Grigons & Orr

I have to admit, I'm never really good at keeping up to date with blogs, unless it is graded (for school). BUT! I have some spare time on hand so I better get cracking. This semester has been full of great surprises, in terms of food, and I'm so glad I've been able to get out and about to explore (whilst schooling too!), with some great company of course!

So this post is supposedly a month or two old, but I really got to say, this place ages well. Ha! Situated on the corner of Queensberry and Chetwynd Streets, it's very much a laid-back kind of place in a quiet part of North Melbourne. I actually came across Grigons & Orr Corner Store by accident while searching the interweb for brunch spots, and its cute, non-fussed website appealed to me. The fact that they had their menu available on the site was another plus! I mean, it's only right to tell your potential customers what you have to offer in the comforts of their home! Get their expectations up and running and THEN deliver when they visit! 

I remember I was meeting a good buddy of mine for a long awaited brunch session and I recommended trying out this place in an area less trodden by both of us. Relatively easy to find, we arrived and found ourselves a good spot. The interiors of G&O really reminds me of your local corner store, chockful of canned goods and sweet treats. The exception here is that they also make you some eggs and bennies. 

Menu online: Here

Not sure about their malt shakes, but seems like a good value!

Imagine that, strawberries in their water! +10000.

Tea in a cosy! 

After perusing the menu, we went up to the counter (self-service, not a big deal) to place our order. Got the Devonshire tea set ($7.00, comes with 2 lovely scones) to share, and I think we got Earl Grey or English Breakfast. My friend ordered the Uncle Bennies with bacon ($14.50; basically your well-known Eggs Benedict), while I opted for the simple pair of poached eggs on sourdough plus a side of potato rosti ($8.50 and $3.50 respectively). The tea came in a teapot with a cozy, which was one of the appeals for me. Cheap thrills!

My poached eggs and rosti

My friend's Uncle Bennies

I was quite envious of my friend's choice. The bacon looked crisp and the hollandaise sauce was so rich and golden, I felt sinful for her! No doubt it tasted good, but it was a little too rich and she couldn't finish the lot. I'm ordering that the next time! Looks like a hearty, honest meal, kind of like Uncle Benny (hahaha).

The poached eggs were very much perfection. Cutting into them, the orangey yolks came bursting out onto the brioche-like toast, it was simply heaven, even without the hollandaise sauce. The potato rosti was a little bit of a disappointment, it wasn't as crispy as I had thought, quite dense like a patty.

Look at that hollandaise!

Drinking tea like a sir! (The teaspoons were a nice touch).

So all in all, a pretty lovely brunch, and the people working there are quite friendly too. Just a little forgetful I would say, because they forgot to bring us our scones! Luckily we were too full anyway and went back in to get them to pack it up. To my delight, they placed the scones into those little chinese takeaway boxes with the metal handles for us to carry around! It really are those tiny details that make the experience such a good one. I will definitely be heading back to try their Uncle Bennies and coffee again.

The scones, on the other hand, held up well, even after a day in the fridge. I had it for tea the next afternoon and heated it up on the pan. You can't really see it in the photos, but there was a medium amount of cream and organic jam that just melded well together. The tartness of the jam was kept to a minimum from the creaminess. The scone was a delight to eat, crumbling and melting in my mouth. I have to go back just for the scones! :)

Grigons & Orr Corner Store are all about the tiny details. From the tea cosy to the teaspoon to the little takeaway boxes, you can tell that they really have thought the whole concept through. A corner store where you can get some eggs and eat it too? No doubt I'll be back! 

Grigons & Orr Corner Store

04 8760 8489

445 Queensberry St

North Melbourne, VIC 3051