Bitton Gourmet Cafe, Alexandria

Another mum's group meeting in Alexandria takes us to pram-magnet Bitton. I'm first to arrive and take a table out in the courtyard, next to the dedicated kids playroom and a huge stack of IKEA highchairs, and order a flat white.

After reading the French-influenced breakfast/lunch menu I can't decide, so I wait to see if anyone will share with me, especially as I want to tuck into some pommes frites. I'm in luck, and my partner chooses the sourdough toast with tomato, goats cheese and basil oil from the breakfast side of the menu. When our waiter comes I'm tempted by the special of duck liver pate, but I never say no to goats cheese.

The chips aren't cheap and don't look French to me but the fresh tomato sauce is a nice touch and probably pleases people without a lifelong addiction to ketchup. 

I think the sourdough is from Brasserie Bread so no complaints there, but with one huge and one tiny slice I had to cut both in half for sharing. It's tasty though, thanks to that goats cheese.

Of course, we can't leave without trying out that play area, so the babies get into some tummy time, or is that skydiving practice?

Bitton Gourmet Cafe
36-37a Copeland Street, Alexandria, NSW 2015
p. (02) 9519 5111
http://www.bittongourmet.com.au

Love Grub, Alexandria

For this fortnight's meeting of my RPA mums group (Rippas?), we've arranged to meet at one member's house then head to the cafe round the corner. It's a lovely day and I've left the pram at home – negotiating the stairs at Marrickville at Erskineville stations is easier with Baby Pea in the pod – so there's one less set of wheels to accommodate at our footpath table.

The daytime menu has breakfast and lunch, sandwiches and sushi but as its almost three we also have the option of the dinner menu, which includes a selection of Japas (Japanese tapas). Well, recently pregnant ladies and raw fish are an irresistible combination, and with separate requests for kingfish and tuna it makes sense to order the large sashimi plate to share. We also pick the pork gyoza and chicken karaage.

Japas sounds like a gimmick, but Love Grub takes its cuisine seriously. The regular among us reveals that the chef trained with Shaun Presland of Saké restaurant in The Rocks, and says his food is just as good.

The half-dozen gyoza are first to arrive, pretty, well flavoured and easy to eat - so easy that I only remember to snap the plate when there's one left.

Our sashimi comes with an apology for the wait while all the fish was prepared and the attention to detail and quality is obvious – it's absolutely beautiful, and we savour every piece.

We realise quite late that they've forgotten our karaage and when we remind them we get a little extra. I could easily have eaten a whole portion of the salty fried chicken with salmon pink mayo, so I don't hesitate to nab the last nugget before I bundle up my own little love grub for the walk back to Erko.

Love Grub
38 Mitchell Road, Alexandria NSW 
p. 02 9318 2323
w. http://lovegrub.com.au/