There's a new happy place in town. Right on the border of Kingsville and Yarraville, say hello to happymaree!
This den of cool is the baby of Delanie (aka Maree) and Mario. Happymaree was previously only seen at artists' markets around Melbourne and Victoria, but now their groovy badges, cards and other vintage-inspired goodies have a permanent home here in the west.
There's also work by other artists for sale, including Baby Guerrilla, best known for her paste-ups around Footscray and wider Melbourne.
My daughter said today that she had a "meringue sandwich" with her aunty. I thought for a minute and chuckled. Obviously it was a macaron! In these days of macarons and caneles, can the humble muffin really hope to still compete? Well, when it's this good, it beats 'em all hands down. Still toasty from the oven, these mini banana and walnut loaves had perfect fluffy middles and warm crusty tops. We kicked them into overdrive with a smear of soft butter.
Here's Mario, one half of happymaree and the secret weapon behind these amazing baked beauties. (He's a trained baker and chef). Happymaree is not officially a cafe but rather a home-based business that happens to serve coffee and snacks. As well as Anzac bikkies, they do dog biscuits too, like carrot and parsley (for pooches who want fresh breath)!
"I can't help it, I'm Italian," said Mario, as he pressed us into having this freebie, a savoury tart with chorizo and vegies. And I'm (part) English, which means I'm too polite to refuse! It was delicious, though, with a proper silky middle. (Eggy tarts often end up coarsely textured. Well, mine do.)
Coffee is by Four Rascals, a small team with a no-nonsense, small-batch coffee roasting approach. The milk wasn't lusciously foamy, but the underlying shot was well pulled, strong and tasty.
Another naughty freebie - a soothing watermelon slushy, the last sigh of summer.
As for the kiddlywinks, they can get inspired with all the crafty goodness around and get stuck into paper, stamps and more.
Plus, make your own badges! Cool!
At this stage happymaree is open every day from 8am. It is a home-based business, so their closing hours are flexible. Keep your eye on their Facebook page for last-minute updates.
And in case you needed ANY more convincing...
229 Somerville Road, Yarraville
Open daily from 8am
I came across this place accidentally and was overwhelmed by the welcome and the watermelon drinks and the art and a place for the dogs. It is really really special.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear anon!
DeleteUnfortunately the service is not so smiley if they get more than two customers... In the morning they seem quite overwhelmed and get very snappy at the kids and forget orders. And no toilet - not very kid friendly
ReplyDeleteOoh, not great to hear, anon #2! I guess that will be the challenge - it is home based, so meant to be less "professional" in a way than a cafe, but it's hard to explain that to customers if busy periods occur...which they inevitably will!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi there, thanks for your input, but I disagree. Even if I restricted comments to those with Google accounts or Open ID, there's nothing stopping anyone from using a pseudonym. Instead I monitor my comments for anything that is troll-like, but just because something is negative doesn't mean it is troll-y. I can't stand blog comments that are a litany of "Wow, that looks so great!" "YUMMM, I totally want to eat there!" A blog by nature is subjective and I am really keen to temper my own opinions, good or bad, with those of others.
DeleteIn the Comment As: drop-down box, I WOULD prefer that people chose the Name/URL option instead of Anonymous, as they can enter any name (even if it's "Disgruntled Diner") and actually don't have to include a URL. However, that isn't the impression the title "Name/URL" would give me (ie, I would think you DID need a URL). Often I have readers who comment as "Anonymous" but sign off with their name in the actual comment box itself. So I really don't get the impression people are "hiding" - not everyone has a Google account or Gravatar or whatever they use to comment on blogs.
But I'm glad you commented as you. I love your shop!
Aw, why did you remove your comment? It was a good and a valid question! I would love you to re-post it - I am leaving my reply up.
DeleteIts got a nice retro/grungy feel and some excellent artwork. Coffee's always good.
ReplyDeleteBonus is the mornings I'm greeted by Graham (I been in Footscray for 33 years...)
Hi Derek! Look forward to reading more of your blog. I love all the artwork and goodies for sale, and the retro Rancilio machine.
DeleteMy daughter and I love it! We are always made to feel welcome and staff are great with my daughter. She loves the stamps and pencils, as well as the old school style chocolate milkshake. The anzac bickies are great too. Nice place to stop for a coffee after a long walk around Cruickshank Park.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear Daz! I am keen to bring my kiddos down. They will have a ball.
Delete