a roaster I haven't seen in the States before. It wasn't the strongest coffee but I could get some chocolate notes. I would not have argued if you told me it was an iced Americano. Regardless, the first coffee in Melbourne was in the books and many more to go.

I love pancakes and ricotta hotcakes in Melbourne felt like a dream order. These lived up to my lofty expectations. I got the classic ricotta flavor and texture but they were still fluffy. Sometimes, the proportions are off and it becomes dense or heavy, not these. They were on the thinner side keeping them light and easy to eat.

The hotcakes came with yellow butter and warm maple syrup in a metal tin with streaky bacon. The generous butter had a grassy depth and I could have eaten it straight up. It was spreadable without needing the heat of the hotcakes to melt it. The bacon was from the back making it crispy in parts and chewy in others. It's very similar to a European bacon experience.

It made sense that my first meal in Melbourne was brunch at an Aussie cafe, one of my favorite cuisines in a local presentation. I hadn't planned much of this trip, booking it only 16 hours before leaving, but I was here for another week so I had more to discover and look forward to.

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