23. A review of...

The Big Tree House cafe in Rydalmere!

I'm pretty chuffed to find a pleasant, decent cafe just near work. We have a couple of food shops just round the corner, but it's aimed at the tradie market and not anywhere you want to hang around in (quick takeaway, zero atmosphere). The other day Ella mentioned the cafe down the road (a couple of minutes' drive away) - I hadn't been there since last year. Turns out in April this year they reopened as the Big Tree House cafe and it's great! Ella and I have decided to institute Big Tree House Thursdays, where whoever wants to will go there for lunch and get out of the office for half an hour.

I had to get some writing done for work today, and I always find it easier to write a first draft in a cafe. Always. I guess it's the ambient noise, the fact that someone brings food to you, and I'm not distracted by my computer. Also I hate fluorescent lights of all offices; they are so destructive to creativity. So I headed off to the cafe.

I settled in with my notepad by the large window and had a most delicious (and pretty) Campos mocha. For lunch I had a Big Tree House burger, which had pineapple and beetroot and bacon on it and was too big to eat with my hands. Also fat chips - I love fat chips.

I have some friends who are extremely anti-food-served-on-boards but I don't mind it (and hey guess what, Guy? They serve cold drinks in Mason jars! :D ) Then I had a short black and a delicious Brasserie Bread chocolate caramel tart.

I had been the only customer when I arrived, but there was a steady stream of people in and out. It never felt overcrowded though, and the staff were always perfectly pleasant. It's right in the middle of a strip of houses, next to one other shop, so I hope they get enough business. It is near a school though, so they might get a lot of before and after school business. I hope they do well. I have optimistically started a frequent coffee card.

Also, I got a decent first draft of my project written. It was a very productive hour!