It’s good to check in on stayers in the industry, those who just seem to keep chugging along with a solid customer base that appreciates consistently good food, friendly service and a comfortable environment.
Cornershop in Yarraville is one such stayer. Four years in and it’s hard to get a seat for Monday lunch — that’s a good sign.
Once seated, on a cushioned banquette, the buzz of the room settles you in.
There’s large wire-light sculptures towards the front of the cafe, simple wooden tables and chairs in a room with brick walls painted white. Its simplicity is effective.
Cornershop is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and there’s a constant stream of people — parents, prams, workmates, friends — stopping by.
Lunch is an approachable menu of hot dishes, toasted pides and salads. You’ll find meatballs with turkish bread and parmesan ($15.50) or slow-roasted lamb with cracked wheat, pomegranate, yoghurt and tahini ($20). The beetroot salad with barberries, freekeh and feta cheese ($13) is great value in its size and freshness. A pretty ceramic bowl holds fleshy chunks of beetroot amid the grain and cheese. It’s filled out with lots of raddichio and frissee leaves, finished with a bity dressing that lifts it well.
There’s a short list of pides, perhaps a smoked trout with horseradish cream, capers and rocket ($12) or the classic combination of ham and cheddar cheese with mustard mayonnaise, pickled onion and crunchy cos lettuces leaves.
