Proud Mary, Collingwood - Australia (Greedy Diva's Gluttonous Travels)

Avocado on toast - oh yeah

I've been completely out of the online loop. Beaching rather than blogging, Twisties over Tweets. More specifically, I've been on holiday in Australia, soaking up the warm weather and an endless supply of flat whites good enough to bring a tear to the eye.

It is, apparently, impossible to have a bad coffee in Melbourne now. I can't believe how easy it is, even in the most random, untrendy, tucked away neighbourhood place, to order a coffee and be blown away by the fact that they actually know how to make one good enough to make you weep. The cafe culture is thriving. People are smiling. The waitresses are friendly. Melbourne is a coffee mecca.

One of my favourite coffee and brunch places from this most recent trip is housed in what looks like a converted factory in the back streets of Collingwood - Proud Mary.

Avocado and corn chilli salsa on toast had me at hello. A whole avocado is mushed and piled onto a thick wedge of toast with grilled chunks of corn fresh from the cob, sweet roasted tomatoes and a spicy chilli salsa with a splash of lime. It's huge, it's fabulous.

Ricotta hotcakes

Ricotta hotcakes with poached pear and vanilla ice cream are good enough to snuggle up to. TPG informs me that the potato hash will make me want to move in.

And then there's the coffee. Aaah, the coffee. It's rich, it's smooth, it's comforting, it's joyous. Perfect. They do a range of whizz bang coffee stuff like siphoned coffee and have both a Synesso and Clover coffee machines and high end teas. But give me my flat white and avo on toast in a seat by the window, and let me sit back and worship Melbourne in all its glory. I can feel a surge of proud patriotism pumping through my blood with every sip. We may not have won the cricket, but we know how to make a coffee.

Proud Mary, 170 Oxford Street, Collingwood, Australia, Phone: (613) 9417 5930