Machine Laundry Cafe
After our pretty massive feed at smolt the evening before we were ready the next morning to continue eating our way through Hobart. Next on the list was the highly recommended Machine Laundry Cafe. Situated in the eastern corner of Salamanca Square and as we approached we could see it was reamed. The Easter Long Weekend meant the normal wide selection of quality cafes was reduced to a handful and of course this meant those that were open were going to be packed. Fortunately we only had to wait a moment or two to get a table outside.
Latte ($3.50).
It was lattes for Lex and I as always in the morning. It did take a short while for them to arrive, but when they did we were glad to have something warm to hold as it was quite chilly whenever the clouds were overhead. Nothing to report on the coffees though, run of the mill mid-range here, nothing great but nothing bad about them.
Latte
Eggs Benedict – poached eggs, toast, bacon & Hollandaise ($14.50).
Honestly there wasn’t anything on the menu the grabbed me, not even in the slightest. There were some good offerings but nothing that I really wanted. I opted for the safety net of Eggs Benedict. Poached eggs are on the top of the list for me, so it was an easy fallback option.
Well poached eggs that oozed yolk upon breaking in to them, a creamy sharp hollandaise to accompany it all and some pretty juicy thick bacon to round it all out. I quickly came to the realisation that I would need to eat this meal quick smart; we were outside and the wind was blowing mighty briskly and before I had even made it a quarter of the way through everything was cold. The toast fared the worst, becoming rock hard and impossible to cut through with the knife.
Eggs Benedict - poached eggs, toast, bacon & Hollandaise
Hotcakes – big fat ricotta, blueberry and banana hotcakes with butterscotch sauce, topped with double cream ($15.00).
While there was nothing grabbing my attention on the menu Lex, as usual, was torn between a few offerings. The avocado on toast or the ricotta hotcakes being the top of the shortlist. After some careful deliberation and the promise we would come back so she may try the other option Lex chose the hotcakes.
Wow, they were massive (just as the menu described). Three chunky hotcakes doused in butterscotch sauce and looking mighty enticing. On first bite Lex was a little concerned they were doughy but it turned out to be a false alarm. The rest of the hotcakes were cooked just to Lex’s liking – just cooked and fluffy. Banana and blueberries sprinkled throughout were mighty tasty but it was the buttery, creamy sweet butterscotch sauce that won her over with its depth of flavour. The wind did cause dramas with Lex eating as fast as possible to avoid cold, stodgy hotcakes. Wind aside, in the end she was defeated by the portion size anyway.
Hotcakes - big fat ricotta, blueberry and banana hotcakes with butterscotch sauce, topped with double cream
Machine Laundry Cafe has a nice offering but I’m not entirely sure it lived up to all the hype. They should definitely invest in some outdoor heaters for those sitting in the square. Nice coffee, good food, sporadic service. Would I go back? Yes. Is it the best breakfast ever? No.
Machine Laundry Cafe
12 Salamanca Square
Battery Point TAS 7004
(03) 6224 9922
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