Breakfast – Navigator

Where to eat breakfast on the Sunshine Coast

Back in August, I gave you ten ideas for breakfast on the coast…here are some more…in no particular order…

Winnie, Woombye

If pressed for a favourite, this would come out near the top. The black rice porridge with ginger syrup really should be tasted to be believed, and the avo smash is lifted with micro herbs, feta and radish. Just fabulous. I wrote about it here.

Winnie is named after the owner’s son, Winston. They also have Little Boat at Marcoola – which is named after her other son, Otus, or Oatey Boatie. Too cute. Speaking of which…

Little Boat Espresso, Marcoola

I haven’t blogged this place yet – I’ll need to go back to get some better photos. Now, there’s a good excuse if ever there was one.

Little Boat is open from 6.30 – 2.30 every day at 3 Lorraine Ave, Marcoola. They also open on Friday nights – but for drinks only. You bring your own food from the Marcoola Markets…such a cool idea.

Jimmy’s Catering – Coffee – Eats, Warana

I told you about this place here. Sure there are no ocean views, but the coffee is great and the breakfast sliders are well worth the carpark vista.

These guys are all about local and seasonal food – and excellent coffee.

Guru Life, Rosemount

Another place without an ocean view, your outlook here is green and serene. Coffee is taken so seriously they have their own blend, and the food is…well, just look at it. And there’s plenty to choose from if you’re vegetarian.

You’ll find the post here.

Central Beach Club, Mooloolaba

I nearly wasn’t going to include this place on my list given that they only open for breakfast from Thursday – Sunday. Even then they don’t open until 7am – relatively late on the Mooloolaba strip. That aside, I had to give them a spot even if it’s just for their baked eggs. They are really that good. Naturally, there are other things on the menu – other good and very yummy things – but I do love the baked eggs…and the view. On a sunny day watching the world stroll by and the surf across the road, there’s not many better places to be than on Mooloolaba’s Esplanade.

Update June 2018 – this cafe is now closed

Two Point Oh, Maroochydore

Somewhere else I haven’t blogged yet is this relatively new vegetarian cafe in the Kontiki Building in Maroochydore. Again, it’s because I want to go back and take more photos. Yes, really. Have you seen their Instagram page?

The only way I can describe the food is to say it’s innovative…or maybe progressive? Whatever word you use to describe it, it’s the type of vegetarian place that the non-vego can walk in and not notice that the bacon is missing.

The smoothie bowls have been lifted to a different dimension from the acai that you see on every street corner here on the coast, and the avo smash is turned upside down with smoked beetroot hummus, smashed peas, feta, rocket and avo.

Oh, and the decor is stunningly simple and beautiful.

Open for brunch Monday – Wednesday 7:30 – 4pm and Sunday 8 – 3pm and Dinner Thursday – Saturday 5pm-10pm

Chances

I’m here working so often you’d think I was their resident writer.

Again, I haven’t blogged it and I really need to. Anyways, Chances was the first of the major tenants in The Wharf redevelopment – I’ve told you about that when we talked about Rice Boi and Saltwater. Yes, it’s a bar and it’s open late and it has a fabulous vibe and food for that sort of thing, but for now, we’re talking about breakfast.

They have all the usuals, plenty of muffins, a DIY breakfast, a breakfast stack that defies gravity (that’s it in the pic below), and a smashed avo that I swear I must have every time I’m in. And you must try the savoury mince jaffles.

You’ll find Chances on Mooloolaba Wharf, opposite Sea-Life, Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba. It’s open most days from 7am, but check out their Facebook page for more info.

Mooloolaba Surf Club

Many of the surf clubs do a good value brekky, and they’re well worth seeking out – and not just because they usually have the best view on the beach. Our “local” Mooloolaba Surf Club does breakfast each morning from 7am and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better view.

Mooloolaba Esplanade

Ok, there are plenty of places up and down the Esplanade.

Acai Brothers do, well, I’ll let you guess… Then there’s Quarterdeck – open for the early birds. They don’t have an avo smash as such, but they do sourdough with a smash on the side which is, unusually for places doing avo on the side, a good sized serve.

Dejavu, another early opener, is in the middle of the main foodie part of the Esplanade opposite the beach. At $20, their avo smash is mortgage-bustingly expensive, but also humungous and, therefore, good value – especially if you’ve worked up an appetite with an early morning walk/run or a swim…or all of the above. Their breakfast wraps are also pretty yum.

I’m sure that I read somewhere that Gainsbourg has changed hands relatively recently and are in the process of changing their menu. I’m hoping this benny with smoked trout and quinoa fritters makes the cut.

Do you have a favourite brekky spot on the Coast? If so, let me know…I’ll add it to my list.

Jimmy’s Catering – Coffee – Eats

Ok, let’s get one thing straight before we go any further – you don’t come to Jimmy’s for the beachside location or the outlook – the view is pretty much of the carpark and Nicklin Way. You come for the coffee and the food – and don’t even notice the carpark or Nicklin Way.

Still with me?

Good.

Jimmy’s has become our go-to place for brekky after the markets every Saturday morning. We’re addicted to the brekky sliders – at $5 each they’re fabulous value. With bacon, a perfectly cooked fried egg, tomato jam, cheddar and kewpie mayo – is it just me or does everything taste better with kewpie mayo? – they’re also seriously yummy. More importantly, they’re the perfect size for brekky when you know that you’ve got the makings of a hunger busting grazing platter in the market bags in the car.

It’s not just sliders though. We’ve also tried the breakfast wrap (bacon, egg, pesto, spinach, hash brown, onion jam, bbq sauce $8), the breakfast burger (the breakfast slider made large $10) and the breakfast tacos. You get two, and each one has triple smoked bacon, house beans, fried egg, sriracha, shaved parmesan and guacamole. It’s a lot of eating for $12. My tip? Buy one serve of these, and two brekky sliders and share.

New to the menu is this yellow curry poached chicken omelette ($16). My photo was crap – way too many shades of beige – so I’ve borrowed this one from @foodonthecoast via Instagram. I could have had an entire bowl with some roti to dip in that curry sauce.

Of course, there’s the usual eggs – benny, your way, with whatever – and it wouldn’t be a Sunshine Coast breakfast joint without an acai or pitaya bowl or a smashed avo – Jimmy’s avo is served with dukkah and kimchi.

And that’s just breakfast…Jimmy’s also does brunch/lunch – and holds a four-course dinner event monthly based on a single ingredient. When we go, I’ll tell you all about it.

Where?

179 Nicklin Way, Warana

When?

Monday – Friday 6am – 2pm
Saturday 6am – 12 noon

Vegetarian/ Gluten free options?

Yes

Price? $

Below $20

More info?

You’ll find them in the usual social media places: Instagram, Facebook, website.

Guru Life

It’s a funny thing, but one of things I remember distinctly about holidays to the Sunshine Coast was the sugar cane. I remember that on the road to Nambour there was lots of sugar cane. I even remember that sometimes you had to stop for the train that took the cane up to the mill.

I don’t know when we stopped noticing the cane, or the little train and the mill. Apparently the train and the mill closed in 2003 – the cane probably making way for development. I hadn’t even really thought about it until I took the back road – down through Bli Bli – to the airport the other day.

Where am I going with this? I’m not really sure, except to say that I thought of it again as we drove through cane-fields in Rosemount to Guru Life.

Where’s Rosemount, I hear you ask? No, I had no idea either. Anyways, it’s sort of west of Maroochydore, but not quite as far as Nambour – and surprisingly not really very far from anywhere.

I’d heard a lot about this place – about how the coffee was fabulous, about the quirky furniture, and about how it’s a great weekend hang-out for the sort of restorative all-day breakfast after the night before. Perhaps the pineapple wallpaper on the counter expedites the healing process…

We visited at lunch time on a steamy Friday to find the carpark – and the courtyard – relatively full.

And the food? Hubby was concerned that with a name like Guru Life he was going to be confronted with a completely vegan menu full of acai bowls and quinoa and kombucha. A quick trip to the website and the phrase “extra bacon” soon put his mind at rest.

I chose the Indian spiced corn fritters with potato kofta, hummus, yoghurt dressing, avocado, a salsa, and bacon. Phew.

Miss 19 had the same, but with smoked salmon.

Hubby had the fish and chips – and exceptional fish and chips they were.

Guru Life is also a roastery and I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that they’d been voted by something or other as having the best coffee on the coast, but don’t quote me on that. Given that it was a Friday and my head hurt from work and some other stuff that you don’t need to know about, I went straight for a glass of wine. Don’t look at me like that – it was medicinal.

Speaking of which, aside from being a great spot for breakfast or a mid-week lunch, this is the perfect place for a Sunday session. A spot outside, a cold ale or three, maybe some tunes, and the world is a very special place. With a duck pond. What more could you ask for?

Where: 522 Petrie Creek Road, Rosemount, QLD

Open: Like the sign says – 6am – 3pm…but later (for dinner) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Check out their website or Facebook for more info.

Winnie at Woombye

There’s something about Woombye. It feels a lot like Bangalow (in the Byron hinterland) did before it was Bangalow and got all quirky hipster fashionable. (As an aside, I still love Bangalow). Anyways, Woombye, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, feels a little like that – full of potential and possibility. As if it’s yet to be discovered.

As we’re sitting down eating our breakfast on a Saturday morning, a couple of horses (with riders) go clomping up the main street. It’s all part of the charm of this town.

Speaking of charm, Winnie has it in spades. Operating out of a simply white-washed shopfront, fabulous breakfasts are somehow produced from what looks to be the smallest kitchen in history. I’m exaggerating, of course, about the kitchen size, not the fabulousness of the breakfasts.

I was torn between the avo smash, the Japanese style cabbage pancake, and the black rice porridge with ginger syrup, grilled bananas and hung yoghurt. Waiting at the counter to order the avo smash I saw a plate of the black rice go out – and changed my mind on the spot.

Hubby stuck with the sourdough and home-made jam (which he declared was excellent), but we’ll be back to try more. Update January 2018 – yep, back again…this time had the avo with radish, feta, micro herbs on sourdough. Just how pretty does it look?

Oh, and the name? Winnie is named after the owner’s son, Winston. They also have Little Boat at Marcoola (on my list to try) – which is named after her other son, Otus, or Oatey Boatie. Too cute…as are the straw umbrellas – which I’m now coveting.

Where:

13a Blackall St, Woombye

When:

Weds – Fri 6.30-2.30 /Sat & Sun 6.30-1.30

How much? $

All dishes are below $20. The smashed avo is $15.

Licensed?

10 great breakfast places on the Sunshine Coast

The smashed duo – pumpkin & avo – at One Block Back

I’m a big fan of the weekend breakfast, but let’s be honest – not all avo smashes are created equally. So where’s the best breakfast on the coast? I have no idea…yet, but here are 10 of my favourites.. so far…in no particular order… Watch this space for part 2!

The Shak, Buderim

Since moving to the Sunshine Coast, we find that we’ve been naturally eating in a way that is more aligned to the seasons than we ever did in Sydney. A very welcome aside to this is that much of our produce is grown or sourced locally – or relatively locally. The Shak Organic Cafe and Wine Bar prides itself on being Buderim’s only organic cafe – and one that is pretty much as local as you can get.

Located in the centre of Buderim Village, we couldn’t go past their version of eggs benedict – served on herbed potato rosti rather than bread. I’d go as far as to say it is one of the best eggs bennies I’ve had – and so so pretty. Next time, though, I’m trying the Balinese black rice pudding…

The Velo Project, Mooloolaba

A quirky interior and great food and coffee makes this cafe – located a few blocks back from the Esplanade – worth seeking out.

The avo smash is great and there’s a huge range of fresh juices and herbal teas available, but my fave (so far) is the pumpkin and goats curd “gnocchi” with chorizo, avocado, rosemary roasted chickpeas and sage butter.

The Velo Project is open 7am – 3pm 7 days a week. You’ll find it at 19 Careela Street, Mooloolaba.

One Block Back, Moffat Beach

If I were really pushed for a favourite from this group of cafes – and I mean really pushed – it would probably be a toss-up between here and The Velo Project…although I do love #Phresh… Seriously though, it would come down to the quirk factor, and OBB has it in spades.

Located in a quiet street back from the main Moffat Beach Village, One Block Back would be equally at home in Abbotsford as it is here on the Sunshine Coast.

The eggs benedict with pulled pork, beetroot relish and paprika emulsion is a winner, as is the beans with eggs and ham hock. The award for prettiest breakfast though has to go to the nutella panacotta with banana rolled in granola and a whole host of other gorgeous bits.

You’ll find more instaworthy pictures of food on their Facebook page. One Block Back is open from 7am.

Hashtag Phresh, Mooloolaba

A relatively new offering on The Esplanade, #Phresh also has one of the cheaper avo smashes on the strip. At $10.50, with tomato, feta and dukkah, it’s a very satisfying brekky.

The #BennieBagel is also very good – and highly instagrammable. If, however, you’re into acai bowls – I’ve told you before about my suspicion that there are more acai bowls per head of population sold here than anywhere else – and smoothies, you’ll be well chuffed by what’s on offer.

#Phresh is open from 6.30am 7 days a week. You’ll find it on the Esplanade at the base of the Landmark Resort.

Update June 2018 – Hashtag Phresh is now closed

One on La Balsa Cafe, Buddina

We tried this place at the end of a walk around the Pt Cartwright headland and down the path to Kawana, but you don’t need to make any excuses. Located opposite La Balsa Park, there’s plenty of parking and always something happening in the park or on the water.

The avo smash with bacon was yummy, but my daughter – who fancies herself an expert on acai bowls – declared this one a winner.

One on La Balsa is open from 6.30am Tuesday – Sunday. You can find out more here.

Elliott’s Bistro, Alexandra Headland

From the minute we walked in I knew that Elliott’s would know how to do smashed avo the way it’s meant to be done. It wasn’t just the soundtrack – Bob Dylan and This Wheels On Fire – it was the service, the cute beach-side shopfront, the whole package.

We weren’t disappointed. Miss 19 was well impressed with her avo smash – which she declared up to Melbourne standards. It came with perfectly poached eggs and sharp, salty feta perched on top for the perfect avo. Hubby made his version even more perfect by adding bacon and tomato.

Elliott’s also know that anyone can do the basic bacon and eggs, but a great breakfast place should do that plus something a little more interesting. Something like, say, potato and gruyere croquettes. Served with fried eggs, bacon, a dollop of relish and a dab of blue cheese, this was bacon and eggs with hash browns taken to a much higher level.

You’ll find Elliott’s across the road from the beach at 102 Alexandra Parade. It’s open from 7am. Their Facebook page is here.

Kimnat Little Market and Cafe, Woombye

We found this place accidentally one morning when the ATM wasn’t working at Hinterland Harvest and we ran out of cash for breakfast. The closest ATM was in the IGA at Woombye, and just down the road was this little treasure trove.

The smashed avo was beyond good – so much eating, so many herbs and greens – and the tarot and guidance cards on the tables outside were just another fabulous little new agey touch.

You’ll find them here.

CK Wholefoods, Mooloolaba

Ok, the first thing you need to know about this place is that it’s huge. The next thing that you should take into account is just how popular it is. And why wouldn’t it be? Just off the Esplanade in Brisbane Rd, CK really is a healthy alternative.

Now, I’ve never been one to have my coffee other than as real coffee, but if you’re into turmeric lattes (which it seems half of the Coast is) or matcha or dandelion lattes, you’ll be in heaven. Of course there’s a great range of coffees and black as well as herbal teas also available. When it comes to food, CK has all your paleo and raw food options covered, plus more for the, shall we say, more dietary challenged.

I chose the Japanese pancakes – okonomiyake – with perfectly cooked salmon and a poached egg and was absolutely not disappointed.

Open from 6am for coffee and 7am for breakfast 7 days a week. Check out their full menu here.

Monica’s at Maleny

Maleny is a town with plenty to offer the hungry breakfast seeker, but it was Monica’s that we chose when arranging a real-life meet-up of social media friends. I had the baked eggs, and my friends had the eggs benedict. Gluten free requests were handled without fuss. My only regret? I was too busy chatting to take photos. Ooops.

Monica’s is open 7am – 3pm 7 days a week. Their website is here.

Decisions Cafe

The premise of this place is fabulous – decisions. Your first decision is choosing between the superfood or super junk menu – and this is not a decision to take lightly.

Another place where we went for the avo smash and acai bowl, but for the life of me I can’t find the pics! You’ll have to take my word for it.

Decisions is open from 6am at 10 Capital Pl, Birtinya.

Coastal Pathway: Point Cartwright – Kawana

Followers of my instagram page know that I like me a good sunrise, but there’s something about seeing a sunrise from a lighthouse that feels like you’re really making an effort to see the sunrise, if you know what I mean.

It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for months – catch the sunrise from Point Cartwright. I’ve also been meaning to do the first leg of the Point Cartwright to Caloundra coastal pathway – just as far as Kawana, anyways. Plus, I’ve been wanting to try the breakfast at One on Balsa, so why not combine all three? Now that’s what I call multi-tasking.

Start and Finish…

We parked up near the lighthouse – mainly because the pathway starts at the Lighthouse, but also because it was still dark when we arrived. You could, however, park at Balsa Park and walk beside the river and then up to the Lighthouse – see this post for more information.

We waited for sunrise and then started walking.

Distance…

It’s just 3kms from the Lighthouse to Kawana Surf Club. From here you can keep walking – the path goes all the way to Caloundra. We turned around and retraced our steps for a total of 6kms.

The path…

The path is wide and paved the whole way – aside from some boardwalk near the lighthouse.

It’s fully accessible for prams and wheelchairs. The only obstacles are the early morning runners. Other than that, it’s a little up and down in a few places, but nothing steep. Besides, with this view, the steps just fade away.

Dog friendly?

On a leash, absolutely. There are also plenty of exits down to the beach, so check the signage at each if you intend letting el poocho off to run.

Toilets?

Yep, there are some at the Lighthouse, at Buddina Beach, and at Kawana near the Surf Club. There’s also a really well-equipped outdoor gym at the Surf Club.

Coffee and food?

I’m glad that you asked. We rewarded ourselves with breakfast at One on Balsa at Balsa Park. The outlook is fabulous – across the river to the yachts and the fisheries at Mooloolaba. This morning there was a group of intrepid over 60’s doing tai chi. You could almost touch the serenity.

But back to One on Balsa….

They have an extensive juice and smoothie menu, but we settled on a fresh orange juice and a restorative coffee.

As for breakfast, I chose the breakfast bruschetta – essentially an avo smash with bacon and fabulous tomatoes – and Miss 19 went for an acai bowl.

I have a theory that acai bowls were invented not for their super food status, but for instagram. These things are seriously pretty and it seems that half the cafes on the coast use them to hero their social media accounts. Anyways, Miss 19, who is a self-confessed expert on acai bowls, declared this a really good one. Apparently the difference was in the depth of banana, and the use of great rather than ordinary granola. Served in a bowl deeper than it looks in the pic, she said it was full of yummy surprises.

I’ll be back for some of the lunchtime salads – maybe when I do the next leg of the path…