First Impressions: The Store

For a while ACR had been adamant about staying away from some of the more popular cafés in Adelaide to try to focus on some of the city’s “hidden gems”. Hence ‘The Store’ – a North Adelaide “institution” if ever there was one – had been avoided for quite some time. But as yet another long-weekend dilemma approached, ACR (wisely) visited The Store to see what all the fuss was about – and of course was then duty-bound to return two more times!

Now it would be quite surprising if readers had not heard of The Store, but for those who haven't: laid-back, groovy jazz music sets the scene here, where extended trading hours mean diners can duck in for a wide range of light café fare during the day, or enjoy a relaxed dinner there in the evening. As an added bonus patrons can shop at an attached deli-cum-gourmet-convenience-store for fresh olives, cold meats, continental breads, and ready-made salads, deserts, meals etc. if they wish to continue (or begin) their foodie pilgrimage at The Store.

Eggs and bacon are a solid performer, with generous serves (of the scrambled variety) piled on flavoursome pide, but the standout item here is ‘Huevos Ranheros’ – bacon and eggs Mexican-style. Light fluffy scrambles and meaty bacon came wrapped in two soft tortillas topped with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream –a very pleasant change from the standard bacon and eggs, and less disaster-prone to some extent. Other common breakfast options are available (pancakes, bircher, fruit salad, croissants), but variations such as the grilled chorizo served on a white bean cassoulet or mushroom omelette with leek and mozzarella (both untried) set The Store apart from the mainstream.

Coffee is more often decent than not, and heaters make breakfast outdoors possible on a wintry day. When busy, service and ambience can falter though, so avoid the crowds that flock to this café if possible.

The Store (website, pics, menu)

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