South of Johnston (or SoJo, as it's more affectionately known) is a fixture on the brunch circuit of Melbourne foodies...Sojo has resident bees, fruit trees, herbs and a worm farm too and its food showcases the fruits of the local providores. The Fitzroy cafe is Manhattan meets Melbourne, an artfully converted warehouse with a long airy dining room with communal tables, with an industrial chic edge...On the menu are brunchy, lunchy recipes for breakfast; pide stuffed with chorizo, egg and spinach, and indulgent brioche French toast with caramelised bananas and ice cream. This is eminently cookable sharable food and easily achieved at home...A blend of food and lifestyle, the book's content reflects the casual and creative mood of the cafe, with its vintage/industrial look and its locality, a buzzy street in a northerly suburb of Melbourne. The cafe context, as a place where people meet to catch up, do business, relax and work - the cafe as the modern living room where friends meet, eat, talk, relax...The food is seasonal and produce is sourced locally from trusted providores, so in spring and summer the recipes are bursting with fresh fruits, vegetables and salads and cooling dishes; in winter, the soups and risottos are warming, the porridge creamy with seasonal fruits, the eggs spiced with warming chorizo and truffle oil...
