It's very rare that I go for a cafe brunch in the CBD. It may be because I've been spoilt for choice in Abottsford/Collingwood/Richmond or North Melbourne and now Footscray/Seddon/Yarraville that the CBD has always been less convenient and basically less impressive. Other than Hardware Societe and its excellent reputation (which I haven't tried), Cumulus Inc. apparently does a nice version from an expensive restaurant and Rustica Canteen is the option for up the Melbourne Central area. It's nice having an option in each region of the city.
Along the South-West/bottom-left corporate area of the city, Grain Store seemed to be full of suited clientele with or without a series of laptops. There were also a few tourist-looking people who had obviously looked for a place somewhere near Southern Cross station and the start of Crown.
- Black Pudding Sausage & Fried Onion Rings (with poached eggs, fresh apple remoulade, sweet potato jam) $19 - black pudding always gets me. I think they must have some less adventurous or experienced diners who expect black rice pudding as they had the need to emphasise "Sausage" on the menu and the waitress even confirmed with me I knew what it was. The black pudding had a very smooth texture but seemed to lack a very strong flavour. Usually there's the strong pork, a charred meaty-blood flavour and little cubes of fat (which I actually prefer not to have), but that's the standard. The eggs were cooked well and runny, the sweet potato puree was to swathe around the standard onion rings (I'm not a fan generally so perhaps not the best judge). The apple salad was nice and refreshing and crisp.
Overall I didn't enjoy it as much as other places although I'll admit I didn't order to my strengths and was blinkered by black pudding. The portobello mushroom and gruyere potato rosti may be worth the go next time if I end up in that pocket of the city again.