the stranded store.

After enduring a whole week of grey and rainy Adelaide after coming back from Sydney a few weeks ago, the weekend miraculously turned out to be bright and sunny - the perfect weather for brunch catchups at The Stranded Store.  Despite it's rather introverted location in Colonel Light Gardens, the popular eatery was filled to the brim with all tables taken both inside and out.  

Their menu changes every season, although not by too much.  We had a vego friend with us and it was great to see that there were more than a few options for her to choose from, as well as the assurance from the staff that they're happy to make any dish vegetarian.  I quite liked the size of their menu - not too large but just enough to keep us hovering between two or three - and the store has a lovely neighbourhood cafe vibe going on.

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Bacon plus a side of Avocado & Lime: $21.50

Everytime I look at a menu, I'm torn between choosing something more 'adventurous' or going with an oldie but a goodie like Eggs Benedict.  My final choice was an excellent decision - the hollandaise sauce was beautifully aerated and the consistency was just about right.  It wasn't as strong as I prefer my hollandaise sauce to be but it had enough flavour in it to keep me satisfied.  The bacon was nicely crisp with a good ratio of fat to meat and the avocado and lime was nicely flavoured with coriander and red onions.

Breakfast Cassoulet: braised beans, spicy tomato, pancetta & fried egg plus a side of A & L 

Had a small taste of the cassoulet and wow....this is what you need on a cold winter's morning.  It was a little spicy, even for me, but that's the appeal and definitely tastes amazing with the salty pancetta and thick runny egg yolk.  The ciabatta bread was nicely grilled and looked quite tantalising.

Avocado & Lime: fetta, fried chilli and garlic with ciabatta bread ($18.00)

I didn't get a taste of this one but since I ordered the mini version as my side, I'm pretty sure this would have tasted seriously delicious also.  The colours were pretty extraordinary and everything looked so fresh and green.  Excellent choice for vegetarians and non-vegos alike.

Such a beautiful spot to eat, catch up and soak up the baby rays of sunshine.  The food was deliciously fresh and tasty and also so beautifully presented as well.  The only thing I could complain was the fact that we had to go find someone to take our order after waiting for quite some time outside.  They were clearly very busy inside but since they did have outside tables, some attention should be given to them.  Other than that, the staff were relatively nice and the food came out in reasonable time after ordering.