OUTBACK PASSION
ED’S SPUNTINO CAFE & BAR 3/129 Bathurst St, Hobart Open 7 days, 6.15am-4pm
Walking into the newly opened Ed’s Spuntino Cafe & Bar on Bathurst St, I am instantly reminded of the holein-the-wall style cafe-bars I frequented daily while on university exchange in Italy more than 10 years ago now. A father and son operation, co-owners Peter and Ed Maxwell are naturals when it comes to making their clientele feel instantly at home.
Open every day from 6.15am until 4pm, Ed’s is a cosy spot to grab brekkie and an early caffeine hit, or a plate of pasta and glass of wine over lunch.
There is snow in the air in Hobart and as I sit at the bar, sipping my latte, a steady stream of puffer jacket-clad locals stopping by the ordering window to pick up hot coffee on their way to work. The venue has been open only a few weeks but you would never know it, as Ed is already familiar with customers’ preferred coffee orders and Peter ducks out for a moment to deliver a tray of lattes to a business a few doors down.
Once a member of the Australian weightlifting team, Ed Maxwell was forced to take a break from the sport a few years back after an elbow injury. In the words of Julie Andrews, “when one door closes, someone always opens a window”, and in Ed’s case that window was the pursuit of a long-held dream to open a cafe with his dad, who Ed says has always been an excellent cook.
Peter cooks every meal from scratch in the open kitchen, taking the time to chat to customers over the bar, adjusting things here and there to suit individual preferences (“How do you like your eggs?” he asks one customer).
On a deliberately pared-back menu, Peter’s food is wholesome and prepared with care. His vegetable minestrone, for instance, is made using his own house-made beef bone broth, ensuring maximum flavour and nourishment. His carrot cake is a two-tiered affair with flecks of walnut and thick, justsweet-enough cream cheese icing. His muffins are obviously in high demand already as a number of customers request them with their coffee order.
Peter’s bacon and egg roll is utter perfection with two perfectly fried eggs (just the right amount of runny), a generous amount of crispy Scottsdale bacon and Sweet Baby Ray BBQ Sauce nestled into a Pigeon Whole sourdough bun.
I take my bacon and egg rolls pretty seriously and, trust me, this one is good.
On a previous visit my husband and I stopped by to pick up some takeaway lunch, opting for the French omelette and the meatball roll. Peter’s meatballs are served in his own tomato sauce that is slow-cooked for four hours, creating a rich and robust flavour.
The roll is ideal for takeaway, but Peter also does them atop his handmade tagliatelle for in-house dining. Peter’s omelette is true to the title — cooked in the traditional French way it is light and fluffy with a smattering of freshly chopped herbs and pecorino. Simplicity at its best.
With his dad all over the kitchen operations, Ed has mastered the art of the perfect cup of coffee thanks to freshly roasted Villino beans and his prized La Marzocco KB 90 coffee machine.
Along with a fancy machine, Ed and Peter have also invested in a shiny Berkel hand slicer (both especially imported from Italy) that stands proudly on a pedestal like the piece of art it is.
Peter says a hand slicer is imperative as the electronic versions melt the delicate fat on prosciutto and guanciale. The guanciale, by the way, is used to make Peter’s spaghetti carbonara ($20). His wife tells me that it takes a full 20 minutes to cook because Peter likes to take the time to melt the fat in the pan exactly to his liking.
Peter is in the process of perfecting his take on a German-style hotdog that will be available on weekends only. It will feature bratwurst sausage, sauerkraut and German mustard on a fluffy, white bun, ideal for a pre or post-Farmgate Market snack. While Ed’s Spuntino Cafe & Bar closes at 4pm, group dinner bookings are available upon request, and in the coming weeks it may open some evenings for walk-ins.