Hidden deep within residential West Footscray is a small cafe called Brother Nancy.
Owner Leigh is a WeFo local who was travelling east for work. With a two year old and another child on the way, he decided for lifestyle reasons that he needed to work closer to home. Plus he knew that the area needed a cafe like Brother Nancy.
This location, formerly a butcher, fish and chip shop and lately a tax office, has been completely stripped and rebuilt by Leigh . He made the benches, he made the tables, he made the shelves. He even installed the new kitchen.
The space is small but Leigh has done his best to accommodate families, with a clear path for prams, two high and I even spotted some Mr Men books.
Leigh’s brother isn’t actually called Nancy (he’s Jason) but the name of the cafe is a charming, kid-brother ribbing of his sibling. I love it!
The menu is small and surprising. Firstly everything is under $16. This is a town where I fully expect to pay close to $20 for a cafe-quality dish.
The children’s menu is particularly budget friendly, with $4 toast, Weetbix and egg and soldiers and $5 ham and cheese toastie. Which means a family can go out for breakfast together and not break the bank.
The classically-trained chef Jordi Boyer is French so there are some slight French leanings in the standard menu.
I ordered the grilled sardines on toasted sourdough with black olive tapenade and marinated capsicum ($13.50). Lots of sunny, salty Mediterranean flavours shone through the dish, with a cool sluice of tomato, watermelon and capsicum summer soup for some palate contrast. The only element I wasn’t expecting were the cold sardines. I emphasise that the lightly fried then brined sardines weren’t bad – it was more that I was expecting freshly fan-fried fish as you see in other cafes.
For dessert I had the French toast. It was a delightful arrangement of eggy sourdough toast, fresh berries and berry jam, a dollop of vanilla creme fraiche and a sprinkling of pistachios. And the price? A measly $12.
To go with your tea (leaves from Tea Drop) or coffee (beans from Proud Mary) try one of the house made sweets. On my visit the chef had made individual tart tatins and an apple and almond tart, but my heart was sold to the chocolate chip cookies made by Leigh’s wife ($3). I’m sure kids will love these as much as I did.
Brother Nancy is a really welcome addition to a relatively cafe-starved neighbourhood filled with families. It’s clearly a labour of love for Leigh and his family too and I’m always drawn towards ventures where the passion and enthusiasm of the owners are evident in everything you see, touch and eat. A bientot, Brother Nancy!
Features:- pram access;
- high chairs;
- kids menu;
- standard menu suitable for kids; and
- books.
Brother Nancy, 182 Essex St, West Footscray
Mon, Wed – Sun 7am-4:30pm
