Never have we been so food obsessed and never has there been so many restrictions on what people eat. Certain foods are excluded in various combinations with varying credentials – some more popular culture than evidence-based.
Regardless, fads, diets, lifestyles, illness prevention or just good health, they look like they’re here to stay. To the non-believer, there are a few sensible principles in the mix. Eat less processed food. Eat less sugar. Eat fewer carbohydrates.
Hobart has a café that is serving up sensible food.
Straight Up is food stripped bare, real food and the wonder of nature and plating up with an earthy-chic.
Straight Up’s hallmarks are 100% gluten free and 100%vegetarian. And they’ve cornered the market. Hobart has been crying out for vegetarian options since the closure of Sirens restaurant. And before now, no one has taken on the fully gluten-free challenge. Its premise is environmental sustainability which is central to their production processes.
Straight Up leans towards unrefined sugar so their sweet treats are subtle and require that you hone your taste buds. They make everything in-house – gluten-free bread and roasted coffee beans included.
The menu changes regularly. There are a few items that stay due to popular demand like the toasted corn bread with grilled haloumi and olive oil scrambled eggs with avocado and herb salsa, $16. This Girl’s pick from their menu to date.
Yoga Woman took This Girl for lunch the other day and we ate:
Miso marinated pumpkin with walnut and preserved lemon cauliflower cous cous and tahini yoghurt, $15.50 and
Miellerie honey glazed chermoula eggplant and sweet and sour tomatoes with radicchio and toasted pine nuts, $16.
The pumpkin had great textural contracts. The eggplant had a sharpness to it that might benefit from greens to cut through its astringent tones.
We had the strawberry kiss and tahini biscuit with coffees. Sugar-free dessert seems like a contradiction in terms but I have tried a few – we did a pass around a number of alterno cafes in Sydney in March, I’ve tried cooking a few, of course Lola at the Marine Wharf building has them on offer.
But the strawberry kiss is one of the best examples of new-wave sweets I’ve ever tried. It looked delightful and its creamy texture was fulfilling.
A bit like the café itself really. It’s wholesome and fulfilling. You'll feel better for eating there.
Straight Up!
Straight Up is located at 202a Liverpool Street Hobart.
Open weekdays, 7:30 am-3:00 pm and weekends 8:00 am-3:00 pm.
They don’t take reservations but their number is 6236 9237.
