Scratch Coffee Co, Port Kembla NSW

On the main thoroughfare of what locals call  "the Port", or Port Kembla, south of Wollongong, a contemporary cafe has been operating near the iconic Tonito's patisserie and opposite the Foundery.   Further down and not far away is the coast and Port Beach.   


Scratch Coffee Co. opens early every day and Duanne is there at the counter with a lively female colleague who is engaging with the customers.  On a first visit, we encountered Peter, often accompanied by a lively child with bright eyes and an enthused personality  - I first got to know them  at a northern suburb cafe.   It is always a pleasure to chat with Peter and his enthusiastic family member.

Peter pointed out the spanking new grinder at the front of the cafe.   It shows the quality of a cafe set up and delivery when you have in-house ground blends and flavours.  Filters, blends, single origins and espressos are available in roasts.   The food offerings that day were limited to cakes and pastries, but they were presented lovingly in a low rise shelf and glassed display.    


The regulars were already there, a lady with a lap top and earnest look in focusing on the internet,  twenty somethings dropping by and a whole potential of the nearby residents.   Bluescope staff work in the nearby adjacent surrounds and in summer, the beach especially attracts weekend visitors.

Your Cuppa provided on ceramic.

I loved the coffee blend that morning - strong, flavourful and with an unusual overlay on the palate.  We could not resist another of Duanne's unique options - espresso served in a waffle.The espresso we requested was bold and infused into the rather strongly textured waffle fold.   


There is a bonus in this kind of serving - the waffle gave me a second chance to saviour the aroma of the espresso.  At the end of it, there is a quality chocolate at the waffle base, from which hints of it came through to the senses the further I finished the coffee.  

Scratch Coffee Co. is located at 9/173-174 Wentworth Street, Port Kembla NSW.
Opening hours are from 630am to 400pm on weekdays and from 800am to 400pm on weekends.
Contact   + 61 410 887 088

Seascape Cafe - Port Kembla NSW

The call of surf and sky, the sounds that lull into a sense of inner comfort, these are all ever green captivating us when we connect with the outdoors and Nature.   To have breakfast or lunch looking out at rather empty ocean and a beautiful horizon is a wish come true.  And you may have this at the Seascape Cafe, located at the end of a quiet Foreshore Road in Port Kembla NSW.  You walk up the stairs of the Maritime Police Centre.  It looks like a family run cafe but the owner and staff are as apple hearted as can be.  The menu does not echo of fancy or unusual, but is assured you to remind you of reliability and wholesomeness that city folks often miss and yearn for.

I went back to Seascape earlier this month and loved the ever reliable scenery.  The cafe is located on a vantage point within the Maritime Police Centre.  The ocean winds were refreshing and there was a wholesome crowd at lunch time.  I just loved the veg laden burger, not entirely healthy as it was deep fried but really yummy and of  such  large serving!  The Seascape can be a good choice for a meal if you are visiting the nearby Nan Tien Temple in Berkeley.

I am not a fan usually of lasagna but this cafe has one that made me notice their version.  It just has the right richness, taste and overall attractiveness.  On my very first visit, on the recommendation of Katie and Scott, and accompanied by Janie and Jen, I had the Seascape version of the Big Breakfast - this was like home made, generous and with all the works.  Eating on an outside table under the ocean breezes can prove challenging if the winds step up and the seagulls are watching you and your grub.

The Seascape may have started life as the cafe for the Maritime Police Centre, but its appeal I reckon goes beyond this.  


The Seascape Cafe is located at 91 Foreshore Road, Port Kembla NSW.
Park your vehicle below the Maritime Police Centre.
Opening hours are from breakfast to lunch time every day.
Book for good weather days.

 

Tonitto's Continental Cakes - Port Kembla, NSW

Tonitto can be a name variation of Antonio.It also refers to an outstanding cake shop and bakery located along the main strip in Port Kembla, NSW. I like the topography and sloping inclinations of this road - Wentworth Street. You may hear the surf from the nearby impressive sandy beach.  It is a Saturday morning, suburban and it feels like any of the coastal towns dotted around the Australian coast - but then I notice the towering chimney from the nearby steel works. Not that this breaks my fascination with the scenery, with shuttered light industrial garages, people scurrying through the wintery windy blast and a day that feels like any other. Tonitto provided me a bright spot that quiet weekend, and I eyed the napoli (left), tartuffi (upper right) and conchilge (lower right) - picture above.  The business is currently managed and operated by Laurence and Loretta Tonitto, carrying on the traditions of Vincent Tonitto, who hailed from Italy and enriched the Illawarra area with his pastry mastery.

Weddings, birthdays, high tea, religious cakes, cupcakes, croquembouche and more - Tonitto's can cater for them.  Many customers that early morning were collecting premade orders in boxes. I reckon it is worthwhile to visit the small but interesting cafe as well, sipping their coffee by the window and watching the world go by. You can  meet Laurence, with a smiling demeanour, surrounded by efficient lady staff who are engaged in what they do at the shop. Tonitto's also has a wide variety of novelty figurines and cake decoration accessories.

You can catch this hint of romance on the footpath as you approach Tonitto's from the west - an etched work of love for a lucky Sonia.  Was this as recently made in 2005?   The suggested romance is then followed up by chocolate, cream and dreams as you enter Tonitto's.

Tortes, mud cakes, biscottis, butter cakes, arancini, horseshoes, croccantini, rumballs, pastine, vienessi, cannoli, zabaglione, sospiri, pies, cheesecakes, bigne, profiteroles, canoncini - the variety available seems endless.  This can be Patisserie Paradiso.  I did not see any gelato though and I hope I am mistaken.  The shop may be relatively small, but it packs more than a punch in quality, design, imagination and love in their creations.  This is a good pit stop before or after you hit the surf nearby.

Tonitto's does make delivery of orders to Fairy Meadow, just a bit north of Wollongong CBD. However I feel it is very worthwhile to bring family and mates on a lazy day to visit the bakery itself - not on Sundays though, when it is a day of rest.