Shortstop

You know when people just ‘stumble’ upon some “amazing little shop selling I swear to God the world’s most incredible pastries, served with free flowing champagne by unicorns” and you’re left looking down at the McDonald’s wrapper left over from your breakfast, which wasn’t even an Egg McMuffin because as IF you ever make it in time for 10.30am cut off point, let alone stumble upon some magical food haven by chance?

Well this miraculous, near on fictitious stumble upon happened to me. To ME! I mean, everyone in Melbourne probably knows about this place I’m about to tell you about anyway but please, just let me have this. I was wandering around the vicinity of Hardware Societe as we waited for a table on a typically busy Saturday brunch time and found a gem of a cafe. Drawn in by the beautiful, simple signage, I dragged my friend in through the door, loudly gasping “DOUGHNUTS”, as if I’d only ever heard rumours of them before. Shortstop is hidden down Sutherland Street in Melbourne’s CBD and is dedicated to two of the world’s simple pleasures: doughnuts and coffee.

Cut to me grilling the poor girl who offered to help me for a solid seven minutes, essentially asking her to tell me what life choices to make – namely, whether to get the Boston Cream (a vanilla custard filled doughnut smothered in 70% dark chocolate) or the Macadamia Orange Blossom filled doughnut. I wanted both. I mean who wouldn’t want both. Aside from my own personal Shortstop shortlist, there was another filled offering with Peanut Butter and Jam, as well as Shortstop’s range of ring doughnuts such as fresh blueberry, hazelnut chocolate with banana, classic vanilla bean glazed and even earl grey with rose (fancy). There are regularly off menu dreamt up recipes available on the weekends, such as the Apple Pie filled doughnut – stewed apple, vanilla bean cream, caramel and spiced crumble. Their coffee is from the best speciality roasters, their milk organic. Sold yet?

Anyway, after much traumatic deliberation (should’ve just got both for God’s sake) I went for the Macadamia Orange Blossom, and my God was it good. I saved it for an afternoon snack post brunch and shared it with my friend Katie, who said, very eloquently, “I never want it to leave my mouth. I don’t want to swallow,” when she took her first bite. So there you are. The custard was beautiful, not sickly and plenty of it, the macadamia icing on top complimenting the orange blossom nicely, the dough light and fluffy.

Shortstop are open 7.30am – 4.30pm every weekday, 9.30am – 4.30pm on weekends. Get there quick though, they have a tendency to sell out before closing of late – follow them on Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date and make sure you avoid disappointment; you don’t want to miss this place.

Shortstop, 12 Sutherland Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000