81 Ocean Parade
Coffs Harbour
Don’t let the beautiful picture with the gorgeous blue sky fool you, we are still waiting for Summer here in Coffs Harbour too. Thankfully O.P 81 provides snugly blankets which we used out on the deck to keep the cool chill of the wind, from spoiling what was otherwise a very nice day for a bit of brunch.
There are a few things about O.P 81 which gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. The cafe is cosy and inviting, I found this sign very welcoming. The range of glossy foodie magazines and comfortable seating made me feel as if I could sit and browse for hours.
You can’t quite see the writing on the mirror but I love the sentiment. “Life’s short, eat cake first! I have seen it before, but it always gives me a childish smiley feeling.
We are here for a farewell brunch. iDenial, my BFF’s husband is going to Albury for work L My BFF will join him at the end of the year with “The Punks” (their children). So it is a little sad but an exciting prospect for them both.
Mr GG orders a Banana Smoothie where ever we go so it was a cinch that he would be trying O.P 81’s smoothie. You would think that he would be a connoisseur of smoothies by now but when I ask him what it was like he just says “yeah good,” knowing that wouldn’t be enough for a review I sampled the smoothie and it was delicious, it was thick with banana and ice-cream, and had a spicy cinnamon flavour. After years of sampling Mr GG’s smoothies I have to say this is one of the nicest.
I too am a creature of habit and I always order a skinny cappuccino. I was a little surprised at how small it seemed, but it was the perfect strength which is the main thing for me.
We had three little rug rats with us who shared a serve of “Grilled Banana Bread with Lemon Mascarpone and Blueberry Coulis” and a plate of “Banana Pancakes with Maple Syrup.” I tried both these dishes and was instantly in heaven. The Blueberry Coulis was thick and syrupy, just delicious with the grilled banana bread. The pancake was kind of strange to look at, but as light as a feather and drench in golden sweet maple syrup, there was a side serve of sweet honeycomb & cinnamon butter and grilled banana which topped the dish off nicely.
Now I have to confess, I am a sucker for homemade baked beans. When I see it on a menu I just have to have it. I probably should have a go at making them myself, but when cafes are doing beans this good I figure, why bother. These beans were cooked in a thick and spicy, cayenne, rosemary, pepper and tomato sauce. It tasted so nutritious I felt I was doing my taste buds and my tummy a good turn, it was served with bacon rocket and a deliciously crunch sour dough.
Mr GG had ordered a Bacon and Egg Roll which arrived packed with bacon. The roll itself was a soft damper roll, which looked kind of small in his hands, but he assured me that he was very happy with his choice, and he would definitely choose this again.
The iFamily had chosen the BLT served on Turkish bread with a lime aioli. In the words of the wife, “Fantastic ! The lime aioli gave the BLT a real lift, and a lovely fresh summer flavour. “
We meandered over our brunch for almost two hours but eventually it was time to say goodbye and wish BFF’s hubby a safe trip.
O.P 81 is open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through to Sunday. They are also available for private functions Ph: 02 6652 9011
