We didn’t really mean to watch the Santa parade today but as we were wandering around enjoying a day away from work we didn’t have anything else to do but stop and watch it for a while. I got a kiddy’s flag to wave around and we found a spot on Willis St. There was a pretty good turn out and we realised just how much smaller it was to our visits to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

I didn’t realise there would be a Shrek balloon

Like the one in New York

And Santa was the favourite of the day as expected

Although the view of him here was easier without 3 million people waving and screaming at him like there were in New York!

Finally got down to Joe’s Garage in Tory Street today – new cafe that’s been open a few months. It was dark and warm and packed with quite a few families, groups, kids and mingling people. However, the person that greeted us as soon as we stopped to wonder how it all worked (huge snaps for that, nothing worse than hovering around not knowing whether you’re supposed to take a seat, order at the register or wait to be seated) offered us a place at the middle bench or kitchen bench. We love benches, and obviously picked the kitchen one so that we could watch what was going on.

I didn’t take long with the menu either – caught my eye straight away – pikelets! And The Mister got another all time favourite, toasted sandwich. Great New Zealand tucker!! The coffee was good (their own I think), staff very friendly, free WiFi (not that I could get it to work), speedy service and awesome egg skills by the grill slinger (or whatever you call the guy working the hot plate).

I was very excited by my pikelets with jam and cream

Although they were more like pancakes so I didn’t eat them all – really nice though!

The only downsides (but not enough to keep us away) were that the kitchen bench location was pretty warm on your face under the lights and the cafe did have that smell of a fry-up that gets into your clothes and hair and I image it could be quite stuffy in there in the summer.

They also open in the evenings which is very cool – might be going there with our Short Dark Friend on our next Wednesday Dinner Club night.