Beaut Commute

Rustic Burgers Seymour

Heading down the Hume Highway back to Melbourne on a bleak Sunday night we were ravaged by hunger and couldn't wait till we reached the Northern suburbs of the city before dinner.

We pulled into Seymour - a roadside town on the Hume with a population of around 7,000. A town renowned for hosting the Alternative Farming Expo. A town that is mentioned in the original version of the song 'I've been everywhere'. This much I have learnt from a glance at Wikipedia because at 7.40pm on a rainy Sunday night Seymour itself was playing its cards close to its chest. You could say we didn't see much of Seymour.

But what we saw was enough. For there, shining like jewel in a pewter setting, was Rustic Burgers Seymour - open seven days from 11am-8pm. Irresistible. 

Good quality beef patty, smoky bacon, egg, beetroot, pineapple, salad stuff, beaut bun - that's what you get when you get the Burger with The Lot for $8.50. The Vegan asked for a veggie burger with 'No mayo and no cheese, please' which resulted in incredulous repetition and a pair of disappearing eyebrows from the order taker. However he held his stance, got what he asked for and was well pleased with the result. 

Rustic Burgers Seymour has been operating since 1956 and I doubt the burgers have changed much in that time. There is a crate with a choice of sauces on the counter as well as some excellent reading material. I devoured my burg while reading the gossip column in 'Big Rigs' - the only free nationwide heavy vehicle newsletter.

Other reading material on the counter was the Seymour Train Timetable. It takes a VLine train about 1 hour 20 minutes to Seymour from Southern Cross. For a burger that good that's a commute I would happily take.

One Noodle Friendship

Okay so I started out with this blog being about recommended ‘things’ to entertain people commuting on public transport. It’s a lame disguise for the fact that when I love something I want to rant on and on about it quite possibly boring myself and anyone in a five metre radius. I thought if I put it in a blog under the guise of something that might be, you know, useful then that might stop my 'out-loud' blathering on about how I loved Freedom and isn’t Alice Munro the bestest and gosh that new Belle and Sebastian album was great. And you know, I think it's working for me. 

But I also have a terrible habit of going on about my favourite Melbourne things to do and my favourite cheap dinners out. Hence, the repertoire of beautcommute is extending to cheap food places. I guess I’ll tie in the Public Transport aspect by noting what tram, train and bus lines will get you there.

Food Rant Number One.

One Noodle Friendship.

If there is only going to be one noodle in your friendship I suggest you make it this one.

All I can say about their vegetarian dumplings is that when my teeth cut through the soft green dumpling skin and the rush of lemongrassy flavour hits my tongue I find the universe just that much more aligned.

One Noodle is run by a man with a truly superb moustache who makes all his own organic noodles. The vegetarian dumplings are an essential but noodle soups, spring onion pancakes and the pork & prawn dumplings are killer as well. Steer clear of the ‘Wine Chicken’ though. It’s just odd.

One Noodle Friendship is cheap as chips (probably cheaper than some chips) and is frequented by locals Chinese and bobos (‘bobo’ is the French word for hipster, it’s short for ‘bohemian bourgeois’. Now slap me if that is not the best thing you have learnt today).

Catch a train on the Epping Line to Preston Station and walk through the market or get the 86 up to Murray Road and walk down to 417-419 High St. Closed Sundays.