Previous SlideNext Slide

An old hair salon opposite Malvern East’s Central Park is now a smart sandwich shop and grocery store. “It’s the milk bar for 2025,” says co-owner Frank Ciorciari, standing in front of a shelf of premium tinned fish, hot honey and fancy mayo.

To his right, a bowl of chestnuts gleams on a farmhouse table, and on his left, buckets of poppies, magnolias and sunflowers sit on the floor, waiting for their turn in a local lounge room. “People are educated,” says Ciorciari. “They love dining out, they know quality products. We think this is what they’re looking for.”

Good Food visited on Saturday, Breadcetera’s opening day. Children in sport uniforms eyed the chocolate tart while parents waited for coffee. The house-made sausage rolls had already been snapped up.

Ciorciari and his business partners own wine bar Riserva two doors down, as well as Lucia in South Melbourne and Baia Di Vino in Sandringham. “We’ve been here for years and I live in the area too,” says Ciorciari, in between fielding reservation requests for his restaurants. “We could see a gap for that quality bread offering.”

Breadcetera has sourced its hero product from three bakeries. Blanc Bakery in Berwick and Our Place in Heathmont provide the loaves, bagels and focaccia. The sweet pastries are from Austro Bakery in North Melbourne.

Buy a loaf to go, or have it turned into lunch, maybe ficelle (similar to a baguette but thinner) with ham, gruyere and sweet mustard pickle; poached chicken salad on white high-top; or a fior di latte and tomato bagel.

Riserva is loved for its kids-eat-free offering between 5pm and 6pm daily, and the most popular menu item is the wagyu bolognese. “We’ll put that in the fridge here, maybe turn it into a lasagne, all that stuff in time,” says Ciorciari. Window bench and pavement seating is to come, but the store will stay mostly takeaway.

“We’re thinking people will come for egg and bacon muffins on the way to sport, or if you’ve got five minutes to yourself and come in for a wander, or it’s your girlfriend’s birthday so you buy a bunch of flowers and maybe a gift. We’re here for the community.”

Open daily 8am-4pm

399 Wattletree Road, Malvern East, instagram.com/breadcetera.etc

Other new grab-and-go lunch spots to try

Crop

Salad magician Frankie Cox has opened Crop, serving a rainbow of all-Victorian ingredients for lunch and dinner. Similar to Cox’s Cremorne launching pad, you can order a preconfigured salad (make mine a winter miso with sweet potato, red cabbage and seaweed crunch) or build your own bowl, choosing greens, toppings, texture and dressings as the mood strikes.

291 Smith Street, Fitzroy, cropkitchen.au

Foti and Friends

Suzie Posnakidis noticed she was feeding her son, Foti, and his friends anyway, so she sold her protein bar business to turn her natural hospitality into a cafe and deli. Foti & Friends is a sweet new spot, open since March, and offering Greek dishes to eat in and take away. A weekly menu announces the roster: chicken with lemon potatoes on Tuesday, say, and stuffed peppers for Friday. The oven is always on, turning out spanakopita and sweet biscuits.

59 Cardigan Place, Albert Park, instagram.com/fotiandfriendscafe