Sideways, Dulwich Hill

 Strawberry cheesecake ($6)

 Carrot cake ($5)

 Freshly squeezed orange juice ($5)

 Mixed berry and ricotta muffin 

 Corn fritters with haloumi, salsa and spinach, and some of my mother's toast ($15)

These meals and drinks were eaten over two separate occasions. The cheesecake and carrot cake with a friend on a sunny Wednesday and the rest with my brother and mother before their return to Port Macquarie yesterday morning.

Morning tea with my friend the other day was delicious. First of all, I got to fulfil my massive craving for carrot cake after spotting the divine creation on the gorgeous Natalie's blog. This carrot cake did not let me down, especially as it had walnuts (another favourite of mine) and a large helping of velvety cream cheese. My friend said the cheesecake was equally tasty. Aren't we a healthy bunch: strawberries, walnuts and carrot for morning tea?

If you are a regular reader you may have noticed that Sideways is my first resort if I want to impress guests. Almost every trip my family makes to see me will, at some stage, involve a visit to Sideways. Mum and Kyle put in their request early.

So on a beautiful Sunday morning we ventured out to the bustling Dulwich Hill cafe, forgetting it was Father's Day. Consequently, the cafe was even busier than usual (prior to yesterday this didn't seem possible). Nonetheless, the service was efficient and friendly, despite having to move our table over a couple of times to accommodate even more diners. The overall atmosphere was warm and friendly, there being a lot of children- young and old- basking in the presence of their father's. Sadly, my father was a five hour-long drive away.

The coffee at Sideways gets better on every visit. As does the food. Having not had the corn fritters in about two months (a very long time in my books), I just had to order them. My mother had the omelette, which at $10.50 was a very generous serving. My brother, not being a breakfast person, ordered a muffin. There was praise all round.

Sideways, 37 Constitution Rd, Dulwich Hill