Forth Brother - Glenhuntly Road, Caulfield. (Crompton Road blend).

The cafe: A colleague of mine recently told me about a new-ish cafe in Caulfield that apparently made decent coffee. Now, Caulfield is a great place to live but it ain't no place for good coffee... Intrigued, I made my way to Forth Brother for a quick bite with my parents the other day... This was a big step for me because I really don't like Glenhuntly Road... It separates Caulfield South and Caulfield North and in this case, I'm definitely a north of the border boy! A bit of eavesdropping enabled me to find out that three brothers and one other close friend own the cafe...hence the name. There is a picture of all four of them in the bathroom...albeit when at least two of them were a little less hipster than now... I'm not sure which two of the four were working this day but there was a little bit of Dom and Adrian from Bondi Hipsters going on... The place is tiny and has a succinct menu. Almost all of which is on display. The main meals tend to have a bit of a Mexican bias. I had the smoked salmon tortilla...pretty tastey with a nice kick of wasabi. Retro tables and chairs inside and a few tables on the footpath. Forth Brother doesn't shoot the lights out but I don't think its aim is to do that anyway... Definitely a welcome addition to the street.

The coffee: Not only do you get to see two photos of the owners when you visit the bathroom but you also get to read about the Crompton Road blend they use... 60% Brasil, 20% India and 20% Bali. I'm not sure whether they thought I said 'short black' instead of short mac (not uncommon) because I'm still not sure if there was any milk atop the crema... If there was, then it was a tiny little amount and that's fine with me! A structurally correct short mac with strong green aromas and hints of honey and chocolate mousse. A very racey, citrus palate with a good kick of acid. Quite spicy too with traces of nuts and honey. The chocolate mousse was there again on the finish. Great temperature and balance. I was wrong, they do make good coffee in Caulfield! Price: $3.50. Score 8/10.

Cheerio - Lennox Street, Richmond. (House blend)

The cafe: Gastronomically, moving my place of work from the CBD to Richmond has been nothing short of a disaster. My midday thought process has gone from 'Where should I eat today?' to 'Where can I eat today?'... And after an overseas holiday and four weeks away from Richmond lunchtime food, I dreaded the thought of it on my first day back at work... Then, for just about the first time in his life, my cousin Matt did something useful... He took me to the recently opened Cheerio! The owners, Chris and Charlotte, are well known around town and have cafe resumes as good as anyone's... The space is small, clean and minimal. It has a real 'warm' feel about it and I love the natural light...it's great for the endorphins! The crowd is mature, respectful and friendly. The menu isn't big but it's damn delicious. I keep going back for the mushroom and walnut paste toastie! And there is a new soup each day too. After going there regularly for the past six weeks, I'm not sure which of the following is less likely: seeing Charlotte in a grumpy mood or seeing Chris wearing long pants...

The coffee: Even if the coffee was bad, I'd still go there just to have my coffee served in the mint green cup and saucer...the coolest in town! The aroma is dominated by strong red berry fruits. And the palate is an avalanche of citrus with a sharp acid kick. The finish is quite long with lashings of licorice. This short mac is as much about texture as it is flavour. Viscous, concentrated, intense and thick. In fact, I'd say it's just as much a ristretto macchiato as it is a short mac... The thing I like most about it is its consistency...I get the same coffee everytime. As you should be able to work out, this is a very strong short mac...there is a lot of punch packed into a small amount of liquid. If you like that style, Chris and Charlotte are your new best friends! Price: $3.50. Score 8.5/10.

Three Bags Full - Nicholson Street, Abbotsford. (House blend)

The cafe: Despite promises of delicious coffee by several respected bean enthusiasts, it took me a bloody long time to finally get to Three Bags Full. My excuse: Abbotsford is not really an area I spend much time in... And despite going there when I visited this cafe, I still don't know exactly where Abbotsford is... Success has seen Three Bags Full expand into the space next door and it now seats around 100 people. The crowd is a bit of a mixture...local workers and a variety of punters out for lunch... But most importantly, Three Bags Full is probably the first stop on the way to Hipsterdom... Whilst it's not far enough north to include those folk with long beards and fake oversized glasses speaking their own language, you will find plenty of 'baby' hipsters here... You know, they look like hipsters but have regained a sense of normality...and they wont be wearing a tambourine as a bracelet either...so it's totes cool brah... Great service (especially for a busy lunchtime) and an interesting menu full of very tempting dishes. I had the poached eggs with peas on toast and it was damn delicious! I won't be waiting so long for my second visit...

The coffee: More often than not, when there is a bit of built up hype about something the experience tends to be a let down... This certaintly was NOT the case at Three Bags Full. Delightful nutty, roasted and honey aromas...almost too good to drink! And the palate is bursting with chocolate mousse, black forrest cake and red berries. The finish is all about fine dark chocolate and went on for what seemed like for ever... The texture was brilliant...smooth, creamy and viscous. It also gives a really interesting mouth filling sensation. Perfect temperature, liquid and crema. As it is Tour de France time, I can say this short mac is in a breakaway group that's well ahead of the peloton... An absolute must. Price: $3.70. Score 9/10.

Spout - Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea. (House blend)

The cafe: Up until recently, the tiny suburb of Ripponlea has best been known for being the home of Melbourne's Adass Israel community. An ultra orthodox Jewish sect. Then, one of its members, Benjamin Shewryberg, opened up the most successful kosher restaurant in Melbourne - Attica Bagel and Smoked Salmon. It has resulted in a boom for that little strip of shops between Hotham St and the train station...including Johnny's fish shop that claims to have a set of kosher knives out the back for the kosher fish that he sells... Anyway, now the cafe's have hit the strip and Spout has sprout upon us... I so wanted to like this place but it just didn't do it for me. Exposed bricks, hanging light bulbs, open kitchen...hasn't this been done to death already?!?!?! But the worst part was the smell. Remember when cafes and restaurants had the kitchen behind closed doors so you couldn't smell the food and didn't leave the place smelling of the food? Spout smells like a take away Asian restaurant...and so do the customers when they leave... The place has got some good write-ups and it is quite busy so maybe it's just me? I will come back to try the food...but I'll be sitting outside...

The coffee: OK, we're in a bit of trouble here too... Have a look at the pic. It's not a short mac... What's with all that froth??? After I eventually got through it and reached the coffee it had a very charcoal smell and taste about it. It was also quite bitter. There was no after taste and it was quite weak too. On a positive side, the temperature was good! Maybe it's a good latte cafe...there were quite a few take aways by locals in ugg boots when I was there... But the short mac was wrong. I hope we can still be friends... Price: $3.50. Score 5/10.

Brother Baba Budan - Little Bourke Street, CBD. (House blend)

The cafe: BBB, as many like to call it, is probably just as well known for the chairs hanging from its ceiling as it is for being one of the pioneers of new wave, inner city Melbourne coffee. The place is absolutely tiny with one small communal table and about half a dozen seats at the back and gets very cramped and somewhat uncomfortable during busy times. Food is kept to a minimum and is basically the same fare you'll get at many other cafe's around town. The crowd is a constant battle between CBD office workers ordering their takeaway white coffee's and the Melbourne hipster elite sitting in for their black coffees. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to cop a bit of attitude from the staff members and I have noticed the place is much less full than it used to be. The numbers seemed to drop off a bit after BBB hiked it's prices mid 2011 and a few new places opened in very close proximity. Having said that, the coffee is still top notch and you can get lucky sometimes with smiley, happy service too!

The coffee: This is the short mac that made me full in love with coffee. As autumn turned to winter last year, I would make the 10 minute trek from my warm office at the top of Collins Street, thru the CBD's cold and windy streets, to BBB almost every week day. This place was instrumental in enabling me to put the pieces together in the puzzle that is coffee. Beautiful aromas of honey, chocolate mousse and roasted wallnuts that transcend into a palate of the exact same flavours. A rich, long, creamy after taste of medium dark chocolate with just a hint of licorice. Perfect temperature, balance and crema to liquid. A really beautiful short mac for those who like it on the rich, decadent side. Price $3.80. Score 8.5-9/10.

St Edmonds - St Edmonds Road, Prahran. (House blend)

The cafe: This is well and truly a long overdue review... Anybody who knows my short mac story knows that Adam from St Eddies popped my short mac cherry on his last day at his former cafe, Small World. Located aroud the corner from Greville Street, this cafe/restaurant has all the right ingredients to be one of Melbourne's more pretentious hang outs. It has the right postcode, the right people and the right presentation... But it's not. In fact, it's anything but pretentious. Adam's ridiculously relaxed attitude and his super friendly staff make going to St Edmond's a fun gastronomic experience. It has a great menu of classics with some extra special tweaks, plus a blackboard with some daily specials. The layout is good too. Lot's of natural light, plenty of tables for two's and four's, a counter/bar that extends to a cummunal table (that's where I like to sit) and a courtyard area if you want to have a drag with your coffee... Open daily for brekkie and lunch and two nights a week for dinner. Plonk is available and there are two beers and a cider on tap too...

The coffee: With a Melbourne cafe resume as good as anyone's, there was no doubt Wilko would serve up a good coffee. The house blend is made up of beans from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, India and Columbia. (There is a single origin available too). As can be seen by the colour, this is a strong, dark coffee. The nose is dominated with roasted, smokey aromas. And the palate is all about rich, dark chocolate with intense dark honey and more than a hint of maltesers. The length of this coffee is extremely long. Very weighty, viscous and mouth filling. Not dissimilar to melting a piece of high quality chocolate in your mouth. Great structure, perfect temperature and the right amount of liquid and crema. Interestingly, I don't hear people mention St Edmonds when they talk about Melbourne's better coffee places... I obviously think it's right up there. Price $3.80. Score 8.5+/10.

Tel Aviv

The city: Apologies for the lack of reviews lately Short Mac Markers... I was away for four weeks and the last thing I felt like doing was writing coffee reviews... But I'm back now! And I want to start with a summary of the short mac's in one of my favourite cities in the world - Tel Aviv! Forget about what you see on the news, read in the papers and hear when you walk past left wing, socialist protests on university campuses...this city rocks! When one of my work colleagues heard I was going to Israel he asked me "Is it safe?"... My response was that he was more likely to get bashed whilst walking down King St, Melbourne on any given night than I was of getting blown up on a bus anywhere in Israel... And, in addition to having some of the most beautiful girls in the world, the culinary scene in Tel Aviv is on fire! Good quality food and at prices that put Melbourne to shame... Anyway, this blog is about short macs so lets get to the coffee!

The coffee: Firstly, and in a bit of a Pulp Fiction kind of moment, I should let you know that in Tel Aviv, a short mac is known as a 'macchiato katsar' which translates to short macchiato! And on average, I paid about 9 - 10 shekels for a coffee. This equates to about A$2.50.

I actually took detailed tasting notes for all of the above six macchiato katsar's (and that certainly is not how you say the plural of macchiato katsar!) however, I unfortunately have no idea where these notes are... But, I'm pretty sure I remember where I had each of these coffee's so I might just give you the location details and a small summary of each place. Apologies for the quality of some of the pics and the messy lay out for this entry... I tried to make it neater but it just wasn't happening...

1 - Lulu - Alkalay St in the Basel Square area. A relaxed, quiet cafe with an interesting menu. Basel Square is full of cafe's and restaurants but this one stood out and makes a damn nice short mac.

2 - Dallal Bakery Shop - Neve Tzedek. This bakery is part of the Suzanne Dallal cultural centre and is located down a street that runs off Shabazi Street in Neve Tzedek. Suzanne Dallal is an icon in Neve Tzedek and everything associated with it oozes class and quality. The bakery shop makes delicious goodies and the coffee was amazing. Definitely has a Parisian feel about it...

3 - Ahat Ha'am - On Ahad ha'am street, near Balfour Street. I went here at the recommendation of my friend Joel...and I wasn't at all disappointed. A neighbourhood cafe, dishing out modern meals with friendly waitresses. Really good coffee in a relaxed, Tel Aviv environment.

4 - Mae cafe - Karmel Market. These boys are serious about coffee! And have five different single origins available to drink and buy. Easily the closest thing to a Melbourne coffee I had whilst in Tel Aviv. I promised them I would do a review so hopefully they see this!

5 - Lehamim Bakery - 99 Hashmonaim St. A large, high quality bakery that makes fantastic breads and pasteries. Again, this was a recommendation of my friend Joel and we joined him there for coffee and cake one morning. Excellent short mac.

6 - Hilynca - 76 Arlozorov St. I found this place whilst searching online for coffee recommendations in Tel Aviv and what a find it was... A beautiful, quiet neighbourhood cafe with extremely friendly staff. If I lived in that area, it would definitely be my local. Really good food and both times I visited I received perfect coffee. I wish I was there right now...

The Pour Kids - Winter Street, Malvern. (Seasonal blend)

The cafe: Who do these guys think they are? Opening a cafe in Melbourne that's in a normal shop space, is exceptionally clean, has beautiful natural light and is full of pastel colours! Hipsters beware... And what's with the original, witty name?! Where is the street number, postcode or the words 'espresso' or 'barista'??? I visited on Sunday breakfast time and it was a nice mix of friendly locals. Whilst I didn't eat, the menu looks pretty good...and I love the names they have given the dishes. The staff looked serious but were very efficient. Hard to explain but they had a very Berlin look about them. There were some nice looking sangas and salads on display and whilst they have an open kitchen, it's hidden enough to separate the dining from the cooking. Warning: If you've dropped acid before you go there, do not look at the tiles on the wall behind the cash register...

The coffee: This blend was a mix of 60% Brazilian, 30% Colombian and 10% El Salvador beans. Being a bit of wine guy, my mind instantly started to think about Bordeaux or Cotes Du Rhone or any other French red blend...but 10.30am was a bit too early so I settled for the coffee... And it was good. Very good. A very pleasant smokey, creamy nose. And the palate was all about chocolate mousse, honey and dark cherries. The after taste was dominated by quality dark chocolate. Beautiful balance and texture and the liquid:crema ratio was spot on. Medium body but full of flavour. I'll be back during the week for sure... $3.50. Score 8.5+/10.

St Ali - Yarra Place, South Melbourne. (Brazilian single origin)

The cafe: People often compare parts of Melbourne to New York. I usually don't see it... But the tiny street of Yarra Place, South Melbourne is an exception. It screams Lower East Side. And located smack, bang in the middle of it is this coffee institution. St Ali was one of the first cafes to inspire the current Melbourne coffee generation. There are plently of single origins available and they know how to make coffee too. The inside looks like the eating area of a school camp, the crowd is mixed and there is a decent sized menu. I like to sit outside on the bench...it makes me feel like I'm in NYC... ;-). My favourite waitress in Melbourne worked there up until today. She is off to travel the world now and I promised I would say hello to her in this post... Bon Voyage Katie! Never lose that killer smile...

The coffee: Because of an archaic rabbinical ruling, this was my first coffee in eight days... And what a coffee to get back in the game with! A beautifully presented short mac. Just about the most 'coffee coloured' coffee I have ever had! The aromas were quite smokey and a bit meaty with some hints of nuttiness. The palate was all dark chocolate, cocoa and dark red fruit. It was like eating a liquid Black Forrest cake! A medium bodied coffee with fansatic texture, balance, temperature and after taste. An absolute must... Price $3.80. Score 8.5-9/10.

Salford Lads Club - Fennel Street, Port Melbourne. (House blend)

The cafe: I'm not sure whether the owners of this cafe named it after the original Salford Lads Club in Manchester or after the album sleeve from The Smiths 'The Queen is Dead' album that contained a photo of the band outside the building... The sticker on the cash register suggests it's probably the latter... Either way, this place is damn cool. It's located in an industrial zone in Port Melbourne...far away from Bay Street and the high-rise apartments. The inside has been designed fantastically. Lots of seating, space and natural light. There is a good selection of rolls on display and a punchy blackboard menu with some yummy larger meals. Outside, there is a tyre hanging from a tree, herbs growing in boxes and pots and some additional seating. I sat on the colourful park bench with my best mate Oogie and enjoyed a very tasty cheese, tomato and pesto roll. The crowd could be anything depending on the day...just go there with no expectations... Our waitress was a little spaced-out but that just added to the experience...

The coffee: I've had a few ordinary coffees of late. All served in shot glasses not espresso cups. So when this baby arrived I thought to myself "Oh shit, not another one"... However, this wasn't the case at all. The aroma was of light and medium chocolate, ice coffee and cream. The palate had flavours of dark chocolate and dark red fruits with hints of charcoal and greenness. I was pleasantly surprised how well the crema blended into the liquid. I still thought it was way too much but it wasn't at all unenjoyable. It was quite textural and had a nice little acid lift on the back end. The balance was good but not great. I'm told the blend is made for milk based coffee's...maybe that's why the balance was a little off. Whilst the short mac was very good, I get the feeling it was not the best one they've ever made... I think they probably make better coffee than this and I'll be back to have another look very soon. $3.00. Score 8-8.5/10

Las Chicas - Carlisle Street, East St Kilda. (House blend)

The cafe: There is no doubt this is the most popular cafe on Carlisle St. It often has up to 50 people waiting on a Sunday morning. So I thought the best time to pay a visit was the furthermost time away from that - just before closing on a Wednesday! I hadn't been there for years and after reading the menu and ordering the most expensive lentil burger in Melbourne ($15.50!) I realised why - it was just as unexciting as the last time I was there... The place has expanded and probably now seats 70-80 people. The staff belong on Smith St, Collingwood not in St Kilda...way too cool for school for this neck of the woods... I don't get the fuss about Las Chicas...but plenty of others do so it'll still be going strong long after this review!


The coffee: I should have known I was in trouble when I walked in and the barista was wearing a baseball cap backwards. And my hopes were totally dashed when the waitress came back and asked me how I wanted my short mac...long with two shots or in a small glass...wtf??? Anyway, the aroma was extremely dark with intense green notes and strong red and black fruits...a bit overboard. The palate was totally dominated by the darkest chocolate flavour I have ever tasted in a coffee. It was actually quite sickly. The crema would not blend into the liquid and the balance was not good. The after taste was quite unpleasant too. A very average short mac. $3.50. Score 5/10.

Omar and the Marvellous Coffee Bird - Gardenvale Road, Gardenvale. (House blend)

The cafe: For as long as I can remember, the people of Gardenvale have always claimed to live in Brighton... Fortunately, this is beginning to change. Gardenvale has its own identity these days and places like Omar have helped achieve this. If you like the exposed interior look you'll love this place. Bricks, clyinders, pipes, boxes, roaster, everything... In fact, it's more exposed than a hooker standing on Grey Street on a balmy summers night! The breakfast and lunch menu is a small yet modern take on some classics. There is some seating outside, a courtyard out the back and an interesting row of tables inside that would appeal to all train set enthusiasts... But the seats are a little small for my frame... The staff were super friendy and helpful during my visit and were keen to discuss the various for sale packs of coffee available. Crowd looks like it will be a mixture of family and 20-30yo's...but the friendly not pretentious type...

The coffee: When you walk into a cafe and see an on-site roaster you can pretty much assume your coffee experience will be good. And as can be seen by the pic, they make a structurally correct short mac. A smokey, milky and creamy nose. Quite subdued aromas but enough to give you an idea. The palate was nothing like the nose. Interesting 'green' flavours of strong red fruits. There was also a good whack of citrus flavours that led to a nice, cleansing acidity. Very pleasant after taste. Medium bodied with perfect liquid to milk ratio and temperature. Extremely well balanced too. I'll definitely be back to try the single origins. $3.50. Score 8-8.5/10.

Nineteen Squares - Blessington Street, St Kilda (House blend)

The cafe: Somebody should drop a bomb on the triangle that is made up by Carlisle St, Acland St and Barkly St...just make sure Cicciolina survives...that place is damn good. Fortunately, just around the corner from that Bermuda Triangle of trash is a peaceful little strip of shops on Blessington St. Not the part near the 7-11...the part behind Prime and where the laundromat is. Although Nineteen Squares now seats more than 19 people, it is still a small-ish cafe. Outside there are tiny tables almost made for children and a few milk crates. On the inside, you still can't swing a cat in the original space (and they need to get rid of those spoons on the wall). The new part is a lot more spacious and has a cool little kitchen at the rear. However, they look like two different places...which is a little awkward... The crowd is a lot more relaxed (and sober) than other parts of St Kilda. And I only heard two Irish accents whilst I was there... Reasonable breakfast options, a few sangas, some salads and hamburgers on Friday and Saturday nights. The staff could smile a bit more...

The coffee: As can be seen, it's quite neat looking. The aromas are predominantly roasted and charcoal with hints of creaminess. The charcoal is the most interesting one...not burnt but definitely 'well cooked'. It is quite evident on the palate too and the finish has lengthening dark chocolate flavours with hints of licorice. The froth was quite thick and heavy and wouldn't blend into the liquid. Hence you get a shot of coffee and a shot of froth...not exactly ideal. Not overly complex and a little out of balance. Temperature was good. $3.50. Score 7.5/10.

Foxy Brown - South Crescent, Westgarth. (House blend).

The cafe: If I hadn't started this blog, I think I would have lived the rest of my life in Melbourne without ever driving down South Crescent in Westgarth… (I get the impression Westgarth is sub-suburb of Northcote). However, I'm certainly glad I did... Foxy Brown is damn fine! If somebody ever needs to film a scene at a café from the 1970’s, all they need to do is turn up there... Retro chairs, light fittings, colours, ceiling fans and even a retro air conditioner! The stereotype powers were smiling on me the day I visited. A braless lady on my left and a lesbian couple with a child on my right…all I needed was a chick with a sleeve to get the Northcote trifecta! Foxy is extremely kid friendly with lots of high chairs for the littlies, toys for the slightly bigger ones and a good selection of children's books too. The staff are super friendly and there is a cute little menu. Being an aficionado of fine tofu, I decided to try the tofu burger...and I highly recommend it. There is no attitude, everybody is welcome and you will never feel intimidated. At first they lost a few points for the background music being some chick slaughtering RUN DMC but quickly won them back when they cut short Macy Gray and jumped to Madness instead. It must be love...

The coffee: A nicely presented coffee that gets served with a little biscuit. Maybe it's to match the nose as there was plenty of biscuit in the aroma in addition to pleasant smells of straw. The palate had coffee wafer on the front end and light citrus acidity on the finish. The after taste had subtle hints of licorice. Medium bodied and not too creamy or textural. The milk quantity was spot on but it could have done with a little extra liquid...so it was a fraction unbalanced. Served a bit warm but not unpleasant. $3.40. Score 8-8.5/10.

Dead Man Espresso - Market Street, South Melbourne. (House blend)

The cafe: Located between Gotham City and The Boardroom, two of Melbourne's finest establishments, Dead Man Espresso sits in quite an industrial part of South Melbourne. From the outside, it has a waterfront restaurant look about it. Plenty of places to sit and observe the view. But considering it's surrounded by buildings and not much else, I'm not sure why you'd even bother. Maybe people like to watch who and what comes in and out of the aforementioned establishments? Nice comfortable wooden chairs and tables and good space too. It probably seats 50-70. However there is not much natural light and it's very noisey (especially if seated near the kitchen). The menu is safe and whilst the staff were very attentive, they certainly didn't look happy. But I was there mid afternoon on a Sunday so maybe they had a busy day... The crowd was young that day too...20's and early 30's.

The coffee: The highlight of my visit was my reunion with the barista Jackson. I used to consider him to be my 'personal' barista when he worked at League of Honest Coffee. He used to belt out some killer short macs and was always up for a good chat... The nose had some light smokey and roasted aromas. The taste was mainly of a strong ice-coffee with some hints of dark berries too. Good liquid to milk ratio and the coffee was served slightly hot. It cooled down to a better temperature quite quickly so this was not an issue. A very light licorice after taste...but not long at all. Whilst it appeared to be well made, it was a little weak, not very viscous and lacking in body too. At $3.80, I wouldn't rush to try it. Score 7/10.

Penny Farthing Espresso - High Street, Northcote. (Kayanza Kinyovu, Burindi)

The cafe: Driving down High St in Northcote, it's easy to see the gentrification that has occured in this 'hood. A peek down some of the streets that run off High St will reveal some housing which would not be out of place in Malvern or Armadale. Fortunately, it still has character...and in spades too... Penny Farthing Espresso is a cheerful little place surrounded by some interesting shops in a very eclectic part of the street. There are a handful of small tables out the front, a few larger ones inside and a decent sized communal table too. Extremely friendly staff, nice little menu, cool vibe and barista's working overtime. There seemed to be quite a few people on their own reading books or using laptops...this is always a good sign of a relaxed and chilled environment. Lots of take-aways going out the door too. Yes, this is the north end of town and the cafe title has the word 'espresso' in it...but there were plenty of people drinking white coffee so the black coffee nazi's won't scoff at you if you order a latte!

The coffee: You know these guys are serious when you get a card with your coffee that details the town your coffee beans came from, shows a map of where it's located and describes the terroir too! A delicate nose that didn't give too much away. My guess is that the decent sized dollop of froth just probably didn't allow the coffee to oxidise enough. But just like many a good chardonnay, the subdued aroma did not lead to an equally subdued palate. Quite bitter on the tip of your tongue but this quickly blended into a nice round mid-palate. The finish was extremely interesting; very racy and citrus flavoured with a nice acidic lift. The after taste was moccha dominant with hints of licorice. Medium viscosity and palate weight. A very pleasing coffee. As already mentioned, there was a good whack of froth in this...but I think it's just their style and it was definitely a well balanced short mac. $3.50. Score 8.5+/10.

Market Lane Coffee - Prahran Market, Commercial Road, South Yarra. (Seasonal Espresso blend).

The cafe: Located at the rear of Prahran market, Market Lane is candy store for grown-up coffee lovers. With Fleur, the daughter of Australian cheese legend Will Studd at it's helm, this coffee roastery and cafe is one seriously cool establishment. And being an off-shoot of Melbourne Coffee Merchants, it has some of the best beans in town too. Impeccably clean, colourful and comfortable, Market Lane is not just about drinking...it's a total coffee experience. With quality blends and single origins available to try, an amazing selection of coffee paraphernalia to purchase and a great take-home selection to boot, its no wonder Market Lane is a coffee crowd favourite. All sorts of people can be found waiting patiently for their coffee goodness here. At busy times, a little patience may be required...but all good things come to those who wait!

The coffee: This blend was made up of beans sourced from two different places in Brazil and one place in Rwanda. There was a small poster at the front counter detailing the blend. On the nose there are clean smokey, roasted and wafer biscuit aromas. The palate is silky smooth and beautifully balanced. A very creamy texture and medium+ body with hints of light chocolate, raisins and nuts coated in honey. Perfect liquid to milk ratio. A short mac than can be enjoyed equally by those who prefer light and those who prefer heavy styled coffee. A must try for any serious short mac fiend. $3.50. Score 9/10.

Monk Bodhi Dharma - Carlisle Street, East St Kilda. (House blend)

The cafe: Although I'm a non-meat eater, I generally prefer to go to 'normal' cafe's and restaurants and order vegetarian meals rather than visit the many vegie haunts popping up around Melbourne. Monk is an exception. The vegan food prepared here is fantastic. Hidden off the main road, Monk is a haven for those looking for something slightly off the beaten path. As with most of the best cafe's in Melbourne, it is fairly cramped with only a few individual tables, a communal table that seats a dozen or so people and a small counter. The wooden stools weigh a tonne and can double up as a workout! And if it's too busy inside, you can sit on milk crate out the front too... The crowd is interesting. It can be full-on hippie, SOY's doing NOY, locals, students, business people and family. But by and large, Monk is frequented by 'clippies'... What's a clippie? It's a 'clean hippie'. Usually pretty, well dressed girls in their 20's and early 30's who dress a little hippie but are gainfully employed, wear shoes, wash their hair and have one additional piercing at the very most... Warning: The area on Carlisle Street near Monk is somewhat 'derelic' these days...so just be aware.

The coffee: Heading from Westbury St towards Chapel St, Carlisle St would have to be one of the most densely populated coffee areas in Melbourne. Fortunately they've saved the best for last. The aroma is very creamy with hints of nuttiness. The colour is dark and brooding and so is the flavour. Rich, high quality dark chocolate bitterness with amazing length and good acidity. The bitterness is insanely well balaned and not at all sharp. Perfect temperature and liquid to milk ratio. This is not a short mac for the faint hearted. Some may find it a little intimidating and/or confronting. But for my palate, this is what coffee is all about. $3.80. Score 9/10.

Che Drez - Coventry Street, South Melbourne. (House blend)

The cafe: Chez Dre is a charming patisserie down the end of a laneway at the rear of 285-287 Coventry Street. It's certainly not a small place with seating upwards of 70-80. There are arty wooden tables and chairs at the entrance, marble topped tables and a small communal table in the main area and then a medium sized courtyard at the rear. The marble topped table's help give it a French feel. There is a huge open kitchen and the counter displays some delicious looking pastries and macarons as well as croissants and breadsticks. If today wasn't Day 3 of a diet, I would have road-tested at least one of the pastries! I didn't see the menu but judging by the size of the kitchen, I would assume it would be a decent one. The crowd was very South Melbourne (I'm not exactly sure what I mean by that...), the staff were extremely friendly and many people were using it to walk to and from the market with their retro shopping trolleys.

The coffee: A fairly creamy nose backed up by smokey, roasty and chocolatey aromas. On the palate, it had quite a light mouth feel and the body was slightly fuller than medium bodied. The taste reminded me of a very creamy and decadent ice coffee. The espresso shot was a smidgen under 'standard' in volume (not a criticism) and as can be seen by the above photo, the milk quantity was perefct. The temperature was spot on too. A very smooth, enjoyable and clean coffee. For my palate, it was probably a tiny, little bit 'thin' but that's just a personal preferance. Many people would probably enjoy it a lot more than some of the richer coffee's around town. $3.50. Score 8.5/10.

Balmain's - Were Street, Brighton. (House blend)

The cafe: The people of Brighton have been the butt of many Melbourne jokes for as long as I can remember. Of course, they will claim its Tall Poppy syndrome. Possibly... But as long as 'outsiders' visit Church St, Bay St or Dendy St on any given weekend, Brightonians will retain their snobbish reputation... So where does one go? Well, why not by pass all three of these streets and head to Were St instead? This quiet, leafy street is home to a good, old fashioned shopping strip. A milk bar, chemist, local IGA, hairdresser, cute little restaurant and the peace de resistance, a fish and chip shop! Oh, Balmain's is there too. I visited at lunch time on a Sunday yet it was entirely pleasant and relaxed with a bit of Frank Sinatra playing in the background. A good amount of comfortable chairs and tables inside and plenty of room too. I sat on one of the three outside tables and watched the exceptionally well behaved local kids skateboard up and down the footpath. The glass doors and windows are a little boho and there is a good sized blackboard menu. The staff seemed pretty friendly too.

The coffee: As I watched the barista make my coffee, I knew it was going to be good. I have never before seen anybody take as much care as this barista. And you know they are serious about coffee when you get a shot of sparkling mineral water to cleanse your palate with your short mac. The result was a sensory delight. The nose was very smokey and almost meaty. Roasted meat. The taste was very rich and creamy. Definitely a dark coffee but probably on the lighter side of dark. I have to be honest, when I took my first sip I was a little concerned that it was going to be a little bitter. But this tiny hint of bitterness was the entree into a beautiful, round and extraordinary balanced coffee. Very viscous and textural yet silky at the same time. The over-riding flavour was of extremely high quality licorice and the finish was exceptionally long. Nail on the head kind of stuff. Although it's just about at the furthermost point of official SOY territory, I suggest northerner's consider crossing the border to try it... All class. $3.70. Score 9+/10.

Pillar of Salt - Church Street, Richmond. (House blend)

The cafe: The strip of Church Street between Alexandra Avenue and Swan Street has never been my favourite part of Melbourne. Although it's technically north of the Yarra, it's definitely not a 'NOY' part of Melbourne. Mind you, it doesn't have a 'SOY' feel about it either. In fact, I don't know what it is... Maybe Richmond trying to do Toorak (badly) best describes it... Anyway, there is no doubt Kael and Matt have a pumping cafe going on down there. A few tables out the front, about 7-8 tables as well as a decent sized communal table inside and then seating for another 25-30 out the back. And it's always busy. It has a pretty good menu and there is always a line to get a table on the weekend. The weekend has a 'beautiful people' crowd and weekdays have a mixture of local office workers, Fitness First trainers from across the road and property developers dressed 10-15 younger than they should be... You may also see the odd celebrity there too.

The coffee: Firstly, I should point out that Pillar of Salt do not usually serve a short mac in this type of cup. It's usually a small shot glass but I always ask for mine in an espresso cup. The aroma is quite strong giving the indication it's quite a dark roast. And the taste is quite rich and viscous. Whilst the temperature is spot on, the overall balance is a little out of whack. The bitterness does spike a little on the finish. Probably a bit more liquid and touch more milk would help. There is no doubt they are using quality beans, but the execution needs a little work. A tad too much coffee packed into too small of a shot. Having said that, it's not at all unenjoyable and probably the best short mac in that part of town. $3.50. Score 7/10.

The Final Step - Murphy St, South Yarra. (Nutty Blend)

The cafe: After recently receiving a runner-up award in 'The Coffee Army Handbook 2012' and a nice little spread in The Epicure (including a pic of my cousin Josh), The Final Step seemed a logical place to get the Short Mac Mark blog going. And I decided to give it the ultimate test - 11.15am on a Sunday morning! The place itself is tiny. 15 - 20 seats inside and maybe 5-6 outside. It has a regular crowd feel about it with many patrons congratulating the staff on the recent accolades. A very cool older couple sitting hand-in-hand in the corner, two single girls in their 30's who had just done some sporting activity, a few single guys on their own who each looked a little worse-for-wear after a big Saturday night and a few families with kids and/or dogs. The place is a bit of an oasis in the area; it doesn't have that pretentious Toorak Road feel about it. The food menu is small but made up of perfect accompaniments for a cup of coffee. What more could one ask for? The coffee board has an interesting item written on it - 'No Fake Aways'. Ask the staff what it means...it gives a clue as to how passionate The Final Step is about coffee.

The coffee: Admittedly, I was getting a little frustrated as the wait for my coffee was getting close to the 10 minute mark. But, it was peak hour and like I said, it had received a lot of recent press so the place was literally pumping... And the take away line was probably much longer than usual too.. But when it arrived, the wait was certainly worth it! Served in a perfect sized cup that allows the coffee to oxidise, it gives off that magical smell of amazing coffee. The serving has slightly more liquid than most other short mac's, but the flavour and body more than hold up to the extra liquid. Nice viscosity with smooth nutty flavours and light chocolate dominating the palate and a medium bodied, round finish. Perfect temperature, extremely pleasant after-taste and the balance is impeccable. And the right amout of milk too. At $4.00 a pop, its certainly at the pricey end of town but what's an extra 50c when it comes to good coffee?! Score 9/10.

What is a Short Mac?

A 'short mac' is the shortened version of 'short macchiato' which is the Australian term for a 'caffe macchiato'. Caffe macchiato can also be know as an 'espresso macchiato'.

The word 'macchiato' means 'stained' or 'marked' and in the case of coffee, it basically means an espresso 'stained' with a little bit of milk. However, this 'stain' takes on various different forms and has become a very controversial and passionate debate amongst drinkers of this type of coffee. Some places will give you a coffee with a stain of milk. Some will give you a coffee with more foam/milk than espresso. And in some places, mainly in certain areas of Italy, the espresso becomes the stain as its poured into a small cup containing thick, foamy milk... And then comes the question of what type of cup should it be served in? So many variations for such a small cup of coffee!

Enough typing now...time to taste! And so the journey of this blog now begins!

Why short mac?

Without any shadow of doubt, I am a creature of habit. So did my short mac obsession sporn from the fact that my first ever coffee was a short mac? Maybe... But I think it was destiny. After a few weeks of drinking coffee and after I'd really begun to understand what I was drinking, the idea of a short mac really started to make sense. I had no desire what-so-ever to try anything else. Especially any coffee with more than just a splash of milk. Of the 1000+ coffees I've had in the past 15 months, only 25-50 have not been short macs...and they have all been either espresso's or double espresso's (after big nights!)...

There is no doubt that the espresso is the king of coffee. I wouldn't even try to argue against that. But the short mac is the prince. And for me, that 'stain' of milk that accompanies it is what makes the short mac the most desirable coffee there is. That tiny about of milk can either give an espresso that extra something special or totally destroy a perfectly good coffee. Its that fine line between pleasure and pain...and that is what makes it special!

So, this blog is devoted to the prince of coffee. I'm not here to debate anything. Its all about short macs. Occasionally you may find a post about another coffee...but they'll certainly be the exception and not the rule.

I'll be visiting cafes and blogging about their short macs on a regular basis. Most of these will be known for making good coffee. I'm not here to create enemies and I have no intention of creating any controversy. I'm not going to visit establishments that are not known for their coffee. Who wins if I publicly pay-out on a Ma & Pa operation who have no intention of serving anything but standard coffee?!

I hope you enjoy my reviews and please feel free to contribute...and be nice!

The beginning...

For some bizarre, unexplainable reason, I only began drinking coffee a little over a year ago. I had spent much of my life checking out new cafes but I only ever ordered tea... And its not like my taste buds were lacking either...food and especially wine have been an obsession of mine for years. And when I eat ice-cream, 9 times out of 10 it's coffee ice-cream... So why didn't I drink coffee? I don't know...I just didn't...

But then it all changed. Late in 2010, I went into a cafe owned by a friend of mine called Small World in Melbourne CBD. It was the cafe's final day. Adam wasn't serving food that day but he was still pouring coffee. Before I left, he asked if he could make me a coffee. I told him I don't drink coffee. He wouldn't take no for an answer so I gave in. And then about a minute later, he served me a 'short mac'. I drank it, shrugged my shoulders, told him I'd see him in a few months at his new venture and walked out. Suffice to say it wasn't a life changing experience.

A few hours later I spoke to my cousin Josh. Josh is one of my many friends who were perplexed by my lack of coffee intake. Towards the end of the conversation, I remembered to tell him that I'd had a coffee that day. Josh was flabbergasted...and demanded that I drop by his office on the way home from work so he could make me another coffee. So I did. And had another 'short mac'. It was basically much the same reaction as my first that day. But boy was I buzzing driving home! And was still awake at 2am that night!

I maybe had another 2 or 3 more coffees over the next few weeks. Subconsciously I was beginning to get the taste of coffee...but I didn't know it at the time. My first realisation occured when my friend Ari took me to a coffee place on Flinders Lane after we had lunch one day. To put it nicely, it tasted like shit. But more importantly, I had a sudden realisation what bad coffee tasted like. So on the way back from work that day, I visited my cousin Josh again. I needed to taste good coffee again. And one short mac later, it all made sense. The monster had been created...and it needed to be fed.