83 on Currie

83 on Currie must be one of the most reasonably priced full menu café's in town. 83 on Currie used to be called Dowie's Brasserie situated in Dowie House, 83 Currie Street. The Café has a good lunch menu and extensive seating inside with a couple of tables outside. Merkel can recommend the salt and pepper squid and the chicken salads. Patrons can order a hot chocolate at $2.70 for a cup or $3.00 for a mug. You have to go to Roco Pasta ($2.40) or Do Duck Inn ($2.70) to equal this value.

Something other than the cheap hot chocolate on the menu caught Merkel's eye. Hot Jaffa was available at $3.20 for a cup and $3.50 for a mug. The mixture of orange flavour with a rich hot chocolate has always appealed to Merkel. The hot Jaffa came in a glass with a handle and was topped with a froth and a sprinkle of chocolate. The orange flavour was not too sweet but the chocolate flavour was not strong enough to balance it out. The prize for the best orange hot chocolate, remains with Square Café.

Merkel returned to try the Iced Chocolate at 83 on Currie. This cost only $3.70 and came in a tallish glass. It was topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa. The drink was very light in colour and was not particularly chocolaty.

Muffin Break, Golden Grove

After visiting the Michel's Patisserie at Golden Grove Village last week Merkel returned to try another hot chocolate. He noticed that were a couple of extra places serving hot chocolate that he did not notice before. They were Donut King and Unruly Tabooli. Unruly Tabooli was closed on the Sunday he was there. Merkel chose to try an Iced Chocolate at the Muffin Break.

The hot chocolate was $4.60 for a large cup and the iced chocolate was $4.90. The iced chocolate came in tall white ceramic beaker. Other iced chocolates have usually been served in a tall glass which allows the drinker to admire the artistry of the construction of the drink. The drink was topped with ice cream, whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. It was chocolaty and not too sweet although a lot of the flavour seemed to come from the chocolate syrup.

Dactylic Tetrameter

The key to the dactylic meters is that the emphasis is on the first syllable of the three syllable dactyl. The dactyl in the tetrameter can be abbreviated to one or two syllables to help the rhyme.

It seemed to be sensible to start the rhyme with "Love is Like Choc'late" and I found two anonymous quotes on the subject to help me along:
“Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time.” Thinkexist
"Forget love-- I'd rather fall in chocolate!" Chef2Chef

Love is like choc'late before it goes cool-ish
Shocking to start and then you feel foolish
Dark and uncanny but light like you're dancing
Never secure you are all the time chancing

Food of the gods is favoured by Merkel
Luncheon liaisons and choc'late with Myrtle
Falling in love has you deeply immersed
Falling in choc'late less deeply you're cursed

Dressed in a cup or a glass or a beaker
The feeling for promise resistance is weaker
Sweet aphrodisiac love is enhancing
Sip on our choc-o-late with our romancing

Creco Crepe Connection

Creco is a stall in the middle of the Mitcham Square Shopping centre about midway between Dolci and Mooi, reviewed earlier. They specialise in crepes and desserts but also do coffees and hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate is $3.60 and comes in a tall glass with a glass handle. A pink and white marshmallow is provided. A creamy brown froth topped off the drink with a sprinkle of cocoa. The drink looked great. Unfortunately it was served too hot and the creaminess of the froth did not continue into the drink itself.

Eidos Café

The Eidos Café and restaurant is at the entrance to the Highgate Mall at 453 Fullarton Road only a few doors down from the Highgate Snack Bar. It sells organic teas and coffees and provides sandwiches, simple meals and some Greek specialties. It has plenty of seating inside.

The hot chocolate cost only $2.90 and came in a glass mug and white marshmallow. The drink had the normal froth and sprinkle of chocolate. The hot chocolate was creamy and had a good flavour.

Anapestic Tetrameter

If Merkel is ever to write verse as well as "Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss he has to master the Anapestic Tetrameter.

When you drink a hot drink
Once it steams in the pan
You must think where it goes
In a cup or a can

In a cup or a mug
With a handle to hold
Will be best for the drink
To avoid turning cold

But a glass has a problem
A beaker might too
If no handle is there
And no gloves are on you

For to hold a hot bev'rage
With sensitive hand
Is so hard with no handle
So just let it stand

To avoid the chances
Of fingertip burn
Paper napkins can help
With a twist and a turn

Now remember this lesson
In how to serve drink
It is not always easy
Like you may all think

The Dessert Spot

Merkel returned to Topham Mall to dine at a little Café at the Currie Street entrance to the Mall. From the window it looked like the place was called "The Spot Dessert Bar" but the telephone book has it listed as "The Dessert Spot". Both names are a little misleading as while it has a few cakes and desserts it provides plenty of café food as well with some Korean influnces. Merkel had a Korean beef lepinja for lunch.

The hot chocolate was three dollars and came in a glass with a wire handle and saucer. It was darker in colour and flavour than some of the more recent hot chocolates Merkel has sampled and tasted pleasant. It was topped with the usual froth and sprinkle of chocolate powder.

BarZaar

Before it was BarZaar on Unley Road, the building once was a post office and then became a play café then second hand clothes store. After some very significant renovation, it is now a comfortable Bar and restaurant.

The hot chocolate was $3.50. It came in a tall glass with a handle like at the Highgate Snack Bar, Manto and others . It was topped with creamy froth and a sprinkle of cocoa. This was a good long drink and was reasonably chocolaty.

Your reviewer returned to BarZaar for the iced chocolate a few days later. It came in a tall glass topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa. The drink was a homogenous, light brown colour and had ice cubes throughout, similar to Kappy and Wright's. Your reviewer is not a great fan for ice cubes in his iced chocolate. It does not mix well with milk and cream although it does keep the drink cool. The drink was milky and not particularly chocolaty. The iced chocolate cost $5.00.

Amphibrachic trimeter

Amphibrachic trimeter is often used in Limericks. The emphasis is on the second syllable of a three syllable Amphibrach. The trimeter uses three such sets of three syllables rather than the dimeter which uses two.

When Merkel eats lunch he invites along Myrtle
Who provides her ideas and concepts quite fertile
For she is respected, a member of Mensa,
A qualified lawyer, accountant and censor

In lunchtimes when ev'ryone's rushing and frantic
Old Merkel takes time to be calm and romantic
For dining with Myrtle is such a great pleasure
A time of fine tastes and a time one should treasure

Two syllable rhymes get a bit tricky. The last amphibrach can also be one syllable as in the following rhyme.

This choc'late looks good but its flavour is weak
I like a rich drink and it's difference I seek
To water it down is just such a big sin
The food of the gods should not be so thin

I like a dark flavour and one that is bold
And wonderful drinks should all be extolled
So I will keep writing so all can now know
For tasty hot choc'lates, just where we can go

Coffee & Cream Cafe

Your reviewer has avoided City Cross at lunch time because it is very crowded and noisy. However this time he thought he should pay a visit to the food hall in City Cross Arcade. He chose the Coffee & Cream booth in the middle of the food hall.

It cost $3.60 for a regular sized hot chocolate and $4.00 for a large one. The hot chocolate came in a generous decorative ceramic mug. It had a very creamy froth and a liberal dousing of chocolate powder on top. The chocolate in the drink was not stingy either. The flavour was good and rich. After ordering, your reviewer noticed that there were two types of hot chocolate on offer "Swiss" and "Spiced". While the hot chocolate was delicious it would not normally be classed as Swiss as it was not sweet or malt flavoured like other Swiss hot chocolate. Your reviewer may return to try the Spiced Hot Chocolate but not during the busy lunchtime.

Unfortunately Coffee & Cream is now on the disapperaing hot chocolate venue list.

Savoir, Parkside

Merkel and the Junior Marmadukes looked up the Camellia Tea Room that was meant to be at 309 Fullarton Road, Parkside only to find it had closed and had been replaced by Savoir Caffe. Savoir is a mixture of day-time café and night-time fine restaurant with a degustation menu at night with such delicacies as double-roasted duck with Cointreau, venison pot au Feu, boar ribs and pheasant. At the time of this review the café had only been open a short time and the evening restaurant was only just about to start business. So this might be the first review you find on the net for this eatery. The menu is short but the food tasty and well presented.

The hot chocolate came in a big red mug. It had a brown froth topped with a circle of white froth on top. The hot chocolate was chocolaty and had a good flavour. The hot chocolate cost $3.80.

Savoir is now the disappearing venues list and has been replaced by Puccini's.

Trochaic Dimeter

Shakespeare used the Trochaic Dimeter occasionally and so does Merkel. It is like Iambic Dimeter except the emphasis is on the first and third syllables.

Bubble, Bubble
Toil and Trouble
Whisk it Lightly
Make it Sprightly

Churn it Louder
Choc'late Powder
You can taste it
Just don’t waste it

Holy Holy
Pour it slowly
Let it build up
'Til it's filled up

Place a yellow
Sweet Marshmallow
On the saucer
Now don't force her

Care to take it
Not to shake it
Serve it steaming
Children beaming

G.G.’s Continental Coffee Bar

A couple of blocks down from Gillberies on Dulwich Ave is G.G.’s. This is a buzzing breakfast place on a Saturday morning amongst the shops on the corner of Stuart Ave including some other eating places. There are five tables inside and more outside.

The hot chocolate came with a big pink marshmallow and cost $3.80. It was topped with a tasty brown forth and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder. The taste was creamy and chocolaty. The hot chocolate was nicely presented in a brown cup and saucer. The picture is included here with an exotic looking muesli trifle in the background.

Iambic Dimeter

In order that Merkel Marmaduke can become a popular children's order like Dr. Seuss, he is trying out different poetry forms on a subject close to his heart.

I like to stock
A nice hot choc
I think to drink
Without a blink
I seem to dream
Of sweetened cream
Exotic spice
Is also nice

Lime 2 Café

This was another of those Café names that I had to look up in the telephone pages to see what it was really called. The two is displayed as a superscript so I expected it might have been called "Lime Squared" which would have made sense as it is on Light Square. That was not the case though. It was called just plain old "Lime 2 Café" to distinguish it from "Lime" which is a shop in City Cross Arcade. Lime 2 is a spacious Café with seating inside and outside and provides a range of sophisticated meals and sandwiches. It is a few steps off ground level and overlooks the trees in Light Square. It is very reminiscent of Square Café that overlooks the trees of Hindmarsh Square from a similar position.

The hot chocolate came in a Vittoria glass with a wire handle. It came with a saucer and a pink marshmallow in the saucer. It was topped with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate. The drink itself was too sweet and not chocolaty enough for my taste but the view and ambience of the Café was enjoyable.

Belgian Beer Café Oostende

The Belgian Beer Café is on Ebenezer Place, just off Rundle Street in the east end of the Adelaide CBD. This is where the "Oostende" bit of the name comes from. It is a large restaurant with dark wood furniture, ceiling and panelling. Here you can buy beer with names like Stella Artois, Bella-Vue and Leffe. You can watch the waiting staff go through their ritual of pouring the beer and rinsing the glass as is explained on the Café website.

The hot chocolate is three dollars and comes in a glass with a handle and a creamy froth on top. Your reviewer had hoped that perhaps this would be a hot chocolate made from fine Belgian chocolate. Perhaps it was, but the chocolate was not rich enough to be sure. It was too milky and sweet to be a good hot chocolate.

Dr Seuss

Again your humble reviewer returns to poetic forms describing hot chocolate themes. We had Haiku, Limericks and Valentine poems in previous postings. Unlike anagrams and palindromes rhyme and meter are very important in poetic forms. One of the masters of this for children's verse was Dr Seuss which is the alias of Theodor Seuss Geisel.

A couple of good parodies of Dr Seuss verse in relation to computer issues have been executed.

• Dr. Seuss Explains why Computers Sometimes Crash
• Dr. Seuss Comes to your Computer

What makes Dr Seuss books unique is the use of simple language and themes that appeal to children. "Green Eggs and Ham" uses a vocabulary of just 50 words and only "anywhere" has more than one syllable. Also Dr Seuss usually uses a strict meter and simple rhymes. "Cat in the Hat" is mostly Anapestic Tetrameter. "Green Eggs and Ham" mostly Iambic Tetrameter.

After mulling over this analysis of meter and rhyme a Junior Marmaduke suggested I just change the words to Green Eggs and Ham rather than try to write anything original. This seemed far easier. Thus what we have is an abridged version with apologies to Theodor Giesel.

That Merkel Pet!That Merkel Pet!
I do not like that Merkel Pet!
Do you like hot choc-o-late?
I do not like it, Merkel Pet.
I do not like hot choc-o-late.
Would you like it here or there?
I would not like it here or there.
I would not like it anywhere.
I do not like hot chocolate.
I do not like it Merkel Pet.
Would you like it in a house?
Would you like it with a mouse?
I do not like hot choc-o-late.
I do not like it Merkel Pet.
Would you drink it in a box?
Would you drink it with a fox?
I would not drink hot choc-o-late.
I do not like it Merkel Pet.
You do not like it. So you say.
Try it! Try it! And you may.
Try it and you may, I say.
Merk! If you will let me be,
I will try it. You will see.
Say! I like hot choc-o-late!
I do! I like it, Merkel Pet!
So I will drink it in a box.
And I will drink it with a fox.
And I will drink eat it in a house.
And I will drink eat it with a mouse.
And I will drink it here and there.
Say I will drink it ANYWHERE!
I do so like hot choc-o-late!
Thank you! Thank you, Merkel Pet.

Kappy & Wright’s

A comment on the blog posting for Kappy’s Café prompted Merkel to investigate the Kappy & Wright’s outlet on Compton Street a few doors down from Bliss. Kappy’s was once a large establishment on the North side of Flinders Street. The Café moved across the road to the current establishment in 2005 and in 2007 the wholesaling business then moved Compton Street. The old building on the North side of Flinders Street has since been demolished. At some point Kappy’s seemed to split. Merkel speculates that the owners at the time of the split went with the wholesale business to Compton Street. Apparently Kappy’s naming rights, some of the furnishings and the goodwill of the Café stayed with the Café in Flinders Street. Now it seems that Kappy’s Café has ceased to use the Kappy & Wright’s wholesale product and Kappy & Wright have started their own Café in competition with the Flinders Street Café.

Kappy & Wright’s on Compton Street is a very unassuming coffee shop. In fact it was only three tables stuck out the front of their warehouse. Think of drinking your hot chocolate in your neighbour’s carport and you get the idea. There was no food served at this shop but a reasonable selection of coffee’s and teas. There is plenty there reminiscent of the old Café on the North side of Flinders Street. The huge coffee roaster takes up a lot of the space of the warehouse. Two of the tables are from the old Café, constructed using tree stumps and tea chests. The wide selection of exotic teas and coffees are there.

Merkel ordered the iced chocolate. Both the iced chocolate and hot chocolate were $4.50 so the iced chocolate seemed good value. It came in a very elegant tall glass topped with ice cubes and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The drink was sweet with a coconut flavour. It was not as interesting or as varied as some iced chocolates. Myrtle had a cappuccino which was too strong and made with too much water rather than milk. It was served in the same green mug as they have in the current Kappy’s Café.

In conclusion Kappy & Wright’s is not your usual Café experience. You might go there to try an exotic coffee or tea, but it is not the place for food, cappuccino or an iced chocolate.

Palindromes

In a previous posting we looked at anagrams. Palindromes are much more rigid as they spell out the same message when spelt backwards. A couple of famous ones on another site are "Madam I'm Adam" and "A man, a plan, a canal - Panama."

Trying to right a palindrome about hot chocolate is no easy task as there are not many words that include the letter "HC" in that order. The best I can do is:

No choc side disc, oh con.

This requires a bit of imagination to work out a scenario where this phrase might be used.

Your reviewer's name does not lend itself to palindromes either. The best I can do is

Hale Kremlin nil Merkel, ah!

This is an odd way to say that the Kremlin will be much more robust without Merkel and that Merkel is relieved at this thought.

My readers may consider that adding liqueurs to hot chocolate makes them unsuitable for consumption by children. Liqueur hot chocolate could be considered for Adults Only (AO). I would hope then that my readers might accept the palindrome:

AO Cocoa

Sq Restaurant & Lounge

Sq is part of the Mantra hotel on Hindmarsh Square. It is in the Hotel foyer. Although it fits the description of café foyerism it is not such a grand example as the Hilton or the InterContinental. Sq looks across the large tree-filled square to the Square Café reviewed earlier.

The hot chocolate came in a small Vittoria coffee glass with a light froth and sprinkle of cocoa. The cost was $3.20 which included pink and white marshmallows. The drink was fairly sweet and milky. A photograph of the hot chocolate is included with this posting showing that Myrtle's hand caressing the pepper grinder. The photograph also demonstrates the Sq attention to detail as the Christmas decoration on the right matches the design of the salt and pepper grinders.

Anagrams

Earlier in this blog a number of poetic forms were presented describing hot chocolate themes. We had Haiku, Limericks and Valentine poems.

They are not quite poetry but anagrams and palindromes are also a form of grammatical acrobatics that can come up with amusing outcomes. This posting looks at a few anagrams and a later one will look at palindromes.

Some anagrams of "Merkel Marmaduke" with assistance from wordsmith.org.

Earmarked elk mum
Mum leaked remark
Armed elk make rum
Armed make me lurk

Some anagrams of "Hot Chocolate"

Locate hooch
Cache hot loot
Loot the coach
That coco hole

Highgate Snack Bar

The term "Snack Bar" has fallen out of vogue. Nowadays we have coffee shops, cafes and lunch bars. The humble snack bar used to be somewhere patrons lined up to get a pie, pasty or hotdog. These days the normal lunch patron expects more from their lunch venue. The Highgate Snack Bar in the Highgate Village on Fullarton Road has moved with times although it has retained the name. The table are covered in table cloths and the walls adorned with original paintings. The snack bar offers a range of focaccia's, lepinja's and baguettes and has an espresso machine for coffees and hot chocolates.

Interestingly the original paintings were done by the owner of the shop and a certificate for an art prize is also displayed on the wall. Most paintings are landscapes but there was one portrait of a bearded gentleman. When Merkel and the junior Marmadukes visited the Highgate Snack Bar this bearded portrait had an uncanny resemblance to another one of the patrons dining there. We confirmed with him that in fact he was the subject of the portrait.

The hot chocolate cost $3.30 and was elegantly presented in a tall glass with a handle. A little syrup had been added to the hot chocolate which made a pattern through the glass. The hot chocolate was topped with a mountain of froth and a sprinkle of cocoa. Unfortunately Merkel did not have his camera on this visit. The drink was milky and not chocolaty enough for Merkel's taste.

The Wakefield Tavern

The Wakefield Tavern on Wakerfiled Street is one of the big rambling pubs that have had a number of extensions and renovations. Merkel had lunch with some friends in the restaurant. The meals were tasty.

The hot chocolate comes in Lavazza coffee cup and costs $3.50. There was plenty of froth and a sprinkle of chocolate. It was not a big drink because of the little cup and the profusion of froth but it was creamy and chocolaty. This was very similar to the hot chocolate at Scuzzi.

Boho Bar

Boho on Unley Road is worth a visit just to look at the décor. It is done up like a circus tent and decorate with antique furnishing from side shows and amusement arcades. There is a range of seating from bar stools with human-looking legs to big lounge chairs and coffee tables. Boho puts on live music, fortune telling and circus acts free of charge to patrons. The dim lighting and rich colours are reminiscent of the Edwardian furnishing of Spats.

The hot chocolate at Boho Bar was only three dollars and came topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa. This would have been a Vienna chocolate in most venues but fortunately this did not concern Merkel. The drink was served in a glass that was too hot to hold comfortably but fortunately there was a napkin available to hold it with. The drink was smooth and creamy but not particularly chocolaty.

Najjars Cafe

Najjars is a table service café in O'Connell St, North Adelaide. The service is friendly and there is plenty of seating inside and outside. There are inexpensive snitzel and steak nights during the week.

The hot chocolate is $3.60 and is fairly light and milky served in a glass with a handle. It came with two white marshmallows and a creamy froth topped with a sprinkling of chocolate.

Lunch at Ritz

The external signage for this Café is a bit confusing, proclaiming the name of this Café as the "Ritz Café Espresso Bar", however the signage inside and the telephone book entry gives the title of the Café as "Lunch at Ritz". This is a fairly busy café on the ground floor of a car park at 180 Gawler Place, Adelaide. It does a roaring trade in sandwiches and light meals at lunchtime. There is seating inside and outside.

The regular hot chocolate costs $3.00 but other sizes are available. The hot chocolate was served with a creamy froth. There was plenty of chocolate powder on top of the froth but not enough in the drink itself.

Michel's Patisserie

Michel's is a cake store chain which also does coffee and hot chocolate. There are six patisseries in Adelaide.

Mitcham Shopping Centre

Merkel attended the one at Mitcham shopping centre for a hot chocolate but could not resist having a passionfruit cheesecake at the same time.

The hot chocolate was $3.50 and came in a ceramic Michel's branded cup. It had white froth and liberal sprinkle of chocolate. It was a little more chocolaty than some hot chocolates but could have been richer and creamier.

Golden Grove Village Shopping Centre

Later Merkel visited Golden Grove Village shopping centre. It was the first time Merkel had been here. There were three places to get a hot chocolate all of which were outlets of chains that Merkel has visited before. Billy Baxter's was at one end of the large shopping centre, Muffin break toward the middle and Michel's Patisserie was at the other end.

Merkel settled for trying an iced chocolate at Michel's Patisserie. The iced chocolate looked great in a tall glass topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa. The chocolate drink was well mixed and there was chocolate sauce at the top of the drink showing a pattern through the walls of the glass. The drink was tasty without there been any particularly remarkable chocolaty flavour to talk of. The drink cost $4.90.

Barendoe

This is a fine food restaurant with table service. Good waiters have the ability to remember orders, pick up piles of plates and do so inconspicuously. When you get a poor experience it helps you appreciate their skills and training even more. It was just such an evening at Barendoe where the waiting staff exhibited their inexperience. They had to yell out dishes to find out who had ordered them, they stacked the plates on the table, delivered a plate to the wrong table, and they charged for an extra main course. The food took ages to come to some people at your reviewer's table and the issue of the over-charging was not resolved with grace and efficiency as it should have been.

Still the service did not distract your reviewer from his main purposes in life which is to sample hot chocolates. The hot chocolate was only three dollars, which was a surprise given the cost of some of the meals at Barendoe. It came in a small glass with no napkin to preserve your reviewer's fingertips. It had a creamy froth and liberal sprinkle of chocolate on top. The drink tasted creamy and chocolaty and left your reviewer wanting more.

Return to the C Coffee Shorts Film Festival

Merkel returned to the Shorts Film Festival on Thursday. After collecting his C Coffee hot chocolate he sat down at a table to take in some more entertaining movies. The Australian films on show are reviewed below:

A World Away
This was a story of a little girl kept in an attic by her evil Aunt. The drawings the girl makes come to life with some simple but effective animation. The border between imagination and reality is blurred in the conclusion to this film. This story built to its climax well but the adults in the story lacked some credibility though.

Talk Derby to Me
This was a documentary about a scary group of Roller Derby girls. I had no idea we had such a community in Adelaide.

My New Toy
A number of the films this evening featured children who all performed well. This film involved a boy who went to enormous lengths to save up for his favourite toy. This was a well made story with a twist.

The Dressmaker's Daughter
This film seemed to be more of an experiment in different forms of animation than a film that told a story. There were some interesting visuals but the plot and significance were lost on me.

The Bully
For me, this was the dramatic highlight of the evening. It was a well-constructed script with a couple of turns that caught the viewer off guard. It was good see Adelaide schools, kids and suburbia used to produce such an effective film. The story left the audience questioning the morals of the outcome. The acting, dialogue and film technique was high quality.

At the End of the Day
This was only a five minute movie but the film craft that went into it was immense. The film was about a paparazzi photographer questioning the ethics of his profession and involved a night time scene with a large cast. The effect was a well made piece that raised some questions in the minds of the audience.

The Offer
This film was about a man who was on parole and without an income, dealing with issues raising a 16 year old daughter. He has to avoid the temptation to break the law to get some money to pay for his daughter's trip to Queensland. This involves some uncomfortable moments. The production, dialogue and musical background all produce a professional package.

A Little Problem
Most of us have our little problem. Kevin's comes in the form of small, furry, obnoxious creature about a foot high. Think of Gremlins and Furbies and you get an idea of what the creature is like. This is a live action film but the creature is animated brilliantly and incorporated seamlessly into the film. The result is a believable comic short film with a clever finish.

Work Ready
This is a drama about a Down syndrome woman looking for work. It has a very strong message about the difficulties of people with disabilities looking for employment. The performances from the actors with disabilities are brilliant. The film is well produced and tells a good story.

Notes From a ScareSmith
Walter is the housemate from hell. He has a penchant for scaring people and watching their panic. This short film is played for laughs but everyone is relieved when the irritating Walter gets his comeuppance. The idea for this film was good and it was executed well.

Café Franklin

This small Café offers an interesting variation on the Café Foyerism discussed in earlier posting. Café are sometimes put in the foyers of large buildings or Hotels. Café Franklin is adjacent to the small foyer of Franklin Central Apartments and the wall between the tow establishments has been removed. It is not quite as grand as the Hilton or the Intercontinental but provides the impression of more space for an otherwise small café.

There seems to be some confusion about what brand of coffee is provided in this place. There are Coffex posters adorning the walls, the menus proclaim Aroma Fresh coffee and Merkel's hot chocolate was served in a Griffith's coffee cup.

The hot chocolate cost $3.50. It at the usual forth and sprinkle of cocoa but the drink itself was too weak in flavour.

Bull and Bear

It is approaching Christmas so a number of the lunch places in Adelaide are getting fairly busy with Christmas functions. The Bull and Bear on King William Street, was one such venue. Service and crowding were poor despite the staff doing their best to serve the numbers that arrived. Merkel's meal took a long time to arrive and his hot chocolate took longer.

The hot chocolate was three dollars and came in a ceramic cup. The froth was decorative and light sprinkle of chocolate in straight line was applied. The drink itself was not particularly rich although the residue at the bottom was fairly tasty.

Café Fellini

Café Fellini is a big café with a film theme on O'Connell Street, North Adelaide. The walls are adorned with pictures depicting Hollywood films although I did not see any of the work of Frederico Fellini the pioneering Italian film maker depicted. Now perhaps your reviewer is getting picky after a recent attempt at being a film critic. A depiction of "La Dolce Vita" and "Eight and a Half" would have been a little obscure for a café aiming for popular appeal. This is a comfortable café with good table service serving generous portions.

The hot chocolate comes in a tall glass with a handle. It was a tasty light chocolate with malt and coconut flavours. It was topped with plenty of fluffy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate. It comes with the "standard" white and pink marshmallows. I say standard because only a small portion (13.2% according to an earlier posting) of cafés serve two marshmallows and they are not always pink and white. The cost was $3.50.

JD's Gourmet Food

JD's is a little yiros shop at 115 Waymouth Street. I am not sure how it qualifies to be a gourmet food shop. About the best that could be said for its fare is that they make a nice falafel. There are only two tables and both those are outside. Still, your reviewer will look everywhere for a good hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate came in a paper cup even though they seemed to have ceramic cups available and cost $3.20. It came with a good froth and sprinkle of chocolate. The froth was more chocolaty than the drink which lacked a good flavour.

Return to Spats

Merkel and Myrtle returned to the dimly lit Spats recently. In his previous visit Merkel sampled the Baileys hot chocolate. This time he chose to have the standard hot chocolate. It was a Saturday night and the demand for seats was high but Merkel and Myrtle were seated quickly. The standard hot chocolate came in a tea cup and saucer with stainless steel pot. The tea cup was the sort Merkel remembers from his grandmother's house. It was constructed of fine porcelain with gilt edging and adorned with images of roses. In the saucer a marshmallow was provided. It was a fairly big drink and the pot kept it warm while Merkel sipped leisurely from the tea cup. It was a high quality Belgian chocolate. There was no froth or chocolate sprinkles, just lots of delicious chocolate. The drink cost $5.75.

The C Coffee Shorts Film Festival

The opening of the 2009 Adelaide Shorts Film Festival being held at the Queens Theatre seems an unlikely place to sample a hot chocolate, however this festival is being sponsored by C Coffee and on opening night they were offering coffees and hot chocolates for a donation to film makers. The Queens Theatre in Playhouse Lane is a large rustic space and is the oldest theatre on mainland Australia.

Your reviewer has sampled the C Coffee hot chocolate before. While paper cups have never impressed your reviewer, the chocolate is rich and this time the chocolate was not as sweet or watery as the one served in the service station.

C Coffee should be congratulated for sponsoring such a great event. The film festival includes short films from a number of Australian and international film makers and runs until December 12.

After publishing this review I noticed it referenced from some film review sites. So that film buffs are not completely disappointed, I thought I might try my hand at film critique. The films were, in order:

Bombshell
This was a film centred on a Greek Australian family. The subject matter was serious and compelling and the acting was top class, but the dialogue was difficult to follow. Zoe Carides seemed too young and beautiful to be playing her motherly role.

Jackie's Spring Palace
This was an oddball comedy about a fellow in a pirate costume who eats too many spring roles. It was good original slapstick comedy.

Bare
This approached the problem of domestic disputes from the point of view of a young boy. The sound was not particularly good in this film, but it still managed to tug at the heart strings.

Multiple Choice
This was a hilarious episode in the life of three students looking for an excuse for missing their exams. It was an excellent plot. The timing was good and dialogue was clear.

Transit
This was a film from the UK Soho Film festival. It was portrayed from the point of view of a young boy caught up in an intrigue he did not understand. The plot was unusual and raised more questions than it answered but the film technique was excellent.

After Birth
This was a black comedy with a satirical point to make. A grandmother decides to "abort" her grandson 30 years after his birth. This is definitely played for laughs but is acted with straight faces. The concept was brilliant. The execution and editing could have been tighter.

Lapse
This was an interesting look at the importance of identity. More could have been done with the thematic ideas of this film. It failed to grab me at the beginning and did not satisfy my need for a good conclusion or interesting twist at the end. It could have been tighter in the editing and snappier in the dialogue.

Man Makes History
This is quick animated sprint through history and an exploration of the battle of the sexes. It made a few good points in its three minutes.

Being Carl Williams
This was a very funny look at the problem an actor has when he portrays a well-known identity. Gyton Grantly does an excellent job of playing himself as he despairs at being mistaken for the underworld figure he played in the TV series "Underbelly". The script and technical execution are top class.

More short films reviews at Return to C Coffee Shorts Film Festival.

Milano Cucina

On the ground floor of the Channel 10 building at 80 Hutt Street is the Milano Cucina, a restaurant specialising in Northern Italian cuisine. Merkel and Myrtle attended one evening to sample a hot chocolate and a dessert.

The hot chocolate came in a dainty ceramic cup. It was finished with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate. The drink was creamy with a sweet malt flavour and cost $3.20.

Scuzzi Café

Scuzzi is one of the many good restaurants on O'Connell Street North Adelaide. It is the second review your reviewer has done from this street. The first was Cafe Paesano.

Scuzzi has plenty of seating inside and out. The seating is comfortable with a choice of kitchen chairs or comfortable lounge chairs. The polished wooden tables and wood panelling created a warm ambience. Patrons can sit and watch the passing traffic through North Adelaide.

The standard hot chocolate only costs three dollars and comes in a Lavazza coffee cup. It comes with plenty of froth, a sprinkle of chocolate and a marshmallow. The drink was chocolaty and rich but there was not enough of it. The froth was good but took up too much of the volume of the cup.

Having not had a sufficient chocolate fix, your reviewer then ordered the iced chocolate for four dollars. This came in tall glass topped with chocolate gelati and whipped cream. The mixture of chocolate milk, chocolate syrup and the ice cream created a subtle pattern on the glass but not as dramatic as patterns on the drink at Billy Baxter's or Duthy Street Deli. The drink was sufficiently chocolaty and was a good value thirst quencher on a dry day.

Perfect Cup Café

There are about five Perfect Cup outlets in greater metropolitan area of Adelaide. These shops are backed by a wholesale company that boasts a wide range of coffee and tea varieties. The Grenfell Street outlet has a warm feel to it with a wooden floor and big windows.

The hot chocolate lover at Perfect Cup can choose from the sweeter style swiss hot chocolate and the more bitter Dutch hot chocolate. The hot chocolate cost $3.35 and your reviewer chose the Dutch hot chocolate. The drink was topped with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate. The drink itself was not sweet at all but sugar could be added to taste. This real taste of bitter chocolate was similar to the hot chocolate at Gillberies but was not quite as rich.

Café Affair

This little Café is on Exchange Place a few doors down from Do Duck Inn. The address is 13 Grenfell Street but the Café does not front onto the main street. The Café sells a range of sandwiches and takeaway food. There is seating inside and outside.

The hot chocolate comes in a glass with a handle. It has a creamy froth and a sprinkle of cocoa. The hot chocolate cost $3.20. The drink was superior to that from Do Duck Inn but still not rich enough. There were no extras with the drink.

Do Duck Inn

Do Duck Inn is an amusing title for a range of commercial ventures. A search on the internet reveals a guest house in New South Wales, a B&B and a Petting Farm in Canada, a Chinese restaurant in Wagga Wagga, and a bakery in New Zealand. The one Merkel recently attended was a lunch and catering business in Exchange Place, a little laneway between Pirie Street and Grenfell Street.

The hot chocolate comes in a ceramic cup for the bargain price of $2.70. A mug is available for $3.50. The cup comes with a cloud of froth and a sprinkle of cocoa on top. A complimentary wrapped chocolate is also provided. This was packaged by Fardoulis chocolates who also produced the wonderful chocolate with the Cremorne Hotel hot chocolate. Unfortunately the drink itself was not up to scratch as it was watery and not very chocolaty.

Pranzo

Pranzo is a restaurant with good table service in comfortable surroundings. There is choice of seating inside and outside the restaurant. Yahoo babelfish tells me that "Pranzo" is Italian for lunch.

The "mug" of hot chocolate is served in a bowl. The only other place your reviewer has found serving hot chocolate in a bowl is Blonde Coffee in Angaston. Pranzo is a bit closer for most people in Adelaide. The bowl has proper heat insulation for sensitive fingers and is a delightful way to drink hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate was presented well with a creamy froth and line of chocolate powder on top. The hot chocolate cost $3.70 and the taste was creamy and chocolaty.

Sidewalk Café

Castle Plaza is a suburban shopping centre in Edwardstown with a couple of good eating places. The Sidewalk Café is in the middle of the shopping centre and serves a range of cakes and coffees. The hot chocolate comes in an Aroma Fresh coffee cup and costs $3.50. It comes with two marshmallows. On this occasion the marshmallows were orange and yellow. Your reviewer has speculated on the flavour of the orange marshmallow previously. The yellow one was a banana flavour. The hot chocolate had a creamy froth and a liberal sprinkle of chocolate. The taste was reasonably rich but a bit artificial.

Café Piatto

Café Piatto is a casual Italian restaurant in Rundle Street serving pizza, pasta and a range of meals. For $3.80 you get a good hot chocolate with an interesting malt flavour to it.

It comes in a Vittoria coffee cup with a froth, a well executed semicircle of chocolate powder on top and one marshmallow.

Parisis

Parisis is a fine table service restaurant on King William Road, Hyde Park. Merkel and Myrtle attended there recently and had a look at the menu. Merkel was taken with a drink that was called the Allessandro. This was a hot chocolate with marshmallow flavoured froth and a semicircle of chocolate sprinkled on top. It was served with a piece of biscotti. The drink was fortified with Tia Maria. This was a creamy sweet drink. For a hot chocolate that cost $8.50 it came in a fairly unassuming glass. It was nice for a change but not as good as the Baileys hot chocolate at Spats.

Dolci, Iced Chocolate

Merkel returned to Dolci in the Mitcham shopping centre recently. This time he tried the Iced chocolate. The cost was $5.00 and it came topped with chocolate gelati and whipped cream. The gelati was very chocolaty. The drink was syrup and milk and it was a bit sweet and artificial, more like the taste of ice cream and topping than a serious iced chocolate.

Encounter in Caffe L'Incontro

L'Incontro takes up most of Gays Arcade which is a little offshoot of the Adelaide Arcade. It is a very Italian Café. It has a big fountain in the middle of it. It provides good table service and has plenty of seating in the shop itself and in the Arcade area.

The Café provided a standard hot chocolate and an Italian hot chocolate. Unfortunately Merkel did not check the menu before ordering, so settled for the standard one. The hot chocolate came in a Lavazza coffee cup with a delicious piece of biscotti. The hot chocolate had a creamy froth and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder on top. The drink was rich and flavoursome, possibly sweetened with vanilla. The standard hot chocolate was only $3.00 and the Italian hot chocolate was $3.70.

Merkel returned to try the Italian hot chocolate a couple of days later. It was on the menu as Cioccolata in Tazza which Yahoo Babelfish translates as "Chocolate in cup". It came unadorned with cream or froth. A piece of biscotti and a glass of water accompanied the drink. It was smooth and delicious and an excellent example of a thick Italian hot chocolate.

Ciao Coffee Bar

Adelaide Arcade is a picturesque shopping arcade between Rundle Mall and Grenfell Street. Ciao Cakes is shop 14 of the Arcade and Ciao Coffee Bar sits in the middle of the Arcade outside the cake shop. These shops seem unrelated to Ciao restaurant reviewed earlier. There is limited seating at the Coffee Bar and patrons have to be content to have shoppers rush by on either side.
The hot chocolate comes in a stylish tall glass with handle and costs $3.70. The drink is finished with plenty of froth and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder. There is plenty of chocolate flavour in the drink. I found the drink very hot and lacking in the creamy texture of a good hot chocolate.

Peppers Espresso Bar

This is a small Café in the centre of the Regent Arcade that runs from Rundle Mall to Grenfell St. It is opposite Billy Baxter's in this Arcade.

The hot chocolate was excellent and came in a good sized cup with a pink and white marshmallow all for $3.20. It had a creamy froth and chocolate sprinkled in a straight line pattern. The drink was rich and chocolaty.

Briccone

Briccone is a new restaurant that has been established in the middle of Rundle Mall. Its address is simply Rundle Mall East because when you build a shop in the middle of what used to be a road the normal street numbering conventions do not apply. Briccone is a table service restaurant with a good menu of Italian food. There is plenty of seating under cover and the service and comfort is good. You can watch the crowds of busy shoppers walk by as you enjoy a relaxing meal.

The hot chocolate was $3.20 and was a light Swiss style chocolate rather than the darker style I expect from Italian restaurants. The drink was delivered in a ceramic cup with a white froth and a sprinkle of chocolate powder.

TG's, Stamford Plaza

Continuing the theme of Hotel Foyers from the Atrium, Merkel and Myrtle had breakfast in the Stamford Plaza's restaurant TG's. This was a buffet breakfast which included tea and coffee but unfortunately not hot chocolate.

The hot chocolate was $4.50 and came in a glass with a paper napkin. It came with ample froth but no sprinkle of chocolate on top. It was not as tasty as the Atrium hot chocolate.

Atrium, InterContinental Adelaide

Adelaide hotel foyers are a good source of hot chocolates as Merkel has found in the Hilton, the Rendezvous and Tiffins on the Park. Atrium is a bar serving drinks, cocktails and Tapas in the foyer of the InterContinental. The Atrium has good live musicians on a Saturday night.

The hot chocolate came in a glass with two shortbread biscuits. The glass was not too hot to hold although Merkel was surprised that no napkin came with the drink. The drink had a creamy froth and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder and top. The flavour was great and the main problem was that for $4.50 there was not enough.

Signals, Adelaide Casino

Signals is one of eight bars, restaurants and Cafes at the at the Adelaide Skycity Casino. The name of the restaurant is drawn from the fact that the Casino building used to be a railway station building. Signals has excellent table service and a short menu of excellent dishes.

The hot chocolate was $3.50 and came in a tall glass with a glass handle and an after dinner mint. It had a creamy froth and a sprinkle of cocoa. The drink was nice enough although not particularly chocolaty.

Trip to McLaren Vale

Merkel and Myrtle headed for McLaren Vale on a day that was to be set aside for sampling a hot chocolate or two. Unfortunately the temperature reached the old 100-degree Fahrenheit mark so it was not ideal weather for hot chocolates. In any case Merkel was not to be deterred.

Tin Shed Café
This Café boasted about its achievements in coffee making and barista skills. There was a variety of drinks listed under the title "Hot and Iced" on the blackboard. These included Choc Mint, Vanilla, Caramel and Butterscotch. Merkel asked for the Toblerone hot chocolate for $5.50. There were also liqueur hot chocolates available. These were a "Cloud Nine" and a liqueur mint hot chocolate. The waitress could not explain what the "Cloud Nine" hot chocolate was. The café was consistent with its "Tin" shed title. There was a corrugated iron theme through the café and the air conditioning was struggling to maintain a reasonable temperature.

The drink was light brown and came in a tall glass with a good froth. Merkel had a short spoon for his tall glass and Myrtle had a long spoon for her cup, but that was not the first surprise. Ugh, it was coffee! Apparently the Tin Shed Café does both hot chocolate and coffee in the gourmet flavours but for some reason today they provided Merkel a coffee. The drink Merkel had did not remotely taste like Toblerone. Perhaps it was sweetened with honey, but Merkel is not a coffee drinker.

Touring the District
In search of some chocolate flavour, Merkel and Myrtle walked down the main road to Medlow's Confectionary. Medlow took over the famous Robern Menz chocolate confectioners who were well known for the manufacture of Fruchocs. Medlow's provided a Fruchoc sample as soon as we entered the shop and there were plenty of chocolate treats available for purchase.

Artel Gallery & Giftware had some great local artists and fine crafts but Merkel purchased a packet of Mahalia lush drinking chocolate which is packaged in Robe, South Australia. Merkel and Mytle then proceed to the Almond Train, a restored railway carriage, only to find the same drinking chocolate was available there at less cost. The Almond train had free samples of almonds and other local produce.

Bracegirdles, McLaren Vale
Having visited Bracegirdles at Glenelg and at Toorak Gardens, Merkel was keen to try the third Bracegirdles shop located in McLaren Vale. Bracegirdles in McLaren Vale shares accommodation with the Oxenberry cellar door wine sales. This is quite a good cohabitation, as patrons can taste some good wines and enjoy some chocolate treats at the same time.

The shop was well air conditioned but still the iced chocolate was the logical beverage for the hot day. The iced chocolate came in a large glass topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate dripped on top which solidified on the ice cream to make a hard chocolate covering on top. The drink did not have the variation in colouring that the Billy Baxter's or Duthy Street Deli had but still looked good on a hot day. The distinctive Belgian chocolate taste did not work as well for iced chocolate as it did for hot chocolate. It was a big drink and good to drink slowly on a warm day. The iced chocolate cost $6.00 but did not measure up to Bracegirdle's high standards for its other fare.

There was plenty left to discover in McLaren Vale. This is a fine place to visit for chocolate and wine lovers. Merkel will return, hopefully in more temperate weather.

Marble Bar

This is a fairly new city watering hole on Waymouth Street. It is part owned by Wayne Carey, ex AFL footballer and now auto-biographer. Apparently the man himself was at the bar on the day that Merkel was there but he did not come and introduce himself. They do a good lunch at Marble Bar.

A friend shouted Merkel a hot chocolate at the Bar. They probably are not that used to doing hot chocolates. It came in a glass mug with a white froth but no chocolate powder. The waiter spilt the drink in transit. The drink was a little too sweet and light for Merkel's taste.

brOwn dOg Cafe

This is a little Café in Goodwood with a lot of character. It was popular on Sunday afternoon and provided a good menu and table service. It was cooled only by a ceiling fan so was a little warm on a 35 degree Celsius day. This Café is only a couple of doors up Goodwood Road from the Capri Cinema with its huge art deco interiors and the marvellous theatre organ.

The hot chocolate at brOwn dOg Café is available for $3.20 a cup or $4.20 a mug. The mug came with a marshmallow, a white froth and a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder on top. The drink was creamy and chocolaty and satisfied, even on a hot day.

Classics Restaurant

It was the Marmaduke patriarch's birthday last Friday evening and the extended family celebrated at Classics Restaurant in Walkerville. According to the website Classics restaurant is housed in a 100 year old homestead. The restaurant is comfortable and spacious and provides good table service. Friday evenings are special at Classics because of the live jazz music that is performed. The Jazz Mellow Trio is are a highly skilled group and made for a memorable evening.

Merkel's choice for pre-dinner drink was a hot chocolate. This came in a tall glass with a handle. There was plenty of froth and a sprinkle of chocolate on top. This was a tasty chocolate and was creamy and light rather than dark. It came with an after dinner mint.

Fresh Fired

This is a new Pizza place at 108 King William St. There are a variety of seating styles inside and snazzy décor. The shop has a number of different choices of coffee. The hot chocolate came in three sizes. Merkel went for the three dollar entry level hot chocolate.

The chocolate came in a black ceramic cup and saucer. It had a good froth and a liberal sprinkle of chocolate powder on top. The drink was creamy but not chocolaty enough for Merkel's taste.

Billy Baxter's

There are 15 Billy Baxter's franchises in Adelaide according to the web site. The franchise has a good menu of light meals and drinks. This makes Billy Baxter's more numerous than Cibo and Bean Bar. Bean Bar still has more Central Business District locations. All outlets feature the Billy Baxter cartoon character.

Mitcham Shopping Centre
The standard hot chocolate and Vienna hot chocolate were available on the menu at Mitcham shopping centre. Merkel chose the Vienna hot chocolate. It was $4.50 and came in a generous mug topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa. Merkel pointed out that the menu promised a marshmallow with the drink. After checking this fact, the young waitress brought over two marshmallows (white and pink of course). The chocolate itself was a light Swiss style hot chocolate and had a good flavour.

City Cross
The Billy Baxter's in the City Cross Arcade is on the first floor just up the escalators in the Middle of the shopping centre. There is plenty seating and partrons get to look down on the crowds in the food hall. Merkel had the standard hot chocolate which came in a large Billy Baxter mug with a marshmallow. The hot chocolate was topped with a white froth and sprinkle of chocolate. The flavour was nice and dark but the drink was a little watery. The cost of the drink was $4.20.

Regent Arcade
In the centre of Regent Arcade there are a couple of coffee shops. One of them is a Billy Baxter's. There is plenty of seating in the shop and a couple of tables in the Arcade.

It was a hot day so Merkel had an iced chocolate. This cost $5.20 and included vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream sprinkled with chocolate. The drink was made with chocolate syrup and milk. It tasted good but it did not have the chocolate mousse flavour of the iced chocolate at Duthy Street Deli. However this was a better iced chocolate than the one at Duthy Street Deli because there were not so many milky boring bits.

Myer Centre
Apparently this was the first Billy Baxter's established in 1991. It is much like the others with plenty of comfortable seating and the cartoon character everywhere.

As the weather was still very hot and the iced chocolate at Regent Arcade was delicious, Merkel decided to try this drink again at the Myer Centre. It was again, well presented in a tall glass with ice cream, whipped cream and cocoa on top. The chocolate sauce patterns on the side were not quite as marked as the Regent Arcade drink. The drink had been slightly stirred to mix in the chocolate flavour. This was a good tasting, good looking iced chocolate.

Three different types of chocolate to drink

According to the website http://thelunacafe.com/a-gift-of-drinking-chocolate/ there are different terms for chocolate drinks. This is too detailed for Merkel Marmaduke as it is all hot chocolate to him, however it is a informative list of different styles of chocolate drink.

Drinking Chocolate: High proportion of premium, bittersweet (60%-75% cacao) bar chocolate; hot water, milk, or cream, or some combination thereof; optional spices; served still, rather than steamed or frothed; can be made in bulk in a hot chocolate machine (which holds the melted chocolate in suspension at perfect temperature) or made-to-order; very thick and creamy, almost like melted bar chocolate.

Hot Chocolate: Somewhat lower proportion of premium, bittersweet (60%-75% cacao) bar chocolate; hot water, milk, or cream, or some combination thereof; optional spices; made-to-order; served steamed and/or frothed; slightly to considerably thick and creamy but not as thick as drinking chocolate.

Hot Cocoa: Powdered, unsweetened cocoa with added sugar; optional spices; hot water, milk or cream; typically served frothed and topped with whipped cream or marshmallows; only slightly thicker than the liquid used.

Duthy Street Deli, Iced Chocolate

Merkel returned to the Duthy Street Deli to try the iced chocolate. It came in a tall glass with a scoop of vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate powder. The look was quite spectacular with brown and white patterns showing through the clear glass. A good iced chocolate requires a straw, a spoon and drinking from the glass to consume and this required all three. Most of the chocolate flavour came from a rich mousse-flavoured chocolate syrup that drenched the sides and bottom of the glass. This did not mix easily with the cold milk so parts of the drink tasted like unflavoured milk. It looked good though and it would have been a shame to stir it too early. The cost of the iced chocolate was $4.50.

227 Espresso Café

There seems to be some confusion over the name of this coffee shop. The sign on the bar says it is Café 227. The notice on the back of the waitress and the yellow pages refers to it as 227 Espresso Café. I thought it was simply Espresso Café from the sign on the front of the shop. I heard one patron call it Lavazza because that was the coffee brand on the barriers around the outside tables and Adelaide Café Review referred to it as "Lavazza Café Espresso 227". I will settle for the name in the yellow pages.

227 North Terrace is a great little spot for a café. It overlooks the University buildings across the wide boulevard that is North Terrace. There is normal table seating outside. Most of the seating inside is high stools with bar height tables. There is also a small lounge area in the back corner with lower seating.

The hot chocolate came in a small glass without a handle. The drink was topped with a white froth and a semicircle of chocolate powder. The drink was reasonably chocolaty but was not stirred properly. A good stir made the drink richer.

Rainbow Café

This is next to Café Fresh at the bottom of the black stump at 25 Grenfell Street.

The hot chocolate is $3.20 and comes in glass cup with a glass handle. It was finished with a white froth and a semicircle of chocolate powder. The drink was creamy but not chocolaty enough for the taste of this reviewer.

Un Caffe Bar, Hyde Park

This Un Caffe Bar is in a converted old building and sits about a metre above street level. In the evening patrons get a view of the setting sun through the large glass doors at the front of the building.

My last encounter at Un Caffe Bar was in Waymouth Street. The hot chocolate was a high standard so I was interested to try their iced chocolate on this visit. This drink cost $6.00 for a tall glass and a scoop of coffee gelati. Some chocolate syrup and some chocolate milk made up the rest of the drink. The coffee gelati made for a good variety of flavours. This was not as dark as the Cibo iced chocolate but it was a pleasant drink on a warm night.

Roco Pasta, The Cheapest Hot Chocolate in Town

Roco Pasta is a little stall in the Myer Centre food court in the North Terrace entrance.

For $2.40 you can get good standard hot chocolate. It comes with a tasty brown froth and a sprinkle of chocolate. The taste of the hot chocolate is dark and not too weak. This hot chocolate beats many more expensive hot chocolates and is better than the Bakery T.76 that is also in the food court.

Wicked Coffee

It is now cricket season and Merkel enjoys watching the junior Marmadukes play the game with much more skill than he ever could muster. St Peters College main oval was an idyllic setting on a sunny Saturday morning for watching cricket and it was made even more idyllic by the presence of the takeaway coffee van of Wicked Coffee not far away.

For $3.30 Merkel purchased a takeaway hot chocolate to enjoy while watching the cricket. The hot chocolate was made with syrup but had a good froth and a sprinkle of chocolate on top. While the drink was enjoyable it had that artificial chocolate ice cream taste rather than a legitimate hot chocolate with its underlying bitterness. This is the second hot chocolate reviewed that came out of a van. This was a little better and cheaper than Café a Go Go but did not seem to have the marshmallow option.

Crust 'n Crumbs

This is a little shop in the car park of the Cumberland Park Woolworths. It does a range of cakes and pies. For $3.20 I got a generous mug of hot chocolate with a pile of froth and sprinkle of chocolate. The selection of mugs was fairly quaint. This hot chocolate had "Coffee" emblazoned on it. It is one thing to drink out of a branded cup such Vittoria, Altura or Coffex but it is seems to be a bit odd to label a mug of hot chocolate as coffee. It was pity this hot chocolate was so watery.

The Edinburgh Hotel

The Edinburgh Hotel or "The Ed" as it is affectionately known is a busy multipurpose eating, drinking and gaming venue. It has a good restaurant and a number of bars and function rooms. Merkel and Myrtle visited on a warm night to sample some of the hospitality.

Merkel chose the iced chocolate for $3.50. This came in a tall glass but looked more like a milkshake than an iced chocolate. It was an even light brown texture and simply had a light brown froth on top. The taste was light and malty. Merkel prefers to see a scoop of ice cream and some clever work with the chocolate sauce in his iced chocolate. As it was only the second iced chocolate review on this blog it was little disappointing.

Merkel returned to the Edinburgh when the weather was a bit cooler with some friends for lunch. There he ordered the standard hot chocolate. It came with white and pink marshmallows and a chocolate wafer stick which was a surprising cache of extras. The hot chocolate was finished with a creamy froth and a sprinkle of chocolate and came in a glass with a handle. The taste was light and chocolaty and the cost was $4.00.

Bakery T.76

This bakery is in the food court on the Terrace level of the Myer Centre in Rundle Mall Adelaide. It has a range of ready made cakes, quiches and pies available for lunch and also does coffees and hot chocolates. The hot chocolate is only three dollars and came with a fluffy froth and a sprinkling of chocolate on top. The drink itself is thin and lacks any real chocolate flavour. This is an inexpensive hot chocolate but there are a number of other options for hot chocolate in the Myer Centre food court.

All aboard the Cibo Express

There are about 12 Cibo Espresso outlets in the Adelaide metropolitan area. Five of these are in the Central Business District (CBD). While Bean Bar outnumbers them in the CBD, Cibo has more around Adelaide.

The website is very flash but does not have much information about the locations or the costs, so your reviewer will find out more for the readers of this blog.

97 Pirie St, Adelaide
This is the outlet featured on the website. Your reviewer was pleasantly surprised to find that CIBO do a thick Italian hot chocolate. They call it "Cioccolato Italiana" to distinguish from their standard hot chocolate. Alas, the weather was too warm and they had not started up the hot chocolate machine on the day I visited. They do not get enough call for it in the summer months apparently. Patrons take a table number so they can deliver the food and call out your name when your drink is ready.

Your reviewer settled for a standard hot chocolate. This was $3.20 and came with piles of chocolate powder on top of a white froth. This was not a particularly elegant presentation but it still tasted good. My only criticism was the cup was too small. Large sizes were available at higher cost.

41 Gouger St, Adelaide
It is not obvious from the Gouger street outlet but there is plenty of seating inside. The shop is deep and narrow. Your reviews was handed a table number to display on the table. He was also meant to take a thing that looked like a spaceship that would summon him when his drink was ready.

It would seem that "Cioccolato Italiana" is standard fare at CIBO although some outlets do not make it available in the hot weather. The Gouger street outlet fortunately had it available.
Cioccolato Italiana came in a small cup with a dollop of cream. This was a simple but delicious chocolaty treat. The cream helps to balance out the rich smooth chocolate taste. The cost was $4.50. It was good to find another Italian hot chocolate venue in Adelaide and update the earlier posting on this subject.

1/156 King William Rd, Hyde Park
The outlet is not in the Adelaide CBD but on trendy King William Road. It is a corner shop so there is plenty of room to watch life pass you by whether you are sitting inside or outside. The patrons take a red disk that beeps when your drinks are ready.

This outlet also had the "Cioccolato Italiana" machine in action but your reviewer decided to pass on this as it was a warm night and only a few hours since he sampled "Cioccolato Italiana" at the Gouger street outlet. Instead he opted for the iced chocolate. This is the first time on this blog that an iced chocolate has been reviewed. The Cibo $5.80 version comes in a tall glass with a scoop of chocolate gelati. The mixture involves chocolate syrup as well as the chocolate drink making a pattern that can be seen through sided of the glass. This was very chocolaty and not too sweet.

7/82 King William St, Adelaide
Not only was the King William Street outlet out of "Cioccolato Italiana" but it also did not have any cream so a Vienna hot chocolate was out of the question. It was the standard hot chocolate again for your reviewer, and again the froth was topped with piles of chocolate powder. This was not particularly decorative but it helped the flavour when it was all mixed up. It was $3.20 for the fairly small cup and an extra 90 cents or two dollars for larger cups.

The King William Street outlet is a bit more cramped and the décor is a bit different but it still has the same menu as the others. There seemed to be no beepers to summons the customers but the waiter did hand out a table number to display at our table.

7/161 The Parade Norwood
The "Cioccolato Italiana" machine was not operational but they had enough cream for the Vienna hot chocolate. The Vienna hot chocolate cost $4.00 and came in the same small cup but the cream seem to take up more space so your reviewer got even less drink. The cream was fluffy and well presented in a "bunch of grapes" style rather than the standard mountain. There was a liberal sprinkling of chocolate powder on top of the cream.

There was plenty of seating inside and outside. They also used the standard red beepers to summon the customers to the counter when the drinks were ready.

112A Rundle Mall, Adelaide
The Rundle Mall outlet does not have any internal seating and there is not much seating nearby although there are a number of places along the mall to take your take-away coffee or hot chocolate. Your reviewer did not make any purchases here but ascertained that that the "Cioccolato Italiana" was not being offered in the hot weather.

218 Rundle St, Adelaide
The Rundle Street Cibo outlet has seating on the ground floor and a lounge area on the first floor. There are a small number of tables outside where patrons can contend with the crowds of people who walk around the corner of Frome Street and Rundle Street. The Rundle Street venue had the beepers to summon patrons when there drink was ready but they were coloured blue.

The "Cioccolato Italiana" was available and your reviewer took advantage of this. It was indistinguishable from the one he had at the Gouger Street which was not a bad thing at all.


The Cibo Espresso outlets all are efficiently run and décor is consistent and comfortable. The fare and prices are also reasonable and consistent. Some patrons may find the beepers an oddity. Also Cibo tapes together your knife and fork which is a little peculiar. While the "Cioccolato Italiana" is not available at all outlets in the summer months it was available and Rundle Street, Gouger Street and Hyde Park.