I Made It, Creative Café, 113 Albert Street, Sebastopol, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

This is a tricky one to review, particularly as I haven’t actually eaten here yet. I’ve driven past a number of times and wondered what it was all about, and a few days ago I found out, and was so impressed I want to add my support to those who have known about this little gem for ages.

Go for the food, not the location or ambiance. It’s basic, and frequented by the demographic of the area. But it gives locals somewhere to go which is welcoming, has great food, hearty serves, at reasonable prices. It’s a wonderful place, and full marks for the owners for thinking of it and getting it going. Even though I’ll have to wear my flannel shirt and trackies to visit, I’m definitely going to make an effort, because it’s the sort of simple, home-style cooking that everyone loves and craves every now and then. They cater for special diets (the owner reeled off a long list of gluten-free options which far surpasses most of the ‘trendy’ cafes in town). And it’s the sort of non-pretentious place where you know you’ll be greeted warmly and will roll out of with a satisfied and very full stomach. Stay tuned for an actual review of the food.

And – a follow-up review for the I Made It Café……

I took two work colleagues there for lunch a few days ago – warning them beforehand that it was a down-market venue and to not have high expectations, although the food should be good. Despite my warning, they were still surprised at where I’d dragged them. One colleague had apricot chicken on rice, and said it was very good, and he’d come back again (if it was in a more convenient location). His food tastes are very basic so I was sure he’d enjoy the meal. The other colleague ordered sweet and sour pork, which came without anything else, and when rice was requested, a mushy spoonful was added to the plate with the words “that’s all that was left in the pot”. Hhhmmmm. My roast lamb with vegies and chips was delicious. We then followed up, unnecessarily, with huge slabs of the spectacular looking passion-fruit sponge, which was perfectly nice, considering I’ve never liked sponge. There were lots of gluten-free options, and overall I think we enjoyed the food. None of us would go back in a hurry, mainly because of the venue itself, and in my case, the simplicity of the food. I like to eat things I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) make at home. But it was cheap and good and the serves were perfectly sized for lunch.