Our favourite cafes and coffee shops are often the ones tucked away, sitting unassumingly on a side street with the love and dedication pouring out onto the streets and overfilling cups.
This is what Bowden’s newest cafe, 2nd Street Coffee, encapsulates.
The new venture by owners and partners Michaela Pitman and Tim Kamenjarin aims to slot right into the fabric of the neighbourhood which is surrounded by a little bit of green and a lot of industrial works.
Stepping into the corner cafe, with a considerable amount of room and endless light pouring into the space by floor to ceiling windows, which bring the outside in.
The cooler mornings are made for the side window offering, ideal for grab-and-go coffee and the barista braves the cold for customers quickly getting their caffeine fix before the work day takes over.
Michaela and Tim are implementing a “bartender sensibility” to their service layout through their years spent working behind the bar.
“There’s sort of a culture as a bartender of having a really good relationship with your customer,” Tim explains.
“You talk to them, you get to know them. I almost would like it to be when you go into a cafe, and the person working behind the counter knows your name, remembers it, knows what you’re after.”
The feel good, friendly rhythm that plays off Tim makes it easy to spark up a long conversation about pretty much anything, and when we paid a visit it happened to be about their gourmet, cheesy toasties.
The toasted flavor range features ruben, pulled pork, funghi and tuna melt. Fresh Focaccias are also available along with bacon and egg roll for breakfast goers and a soup of the day with a slice of sourdough.
Speaking of sourdough, 2nd Street bowden use a sourdough loaf that you won’t be sawing your teeth into in order to rip off a bite.
The thick slices are buttered and toasted to golden perfection, without rush and Tim multi-tasks by adding the provolone cheese on top of the tender pulled pork before letting it melt over.
A bit of sweet bbq sauce, roast capsicum, a homemade ‘hectic’ sauce and pickles come together with a perfect tang.
It’s guaranteed to melt in your mouth and even when you’re full, it’s an injustice to waste even the smallest of crumbs.
It’s been a bit of trial and error for Tim and the team as they work through the process of making their own corned beef, with plenty of taste testing to find the combinations that will have people coming back again and again.
Along with the classic coffees we talked about before they opened the team have been dipping into the frothy cold foam world. The top recommendations feature an iced long black with chocolate cold foam, coconut water with matcha cold foam cloud, iced latte with honey cold foam and iced Matcha with strawberry cold foam.
As the team settles into the space, the cafe will do the same, with more trinkets and artwork to help bring out the 2nd Street Coffee personality Tim and Michaela have planned for it.
So if you’re ever in Bowden, or a local, we’ve found your new regular.
2nd Street Coffee
Where: 6-10 Gibson Street, Bowden
When: Open now
For more info, click here.
