The Easter period is an incredibly busy time for Kate Williams, but this year’s might be one of the busiest in recent memory.
Last week Kate’s cafe and confection empire Nodo launched its perennially anticipated Easter range, which included mylk-chocolate-dipped Bunny-inspired doughnuts, carrot cake doughnuts and the always popular sourdough hot cross buns. At the same time, Kate was overseeing the finishing touches being put in place on Nodo’s brand-new cafe at Westfield Carindale, which officially opened on Wednesday March 6.
Frequent visitors to Westfield Carindale will know that Nodo has long operated a pop-up kiosk at the shopping centre – one always amply stocked with doughnuts and loaves of Nodo’s plain and seeded sourdough. But now, not only can shoppers stop by for their regular grab-and-gulp doughnut fix, but they can also pull up a seat at a table and enjoy a more sizeable bite and a cup of coffee.
Kate has snagged a primo location on the centre’s ground floor (right in front of Coles) for the new 20-seat outpost. The site, designed by architecture firm Cameron & Co and built by fit-out specialists Echo Projects Co, boasts a shiny steel serving counter, paralline glass-block feature walls, custom embossed concrete table tops and laser-cut powder-coated signage. It’s a slightly streamlined facsimile of Nodo’s Everton Park cafe, but it’s still equipped with all of the essentials – a doughnut display, a coffee machine and a small kitchen turning out a tight menu of seasonal breakfast bites.
In addition to the all-important doughnuts, Nodo Carindale is serving its spot-on sausage-and-egg muffins, smoked salmon bagel buns with caper and chive cream cheese, pickled cucumber and rocket, tangy tomato toast with hummus, and a three-strong selection of toasties (ham and red cheddar, caprese salad and smoked chicken). As always, it’s all gluten free, with vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free options available, too.
As for drinks, the cafe’s own house-roasted ‘Wake Up Beautiful’ coffee blend is on deck alongside single-origin batch brews, Nodo’s native iced tea, hot chocolate, matcha, spiced chai and coconut turmeric lattes, and Nodo’s range of Supernatural Shakes.
Nodo’s Westfield Carindale cafe is now open to the public seven days a week. Head to the Stumble Guide for operating hours and contact details.
