Moss Black Café

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Moss Black has a rather intriguing name, evoking images of a darkly sophisticated room, a hidden location, uber-cool staff.

In reality, this little café is nothing like that. Instead it is a little hidey-hole, with tasty food, pleasant staff and a basic, unpretentious feel.



Conjoined to a hair dresser, bottle shop and Laundromat, Moss Black is hardly going to be considered a high-end dining destination. Open only on weekdays for breakfast and lunch, it caters to locals, people who don't want the parking hassles of nearby Subiaco, Mums doing the school run, and people like me, who wanted a quiet breakfast in a quiet corner.

The menu is small, but there is enough variety to please most people. The prices are at least $5 less than comparable dishes in Subi, and unlike many corner-shop cafes, the produce is home-made and not brought in.

The big breakfast (bacon, eggs, tomato and toast) is $15 while the supreme breakfast (the big one plus sausages) is $18. Then there is French Toast, cinnamon porridge and pancakes (all $12), eggs and toast ($10) or muesli, fruit and yoghurt ($9). Various fresh bakery items such as nutty banana bread and croissants range from $5-$9. All this and free parking outside the front door.



I ordered the BLT which came on a deliciously smoky Turkish roll. The L and the T were basic and the bacon was very crispy (not usually my favourite, but it worked in this instance). The winner was the mayonnaise though (you also have the choice of BBQ sauce) as it was house-made and very tangy. For $12 I thought it was good value, although an extra rasher of bacon wouldn't have gone amiss.

Moss Black makes all of their own mayonnaises and jams and they engage a specialist baker to make their own gourmet breads. That must be why the Turkish bread was so good.



When you look at the Moss Black website, they refer to themselves in the first instance as a gourmet caterer. I found it easier to get a copy of their catering menu than their breakfast menu, but this isn't to say their in-house menu is an afterthought.

But it would be safe to say that their speciality is their lunchtime wraps and rolls.

A glass case offers a selection of pre-made rolls with a range of fillings such as:
- roast beef and salad with caramelised onions
- chilli chicken tenderloin, salad and chilli jam
- The Continental— salami, mortadella, cheese, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, black olives and basil
- tuna with fresh dill lemon zest, red onion, cucumber and sundried tomato.

Around the corner from Mabel Talbot Lake, it would make a nice picnic if you stopped by Moss Black to grab some fresh rolls and some home-made slice before taking the kids for a play. Or perhaps you could order a platter of gourmet rolls and pick up a bottle of champagne from the bottle shop and have a pleasant afternoon tea with friends.

Or you could hide in the corner and have a quiet breakfast and coffee before heading home to start your day.

#western_suburbs
#lunch
#jolimont
#food_wine
#coffee
#cafes
#breakfast
%wnperth