Brunch: River Jacks Cafe at Berri
Today in our brand new brunch column, food writer Di Mattsson heads to Berri in the Riverland finds a gem of a cafe right on the water.
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Brunch. What a terrific new heading for this food column. It can be so many things,
cover a small or large part of the day, and cost little, but never a dinner-like lot.
On our travels, we like tucking in, then having the rest of the day to do more.
This girls’ getaway, the attraction is the absolute-waterfront River Jacks Cafe in Berri.
We’re road testing a whopper motorhome, which is a whole other happy Thelma and Louis story. Rather than give its nifty little kitchen a workout, we’re traversing the Riverland, searching for ways to support and enjoy the regional food-biz battlers of embattled 2020.
On the cafe’s sunny deck, someone more talented, who can actually throw small things, could skip a pebble to the water almost at our feet.
Instead we rest easy, with uninterrupted, idyllic, sigh, river views. A peaceful batch of houseboat dwellers on the opposite bank follow suit.
It’s fair to say really good food experiences are rather widely spaced in the Riverland. Travellers seem to be drawn more to the gentle lifestyle and ever-changing majestic river scenery.
So, do a little research to find the rare bakery gems, good cafes, quirky breweries and pubs you might like.
This trip, our faves include View Point Café and Illalangi Gourmet at Waikerie, the Paringa Bakery near Renmark and a friendly general store serving basic toasties in Swan Reach.
In Berri, we love River Jacks’ kitchen team’s pride in the stream of specialties building on the counter, including a deep and frilly bacon egg and feta filo pie and an authentic fresh slab of Greek spanakopita. The regular morning menu touches all bases, from toasted muesli and eggie dishes to mandatory smashed avo plus add-ons that speak of the cafe’s Greek influence.
A buttery croissant filled with gooey Swiss cheese, spinach and pan-fried mushrooms is safe, light and nice. Hot chocolate with a double choc shot, easy on the milk, “no problem”.
In other times we could linger into wine time and monopolise the serenity, but these days, it’s a setting to be shared.