West 48, Essex Street

It started badly.  On a backstreet in Footscray, Mr Lockie the butcher used to stand in his smart white coat.  Every Christmas he had a wonderful list of Christmas ham orders in his spidery writing on a long sheet of butcher's paper.  "Mabel, 1 ham.  Doris, 1/2 ham" and on it went, a community ritual it seemed was repeated year after year.

(Source: Google Maps)

Then one day, a sign was stuck to the door reading, "Closing down.  X years at this spot.  Landlord turning into units".  He closed, taking his ruddy cheeks and wonderful concave butcher's block with him.  Then the bloody landlord painted over the heritage sign.  The forlorn shops stood empty for an age.

Slowly, signs of life emerged.  A bench.  Stools.  "Please, please, not another hairdresser," we prayed, as visions of macchiatos danced in our heads.  And as if by magic, we have a new community hub for a new era - the wonderful West 48.

Of course it's not magic - owners Jagdev and Steffan have put a lot of effort into this lovely cafe.  There's the de rigeur raw wood, bare bulbs and distressed brick, and I love the happy yellow stools and sunset-orange cups.

The menu is quite simple, showcasing seasonal produce - there's no real kitchen, only a small prep area.  Think honeyed ricotta, buffalo mozzarella or top-notch Cuca sardines with lots of good bread.

West 48 use Allpress coffee with two separate blends for milk coffee and black.  A lovely, lovely latte, silky from neck to knees.  Coffees are $3.50 with no extra for soy (@cubbieberry, here's looking at you, kid).

This prawn sandwich ($12), with rocket and golden aioli made with organic eggs, was divine.  The prawns burst gently upon biting, their sweet juices mixing with the luscious mayo.

Now - I am a food blogger.  Out of "necessity", I rarely go to the same place twice (yes, I know, ridiculous #firstworldproblem) and if I do, I even more rarely order the same thing.

I went back the very next day and ordered the very same thing.

This is like the poor man's Golden Fields lobster roll.  The prawns are so fresh and the aioli is utterly unctuous.  Today's had watercress instead of rocket, and the piquancy of the greens is just perfect against the rich filling.

A perfectly-executed long mac.  Gorgeous - like melted 80% cocoa chocolate.

 

In an era of mega malls and chain stores, I relish this new reclamation of the backstreets.  Ebi, the Milking Station, Los Latinos and now West 48 are preventing our neighbourhoods turning into nothing but dormitory suburbs packed with units.  We need great places we can dawdle to and stagger home from.  We need places to run into each other.  We may have lost our butcher, but we have two lovely new friends in Jag and Steffan.  Viva West 48.

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West 48 (Facebook)
48 Essex Street, Footscray
Phone:  0431 611 474
Hours:  Mon-Fri 7am-4pm, Sat & Sun 8am-4pm



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