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

La Renaissance Pâtisserie Française, The Rocks

The Family Pea takes advantage of cheap Sunday travel to spend the day in The Rocks. We're actually there on best man and matron of honour duties to taste wedding food at Wolfie's Bar & Grill, but before that we have time to meet a friend for coffee, and it has to be the Renaissance. When I worked across the road from here my colleagues and I enjoyed many a morning tea supplied by this French patisserie, but that was more than five years ago.

It's market day and sunny and all the tables on Argyle Street are taken. We carry the pram and Baby Pea through to the leafy back courtyard with bigger tables and winter-friendly heat lamps.

I love a bowl of coffee, though it's probably not the easiest thing to drink with a baby on your lap.

I have a major weakness for gruyere so the ham and cheese croissant has my name on it. Pea Pa gets a shock when he sees it come out, all buttery and smothered with melted cheese. He's glad he didn't say no though when he tastes the creamy, ham-flecked bechamel filling - it's heaven. Definitely one to share.

Naturally we can't leave without sampling something sweet, and the almond croissant beckons. I cut it into little squares so we feel less guilty, or perhaps so no one notices me eat the last piece.

La Renaissance Patisserie Francaise
47 Argyle St, The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
p. 02 9241 4878

Cafe Sel et Poivre, Darlinghurst

Call it baby brain, but I didn't even realise the link between today's lunch venue and my pen name* until Pea Pa pointed it out about two minutes ago so the blog logic here was purely accidental. We planned a pitstop at the bistro en route to visit a relative in hospital, and by the time we'd walked the pram to Sydenham station, carried it down and then up the stairs at Kings Cross and wheeled it most of the way along Victoria St, we were in the mood for a Friday Frenchy feast.

We snagged the front outside table and were helped to park the pram alongside so it was safely out of the way. The first thing on the blackboard to catch my hungry eye was a chorizo hotdog with mustard, caramelised onion and cheese, but at the bottom lurked moules marinière with frites, a dish I find it almost impossible to go past on a menu. I persuaded Pea Pa to share it with me, and after much deliberation over a second dish to share he chose the duck and pork rillettes with cornichons. This would be the end to a very ducky week for us - after snapping up a whole 2.5kg Muscovy duck from Feather & Bone, we'd enjoyed roast duck breast on Sunday and noodle soup on Monday with homemade duck stock and bought Chinese barbecued duck. I must have been in the mood for pork though, because when I found out the mussels weren't available after all I didn't hesitate to order that hotdog.

While we waited for the food I decided to feed Baby Pea so I'd be free to eat later. This was a little more confronting than yesterday - then I was inside and surrounded by other nursing mothers, now I was right on Victoria St with my back to the other diners but in full view of passers-by. It's hard enough to get the feeding right in the comfort of home, so attempting it while wrestling with a large muslin wrap for modesty's sake was a real challenge and one that was met with a lot of sympathy from the staff.

At least today's food was much easier to eat with babe in arm. Topped with a thick layer of duck fat and a fresh tomato garnish, the rillettes came with a little dish of cornichons and only three pieces of baguette but as advised we'd asked for a basket of extra bread. It was warm and just right for tearing into pieces and smothering with the lovely meaty goodness.

Baguette number two was spread with punchy Dijon, filled with thick, juicy chorizo slices and topped with melted cheese. Not classic French food but absolutely delicious nonetheless.

Always up for carbs on carbs, we also enjoyed a bowl of frites - crispy, salty and extra sinful when stuffed into the hotdog – though I'm not sure the French would approve.

Stuffed as we were, we still had time if not room for something sweet, so said yes to coffee and chocolat chaud. A little indulgence (and a lot of quack fat) doesn't hurt ... much. Ah, je ne regrette rien!

Cafè Sel & Poivre

263 Victoria St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
p. 02 9361 6530
e. info@seletpoivre.com.au  
w. http://seletpoivre.com.au
 



*not any reference to 80s lady rappers but my food nickname given to me by my workmates as my initials are S and P.