I ate lunch with a poet and I did know it. Coffee Supreme from a pink machine. Me and a friend in the deep end.
Just like Martha is a fancy new cafe overlooking a great big hole in the ground, the old Three Kings Quarry which is slowly being redeveoped into residential.
It’s been open for six months which feels a good time to visit a new eaterie in the hood. It’s had time to put some roots down and a Friday lunch was in order. Also, now that some friends have cottoned on to who we are (shhhh!) there is some expectation of eating out, like, all the time.
Parking is easy on nearby sidestreets, and when you walk into Just like Martha the cabinet gleams with donuts and slices the size of bricks. It’s a colourful modern vibe, the wallpaper is straight out of Where the Wild Things Are, and you can choose to sit indoors or out.
This is the newest cafe from the owners of Winona Forever, Major Tom and Rude Boy and a few other establishments. On the day we visited I bumped into two friends and an acquaintance, it was humming.
It was also a hot day and when the poet arrived we checked the cabinet for anything resembling a salad. But that’s not what the cabinet magics up. So we were left perusing the main menu.
I was looking for something light and cold but asides from avocado on toast (with goats cheese), the dishes are hot. Since I’m already a homeowner and avo is the domain of those saving for bricks and mortar, I opted for the eggs bene with brisket. The poet ordered mince on toast.
At this point, me and a friend were in the deep end. We were each aiming to spend $20 tops on coffee and lunch, but most of the items on the menu are closer to $20…and then I snuck off to order a slice.
The meals looked instagramable but lacked a little punch. The mince on toast was served on brioche which tends to fall apart at the touch of anything with water content. My brisket eggs bene was too heavy on a hot day and a little meagre on the brisket because if that’s the hero of the dish I’d have preferred one egg and more meat.
The coffee was spot on. I’d like to give this place another go and head back when their summer menu is up and running.
Ground Floor of the Obsidian Apartments
985 Mt Eden Road
