"Someone" has a lot on his plate. "Someone should do something!" we cry at the TV, helpless in the face of a crisis. "Well, someone is responsible", we say with crossed arms to talking heads on the radio. Wandering the streets, we bleat plaintively, "Someone should open a cafe". Well, someone finally did, and it's a good 'un.
Maples Cafe is right in the middle of Footscray's CBD where a tired shoe shop used to be. It's neat as a pin inside and serves Genovese coffee and a small but super fresh range of sandwiches and focaccias.
Smooth, dark roast, well-made Genovese coffee, $3.30 for a latte. The original resident of this building was the Maples furniture store. I started explaining this to my mother who sighed good-naturedly, "Oh, I know Maples! They were everywhere! If you needed a table, you went to your local furniture shop down the road, and then someone would deliver it. No Ikea in those days".
Roasted vegetable foccacia, $7
Ah, the sandwich fashions of Melbourne. I can remember as far back as Schwob's bread, then foccacias were all the rage. Now it's all panini and piadini. This was retroliciously good. Juicy grilled zucchini chunks, tender vinegary capsicum, mild pesto and the toasted bread just perfectly licked with oil to give crackly edges.
Across the road we spotted these letters which originally read EDMENTS. "Edments jewellers," said Mum wistfully. "There was one in every suburb." Footscray's changed a lot and it keeps changing, a process which I find exciting. I'm really delighted Maples is here, bringing a fresh presence to Nicholson Street Mall.
You can read more about Maples in Footscray Life magazine, as well as lots of other great news and interviews.
Check out Maribyrnong Council's Footscray heritage trail brochure here.
Maples Cafe
Cnr Paisley Street and Nicholson Street Mall, Footscray
Phone: 9687 7738
Hours: Mon-Fri 7.30pm-4.30pm
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Boo that its not open on weekends :(
ReplyDelete(For some reason this won't let me post with my Google accounts - I used to be able to !)
I can see a red kind of mark above the comment box but it's nothing legible
Great but spare a thought for us 9 to 5 working stiffs Lauren!! It will be a long time before I have a mid-week day off again. So for now I'll just have to take your word for it.
ReplyDeleteThat's why it took me SO long to get there!!!
DeleteI visited a few months ago for coffee and lunch a couple of times. I wouldn't say I was blown away by their offerings, but the sandwiches and coffee were more than passable and it's a very welcome addition to perhaps the seediest part of Footscray. I'll visit again when I'm in the area. I hope they do well.
ReplyDeleteYes anon, I agree - not groundbreaking but it's fresh and tasty. Ditto - hope they do well!
DeleteBesito in West Footscray; Maples in the Footscray Mall; and soon to be the Footscray Milking Station (with a Slayer coffee machine, no less) opening in Bunbury St. Do I spy some gentrification in process? Now all we need is a sourdough bakery ;-)
ReplyDeleteHa! ;)
DeleteHi Lauren, Mezz here (Felix's mum.) Ash told me about your wonderul blog, so I thought I'd stop by, love it by the way!!!! I haven't yet tried Maples. Although the food is pretty uninspiring, I just can't go passed the Bulldog Cafe in the Mall for some great chats with the locals, the occasional somebody making a "scene", and a pretty good chocolate milkshake. oh, and the 80's pctures on the walls. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteHI!! Oh, I am going to have to check Bulldog out. I have always been so curious but inevitably end up going somewhere else.
DeleteThere's a new cafe just opened on Cowper St, a block from my place, called Footscray Milking Station. The coffee is so far just alright but the panini are good! I've suggested to Bryan we make an outing there some day.
ReplyDeleteHi there!! I have already been twice (once takeaway only, but still) - EXCITED MUCH?!! I thought the coffee was delicious! Do invite me on your outing - I'd love to catch up :)
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