Proud Mary

Proud Mary
172 Oxford Street, Collingwood, VIC
5 Senses Coffee


Update (again):

We found ourselves back here because it's convenient and the coffee is good... it's even worth the terrible wait for tables! After about 40 minutes, we decided to squeeze 4 people on a table meant for 2. On finishing our coffees, some of the bigger tables were cleared but the waitress offered us a complimentary muffin if we stayed at the small table as there was still a waiting list. Oh well, we're easily bribed!

This time, I ordered the green eggs on toast ($8.50) add herbed mushrooms ($3.50) thinking green eggs meant pesto scrambles but it was just the kind of eggs used. My (vet) friend politely told them green eggs are not healthier contradictory to popular belief! Really plain dish though...

The Hotpot - slow braised ham hock, bean & egg hotpot, crusty bread & butter ($14) was pretty good, especially on a cold, wet day like the day we were there!
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Update:

So Proud Mary had potential to reach 4 beans last time. Unfortunately it's exactly the same this time... I have to go back to see if I can push it up.

Coffees were amazing. One of the best non-real-chocolate mochas ever! Saw the chilli hot chocolate ordered by the guy next to me on the communal table - with a real chilli slit in the middle placed on the side like a cocktail! So pretty, but I'll never order that again, not after the awful experience at Max Brenner's 5 years ago...

New season, new menu - we were warned food may take awhile but i didn't take long at all. The Crispy hash is still on the menu although it's sightly changed - bacon for the smoked salmon and bagna cauda for the crème fraiche. It's $1 cheaper too! Unfortunately, this is what prevents Proud Mary from proudly getting 4 beans. You know there's something wrong when aside from the egg and spinach, the bacon is the least salty part of the dish... You would expect the Italian anchovy sauce to be salty, but not the hash so you can eat them together. I thought the salt was unevenly distributed (as many places do) on my 1st mouthful, only to realise it was extremely salty throughout! At least the hash was well frid, unlike the overly crackly bacon - my pet hate... after all, we're not in America!

The 2nd dish redeemed Proud Mary, but do share this between at least 2 people - it gets a bit much after awhile as it is seriously rich and sinful! Cocoa bread and butter pudding with rubarb compote and amareto mascarpone ($13). The delightful consistency of the pudding went perfectly with the not-as-sweet rubarb and even the amaretto, which I predicted I will hate, went pleasantly well together (there wasn't a very strong almond taste).

Oh, the rubix salt and pepper shakers have been replaced by light blue (like the coffee cups) wooden grinders...
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Nolan Hirte started work at APTE, where the owner invited him to be his business partner at Liar Liar, which was eventually sold to St Ali, but not before becoming hugely successful. So no doubt the coffee was going to be good, especially with that ludicrous 6 group head synesso!

Proud Mary is set in the industrial area of Collingwood on the corner of Oxford & Stanley Streets and the inside has kept that old warehouse feeling but the finishes are outstanding. Beautiful wallpaper, solid communal tables, a blackboard filled with all sorts of drinks including non coffee choices like granitas, milkshakes, smoothies, fresh juices... rubix cube salt & pepper shakers anyone?
I was told by my boss to order the Ricotta hotcakes with caramelised peach, white chocolate semi freddo and orange infused maple syrup ($14) and was expecting great things. Unfortunately though the semi freddo was delicious (especially coming from one who doesn’t like white chocolate), the maple syrup needed a stronger orange taste and the hotcakes weren't as fluffy as expected.

The Crispy hash, smoked salmon, wilted spinach, chive crème fraiche and poached egg ($15.50) was delightful though, especially the hash, which was crispy as promised. I'll probably order that again if I go back - not sure if it's because it was good or because there's not much else I would order…