Salvatores Café
• By Tuan Nguyen
Last weekend the missus and I wondered the city streets in search of breakfast, Table Forty Three looked like a good idea but we were too late so onwards we marched to Salvatores, one of Darwin’s longest running cafés.
I had eggs benedict on my mind ($12.90), but ironically went with the big breakfast ($14.90). I figured since the missus ordered it first I would just steal some of hers. I only managed a bite of it though because she devoured it quicker than you can say hollandaise. I guess it must have been pretty good then.
My big breakfast, complete with Italian sausage, took me a while longer to finish. Usually I’m done with my food by the time my lady has taken her first bite, but there was a considerable amount of protein sitting on my plate. It was quite an effort to finish it all but failure is not a word in my dictionary and eventually the plate was empty. The chunky bits of fresh bread was well appreciated, but other than that it really is just a good old fashioned fry up.
Half a week later I read an article where the Salvatores manager proudly boasts his café has the best coffee in all of Darwin. Curious, I stopped by at lunch to check it out. Putting on my imposter coffee taster hat on, I’ll go with “medium bodied”, “nutty aroma”, with a “caramel” after taste. If that sounds believable then let’s leave it at that. Otherwise I’ll go with very easy to drink with pleasant after taste.
The burger finally came out after a little wait ($14.90). After picking my jaw off the table, I began on what would be a very long journey through burger kingdom. This thing was one of the biggest I’ve had in a while, possibly even bigger than the godzilla burger over at Melissa’s Take Away. I know this because it was probably the only time in recent memory that I wasn’t able to finish a meal. I guess failure does exists inside of me somewhere… I was that full. Or maybe I was just sick. The pattie was dry and a bit tough, miles apart from the tender juiciness I had the other day over at Table Forty Three. So by the time I was 3/4 done, I’m thinking to myself “I can’t do it no more captain!” The “Sals Big Burger” is possibly too big for its own good. Blasphemy I know, but it has to be said.
Service was good on the weekend that we visited. The chef came out and said a few words before wishing us well and heading back into the kitchen. The location is great, being right in the centre of the city. The large glass windows allowing plenty of people watching opportunity. The things some people wear in public is interesting to say the least. One little nit pick I have though is that the tables are much too small. There's barely enough room to fit two plates and drinks. You need bigger tables guys! Overall very happy with my meal time at Salvatores. Bellissimo!