Soaking in the sunshine at Northbridge Brewing Company

Weekends this time of year are my favourite. Sunshine, not too much heat and the option to choose from both your summer and winter wardrobe wear. Planning a lunch catchup with my favourite girls Linda and Vee for last weekend we weren’t sure where to go initially – just that we wanted to take advantage of the sun, and that alcohol was needed.
A little brainstorming led us to newbie on the block, Northbridge Brewing Company. It’s only opened recently, with two storeys of bar and dining areas, a rooftop Skydeck and a great range of alcohol and food to choose from.

I arrive at 12.30pm Saturday to see the girls just sitting down at a prime outdoor table the overlooks onto the Northbridge Piazza. Already NBC is jam packed with families, groups and couples enjoying boards of beers, burgers and all kinds of heart damaging but delicious looking foods. It’s looking like the best kind of pub grub!

We each order a drink to enjoy while perusing the menu. Linda and I both opt for an NBC Collins ($11.50) which is gin, lemon juice, soda and a cherry. A nice summer drink – very refreshing! Vee chooses the Pimms Piazza ($11.50) which looks perfect for the sunny day. We probably should have ordered a beer but I knew if I drank beer I’d probably fall asleep.

We’re all starving so we pick a few items (probably one too many as usual) to share, then head up to the bar to order and pay.

First up to the table is the stack of onion rings ($8) which are golden and chunky, accompanied by a curried ketchup. They’re a good serving size for the price, crunchy though too oily for my own tastes. I love the sauce however, it has a real tang to it that makes you want to return over and over again for more.

One of my favourite dishes is the hush puppies ($9). They’re bite size fried polenta with corn, cheddar and green onion inside, with ranch sauce accompanying. They’re so, so, so good! Fluffy, flavoursome and well seasoned. A must order if you’re visiting NBC!

There’s a selection of breaded items you can choose from which all sound yummy and perfectly fatty. This is turning into a great cheat day for us all!

Vee chooses a bratwurst mini dog ($6 each) with beer braised onions and house curried ketchup. For $6 it’s a pretty decent size, with the mini-dog held together with a large skewer.

Linda and I decide to ignore the pull of the hoagies and sliders and decide to share a cheese toastie with truffle oil and onion jam ($9) between us. With the hush puppies, this is my other favourite dish. I know it’s strange to say a toasted sandwich rocks your world, but this one was perfect!

The toast on the outside is so wonderfully crunchy you can actually hear it as we bite down. I’m all about truffle and well if you can’t get the real thing then truffle oil will have to do! It’s earthy, cheesy and so decadent – working well with the sweet yet tart onion jam. I’m so surprised by how much I really loved this.