Sunshine Devonshire House Tea Rooms

Now, I love a good burger.  But back when I first started eating burgers, "brioche" was a mythical food that only existed in French class - like Orangina.  Jal-a-peenos?  What the bloody hell is that?  Pass me the tinned beetroot and pineapple.  Pickles?  Those things only existed at Macca's, and for the sole purpose of throwing them against the wall.

And don't get me started on the prices.  We found one in Carlton the other day that had hit fifteen bucks, made all the more insulting to this dinky-diehard by being on a damper roll.  (I haven't had this burger.  I'm sure it's lovely.  But $15?!)

What if I told you I could time-travel you back to 1989?  What's the first thing you would do?

Meet Sunshine's Devonshire House tea rooms, your friendly local teleportal back in time.  It's a charitable venture of the Uniting Church in which it is housed.  According to the pseudo-gothic wording on the wall:  "Devonshire House is a venture of social concern instituted by the Sunshine Methodist Church.  It is in the main staffed and maintained by volunteers.  If any profit is gained it will be directed to youth and welfare services in the area".

All good, although how ANY profit could be gained from these prices beggars belief.  CHECK.  THEM.  OUT.  Sausages, egg n' chips for $5.50?  Soup, five bucks?  A "tomato and bacon special", which is certainly worth taking a punt on for a mere seven dineros?

Here's your lovely hamburger & salad ($7!) with a small side of chips ($1.20!)  The salad!  The cheese triangles, tinned beetroot, hardboiled egg and iceberg!  The tinned pineapple chunks!  Bless their cotton socks.

And here's mine - a "baconburger" and chips ($8.50!  Yes, every price hereafter mentioned includes an exclamation mark).  Behold its wobbly-yolked glory!  It was bloody delicious.  I had to have a little sniffle halfway through, it brought back so many childhood memories.

There's a big outdoor area that you can sit in on a nice day.  Another friend had told me about this place ages ago, having reported that she brought a group of mates and their kids here for her birthday.  She shouted them all lunch, player that she is, which ended up coming to about $35 - FOR EVERYONE.  (!)

I am dying to try the "Devon Latte".  I may be a born-and-bred Aussie, but even I don't know what that is.  I bet it involves whipped cream, a saucer with a doily and a glass with a handle.  (Google doesn't help - top result is a Mr Devon Latte from Quebec.)

Or maybe next time the "Spin Q" will be on offer.  It took me a good while to work out what the heck this is.  I think I've got it - spinach quiche!  For $2.20!!!  (Yes, that deserves three excy marks.)

I would like to quickly say that if I catch anyone bashing this joint on Urbanspoon for things like using caterer's margarine, Home Brand teabags or not having posh salt, I will give you a Chinese burn.  It is obviously not that sort of place.  Ditto any service quibbles.  The Queen doesn't like mean people, OK?

Sunshine Devonshire Tea Rooms

34 Devonshire Road, Sunshine (between the kindy and the church)

Open 10.30am-2pm Monday-Friday (last orders at 1.30pm)

8 Bit

"Want some of my burger?"

"Is it Mr Burger?"

"No..."

"Is it Mrs Burger?"

This conversation took place between my 4-year-old and I in downtown Droop St, just an hour or so ago.  Yes - we were in the 'scray, talking about not banh mi, but burgers.  And we weren't shivering in the lee of a truck - we were in a real bricks n' mortar burger bar.

HYPERVENTILATING YET????

You should be, because 8 Bit has officially thrown its doors open today, and has brought a new style of dining to Footscray that I am very, very excited about.

The theme is old video games, which is played out in some of the burger names ("1UP" mushroom burger, anyone?) and in the awesome table number thingies.

I could never play anything on Nintendo harder than Mario Bros - I just used to mash all the buttons with my fingers and occasionally my character would do something awesome.  In the face of so much menu awesomeness (smoked frank with bacon, grilled onions and BBQ sauce, anyone?  Crispy chicken burger with slaw and Sriracha???), I kind of applied the same theory to choosing our meal.

Oh em gee.  So delicious.  I went the classic 8Bit with Cheese, which was great.  The burgers are cooked on a griddle and the patty had a great crust on the outside.  Nice pickles and the now-classic brioche bun...  Yum.

But the fries!  These were bury-your-face-in good.  Covered in melted cheese sauce with quality chopped bacon - they were sensational.

Can we reflect on the prices?  I think they are crazy reasonable.  $8.50 for a burger, plus $3 for a side of beer-battered fries - that's way cheaper than Grill'd, and loads better.

Lest you go howling about "hipsters" taking over the neighbourhood, you should know that two of the three partners behind this enterprise are Footscray boys, born and bred.  The other is from Geelong, so he's got westie wings too.

Anne, who had brought her lovely bub in pram in, was kind enough to let us share her table.  The staff were super lovely and accommodating to the mum and little one, even bringing him a bickie when he got a bit over it all.  When this mama is similarly over it all, I intend to rely on 8 Bit just the same way - hopefully there will soon be some voddy to tip into those strawberry cheesecake shakes!

8 Bit

8 Droop Street, Footscray

Open daily, 11am-11pm

Footscray Rugby Union Club and the Bulldog Burger

If I had to buy a beer for everyone who helped out on the Rickshaw Run - well, let's just say we'd be on a baked-bean diet that week.  The way the westie community pulled together to pull it off was just amazing.  I do need to say a special thank you, though, for a very special collaboration between the Rickshaw Run and the Footscray Rugby Union Club.

Photo by Luke Mears

When these guys came on board and agreed to staff an entire shift, I offered to write a post about the club on Footscray Food Blog.  What I didn't know was how perfect a fit the club would be for the Rickshaw Run, and how genuinely happy I'd be to spread the word about them.

So read on for more about this dynamic, friendly grass-roots club - plus a very cool, very westie foodie connection, and how you can get a piece of it!

Photo courtesy of FRUC's Facebook page

Footscray Rugby Union Club was founded in 1928.  The Dewar Shield is the premier Victorian rugby competition, fought out between nine teams who represent 125 years of rugby in Victoria.  Footscray currently have senior men's teams contesting at this top level.

Photo courtesy of Footscray Rugby Union Club

Footscray also has a junior pathway program that starts with kids aged 6 to 10 who learn the game in a fun and safe environment while building on their motor skills and coordination.  There are U12, U14 and U16 rugby teams that compete against other teams across Melbourne.

Photo courtesy of Footscray Rugby Union Club

FRUC's women's teams are comprised of three independent rugby clubs, with a strategic viewpoint to grow the game across the western suburbs of Melbourne.  They include Brimbank, Footscray and Melton rugby clubs. There are currently six women's teams contesting this season, with FRUC's team - the Western Districts - having been very successful in preseason fixtures.

You don't have to be an expert to come and play.  The club currently has four different grades, which means that everyone can find a level at which they're comfortable.  Leki Sisifa of FRUC explains: "We have rugby teams to cater for players looking to push for higher honours to the weekend warriors hoping to throw the ball around with some friends.  Footscray Rugby Union Club is happy to accept players of all shapes and sizes regardless of skill level.  We are a very inclusive club".

Photo courtesy of FRUC's Facebook page

Rugby Union in Victoria obviously plays a very far second fiddle to AFL, but to me, there's something good in that.  The Rebels (Melbourne's state-level rugby team) are required to play in comps for clubs that are at Dewar Shield level.  To me, this means more genuine involvement between top-level players right down to kids just starting out.

Photo by Luke Mears

Footscray Rugby Union Club's volunteer representatives got so many positive comments from guests on the Rickshaw Run.  They made such a great impression that they even got a mention in Federal Parliament!

And that foodie connection?  Sean Donovan of the Station Hotel (on the right) is a keen player for the Footscray Doggies, and the Station Hotel is a proud sponsor of the club!

Sean has been instrumental in creating Footscray Rugby Union Club's signature home-game offering - the Bulldog Burger.  For a mere $8.50, you get a Station Hotel-quality two-hander - a beef patty, pickles, bacon, cheese, mustard, mayo and ketchup on a brioche bun. 

It's drip-down-your-arms good!

The next home game is this Saturday 26 April at Henry Turner Reserve at Footscray Park.  Everyone is welcome to come down and enjoy the game.  The fixture is 3rd grade at 12 noon, 2nd grade at 1.30pm, 1st grade at 3.10pm and 4th grade at 3pm.  The Bulldog Burgers start sizzling at about noon.  There's also beer for sale from Broo, brewed on the Mornington Peninsula.  Love that it's in tinnies!

Photo courtesy of FRUC's Facebook page

From my own experiences with my kids' sports, running a sports club is darn hard work.  In my dealing with FRUC, I've been genuinely impressed with their professionalism and commitment to the club.

If you're interested in being part of FRUC, the club invites you to please come along and check them out.  Keep an eye on their active social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for game dates and also check out their new website, complete with lots of videos.  You're also welcome to give the following folks a call with any questions:

Junior Co-ordinator - Jessie Treherne (0425 742 736)

Seniors/Club Secretary - Andre van der Schee (0458 911 000)

Western Districts (women's division) - Zerlina Dyer (0432 033 776)

Photo by Luke Mears

One more reason to join - the Station Hotel do the after-training meals for players!  We're talking spicy bolognaise, steak sangers, and sausages with mash and onion gravy.  PS:  Did you know the Station has a blog, complete with the recipe for their lick-the-plate-good bearnaise sauce???

YOU'RE WELCOME.

Shakes and burgers in Footscray!

Things are about to get all shook up in downtown Droop Street.

It's a bit hush-hush, but I can reveal to you that at number 8, an eatery is taking shape that will add burgers and shakes to the menu of our fair 'burb.  (I also hope there will be some vodka on the shelves to add to those shakes - but that's just me.)

The guys behind it are born-and-bred westies and are pretty awesome.  I particularly love that they seem to be retaining the (IMHO gorgeous) original lettering on the outside of the building!

You can follow the progress of EAT8BIT via their website or Instagram.  (PS:  I just joined Instagram recently and am really loving it - come say hi!)

Food trucks a go go - tacos and burgers in the West!

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

If you were burger deprived in childhood, weep no more - Mr Burger is here!

This is one spiffy food truck operation, with two trucks dotting Melbourne now.  You'll find one semi-permanently tucked off Therry Street near the Vic Market, and one regularly roving around Melbourne including the western suburbs!

I love their clean, zippy design.  Ordering's a toss up between the "classic"Mr Burger with mustard, mayo and more, the Mr Meat with bacon and BBQ sauce, or the Mr Veg with a falafel patty.

Fries are pretty standard but hot, salty and crisp - everything you could want!

I reckon these are damn fine burgers.  Both patties that day were a little pink, which I like - it's popular in the States to have your hamburger done medium.  Often Aussie burgers taste like the sum of their parts, with dry-ish meat patty and chunky lettuce and tomato.  Not so at Mr Burger - everything gooshes together to make a juicy, meaty party in your mouth.  Love!!!

But what's this?  Two food trucks for the price of one!  Dos Diablos have also starting spreading their brand of tasty hellfire across the West.

Loving the vintage-y truck, complete with crossed pitchforks at the front.  Everything here's gluten free...

...and we love a pulled pork or "carnitas" taco, well-seasoned meat loaded generously onto a proper corn tortilla and dressed up with tomatillo salsa and a little shredded cabbage.  Wickedly good fries, too, tossed with seasoned salt and squirted with spicy ketchup.

Best of all - tomorrow, Saturday 9th Feb, Mr Burger will be at Pilgrim Street Park and the Horsey Park!  (Bristow Reserve, Seddon and Shorten Reserve, West Footscray).  As for Dos Diablos, keep your eye on their Facebook page for today and tomorrow's tasty incarnations!