15 Feb The Firehouse, Ringwood

After an unexpectedly early finish to my day, I found myself in the outer eastern suburbs with nothing to do and it wasn’t even noon yet. What better thing to do than have a food adventure? A quick search led me to The Firehouse – a smart but unpretentious and informal cafe and restaurant not far from Eastland. The building was a fire station in its former life, hence the name. The seasonal menu is largely Mediterranean. An all-day brunch is available, with the lunch kicking in at 11:30am. The lunch menu is more restaurant than cafe-like, with starters like polenta fried artichoke and charcuterie. For mains you might go for spanakopita or gnocchi, or perhaps something more hearty like a pie, burger or steak. Sunday nights sees them fire up the open coal BBQ to the tunes of live acoustic and blues music.

Potato Rosti, Huon Smoked Salmon, Truffle Scented Scrambled Eggs ($21)

For brunch I chose the potato rosti topped with two layers of Huon smoked salmon and a pile of truffle scented scrambled eggs. The potato rosti itself was a little uninspiring, but still acted as a good vehicle for the smoked salmon and moist and golden scrambled eggs.

Spiced Roasted Eggplant with Herb and Date Burghal, Yoghurt ($9.50)

I knew it wouldn’t match particularly well with my potato rosti, but when I saw eggplant on the lunch menu I suddenly had an urge to eat some. Tender, fragrant, spiced eggplant was paired with nutty and chewy burghal, dates and dollops of yoghurt, and I actually enjoyed this side dish more than the potato rosti.

The Firehouse was comfortable and cosy, and though not all the food left a strong impression, it showed some promise. It seems like a lovely local restaurant to have nearby.

The Firehouse
253 Maroondah Highway
Ringwood, VIC, 3134
(03) 9876 8100
www.thefirehouse.net.au/

Note: If the thought of parking on Maroondah Hwy daunts you, there’s rear parking off Pratt St.