Scarvelli Cafe, Balwyn (by invitation) by Obelix

I'm always thrilled to hear of paddock to plate eateries particularly in my local area as I know in general these places place great pride in their produce.  Scarvelli Cafe is one of these places in the handy location along Whitehorse Road.  I understand most of the produce is actually from the owner's farm down on the Bellarine Peninsula at Swan Bay.  They also go to great lengths with their coffees.  Their baristas work close with Industry Beans to create espresso perfection.  Scarvelli's are ranked in the top 10 of best coffee destinations in Melbourne according to Beanhunter.


So when in Rome, do as the Romans....so first up on the order is a couple of lattes to kick things off.  I am a pathetic coffee drinker.  Too strong a coffee makes my heart palpitate (I know, weak *hang head in shame*).  However the baristas at Scarvelli's were able to tailor a coffee just mild enough for me.  I get the lovely bean aromas without my heart thumping itself out of my chest cavity.  Love.

They do real connoisseur stuff too, like cold drip coffees and soon to come, filter coffees.  The baristas were super friendly and a real wealth of knowledge and they were very happy to share / chat about all things bean.

My dad and I were there to brunch and we were not disappointed with the suggestions made by the staff.  I had the ham hock special for I am unable to resists anything in relation to pork.  It was a ham hock benedict on sourdough.  The ham were locally sourced and it was simply divine.  The serve was gargantuan and will definitely keep me chugging until dinner time.

My dad had the chilli eggs.  These came with house-made chilli sauce, minted peas, ham hock hash and a rocket salad with pickled onions.  So good.  I had food envy and snitched half of his meal off his plate.  The hash was delightfully crispy and the chilli sauce had a real vinegary hit.  The greenery took the heat off and were so fresh.  It was a very well thought out plate.

For sweets, there were all manner of delectables.  We couldn't fit another bite in but were kindly supplied with a few take home treats.  Scarvelli Cafe have their own pastry chef and all these yummy treats are baked on premises.  Their iced tea are also a house specialty.  These guys really go to some effort for good food.

I'll leave you with a couple of shots of the ambiance.  It's a great place to catch up with friends, or just simply grab a coffee to go...There's a beautiful mural to admire on the external wall...I even heard plans that Scarvelli Cafe have bought a block of land close by to turn into a kitchen garden.  They walk the talk of locally sourced produce.

Verdict:  We loved it.

Overall
Scarvelli Cafe is a warm and friendly local cafe with a great ethos of locally sourced ingredients and killer coffee.