I have fallen in love.
On a sun-kissed Sunday morning that bore no resemblance to the day I had planned, I ended up basking in the sun’s delightfully playful rays, walking down Beaconsfield Parade, along the beach, as the wind whipped at my hair and threatened to blow me away nine ways from Sunday.
But even best laid plans can sometimes go awry and in absolutely shining moments of clarity, new discoveries are made.
And so it was that in a funny twist of events one Sunday, I found myself in the Sandbar Beach Cafe in Middle Park in search of some good java.
As sun streamed in through big glass windows and light reflected against whitewashed walls, bathing everything in pure, natural, loving light, I dug into my breakfast.
Only wanting something light that late morning, I settled on a blueberry yoghurt muffin to accompany my coffee whilst my companion couldn’t resist the pancakes with fresh strawberries drizzled generously with maple syrup.
Meanwhile over from the next table, the delicious wafts of calamari, fish and chips made our mouths water. And from the table behind us, a couple tucking into a late breakfast and hearty serving of toast, eggs, smoked salmon and juice.
I could not have picked a better day to make this delicious little discovery. Despite the wind, the sun was shining in all its glory; the kitchen was busy cooking up a storm and the staff were friendly, full of smiles.
Even the sand beneath my feet made it all seem so holiday-like.
Yes, bathed in light and enjoying a spectacular view of sea and sky, I have most definitely fallen in love with the Sandbar Beach Cafe.
Isn’t it time you did, too?
Copyright © The Australien 2011
theaustralien 
Just prior to reading this commentary on the Sandbar Cafe I was in one of those languidly lethargic states which come at the end of a hard days work. Well hard for me anyway! However as I read the article the salty tang of sea air began to pervade my senses and my palate began to quiver like the tail of a dog who senses a juicy bone. The expression `mouth watering’ came into my mind as I read details of the dishes which were on offer. It took all the resistance I could muster and the fact that by now the cafe was probably closed to prevent me from leaping to my feet and rushing down to Beaconsfield Parade. If your judgment is as sound as that with which you previously described the food at the Merricks General Store then I will be lining up at Sandbar in the very near future.
Well done Nina!
Max