A list of some very Good Things

In all aspects of my life I try to find the good things. The silver lining and ray of sunshine. So when a cafe opened up in Mosman Park earlier this year simply called Good Things, well immediately I felt myself drawn in, tempted to try. Finding the time was a whole other story though so it was only on the Queen's Birthday long weekend that I managed to find my way there with my best friend Vee for some much needed girl time (which in itself is a very good thing). 

First good thing I noticed when we arrived: the natural lighting is incredible. The fitout is simplistic and beautiful, a minimalist approach with light coloured woods, white walls and a funky mural by local artist Jae Criddle. There's a long communal table down the middle, with small and group tables on either side, plus some outdoor seating if you're so inclined. It's the sort of place that really appeals to me aesthetically and I knew I was going to like it before we even tried the food. There's a fantastic vibe. 

As is the case with most brunch venues these days, you order and pay at the counter, with food brought out to your table. The menu has something for everyone and both Vee and I find ourselves tossing up between several choices before making a decision. A return visit is definitely in need.

Vee's dish of the smashed potatoes with haloumi, salsa verde, poached eggs and rocket ($20.00) was made even better with the addition of bacon ($5.00) - no wait, sorry, I should have said maple bacon. Holy hell, just when you thought bacon couldn't get any better.

There's something about haloumi that makes me really weak at the knees. That salty, melty but solid at the same time consistency. Yes, this is another good thing. This dish is a carb loaded dream with those fluffy potatoes (that had a good sprinkling of seasoning) and the punchy salsa verde. Gooey egg yolks? Tick, tick.

Not so much of a good thing, but rather a great thing... they have fried chicken ($20.00) on their menu. With waffles. And chill butterscotch sauce. It's a combination that has been tried and tested in America, and thankfully chicken and waffles has made it's way here. 

At Good Things they recommend that you add a side of maple bacon, but I decided to skip it in this instance and go for the standard dish. I only really had eyes for the chicken - which was steaming hot and juicy on the inside when I cut into it, and perfectly crunchy on the outside. The butterscotch sauce was the right vessel to bridge the waffles and meat, with a really sweet but not sugary flavour. I would have liked a bit more chilli injection but that's a personal preference.

To accompany her meal, Vee ordered an acai smoothie ($9.00) which they blend up fresh on order. It was lightly sweet and full of that rich berry flavour. It was a thick concoction and I think you could grab one of these on the go for a liquid breakfast and be pretty full!

Being an absolute juice fiend I chose the cold pressed strawberry juice ($8.00) which was a great balance between sweet and sour, and perfectly thirst quenching. This is fast becoming my favourite juice flavour! (Do I need to say this was another good thing to add to the Good Things list?)

Like all impressionable eat-a-holics, when I was standing in line waiting to order I couldn't drag my eyes away from the Portuguese custard tart with salted caramel and chocolate ($4.00). It was way too tempting, and so we happily shared one to finish up our brunch. Soft, and just lightly eggy this was a nice offering.

I love salted caramel when it straddles that savoury sweet line, and this one did just that. Oozing out, and countered by the rich, bitter chocolate. The only thing I thought wasn't quite right was the pastry - I've had some pretty amazing flaky Portuguese tart pastries so I couldn't help but compare. A solid offering but definitely some wiggle room for improvement.

After finally making my way to this bright, airy cafe, I walked away with a list of good things about Good Things. And yes, it's all good.