Brekky @ KO Catering and Pies

G'day mates! December marks the third official Boston Brunchers outing which was held this past Saturday morning at the only Australian inspired food business in New England, KO Catering and Pies. Run by Aussies who hail from Sydney this take out + retail food shop + catering business landed on A Street in Southie just steps from the Broadway T stop. This months brunch was complementary and offered exclusively to bloggers via a contest on Renee's blog. Winners were chosen anonymously based on their comments and so today I was joined by a much smaller group compared to last months whopping count of 24. I was honored to have been chosen and I have a feeling Katie, Athena, Jason, Rachel, Elizabeth and of course Renee felt the same.Rachel and I arrived and were greeted by Cara, the owner and face behind all the tweets! Cara's genuine personality was evident as she took the time to get to know us. She has a real kind spirit and a fun Australian accent to match! And a handmade table runner just for us?! This goes above and beyond. The cozy take out shop with clean white tile floors and a tan wall boasting a black utility pole mural is home to a rustic wooden communal table seating eight and a tiny bar behind it seating three. Black industrial metal stools await customers looking to linger. Shelves of Aussie treats line the far wall, next to it a coffee station and a counter filled with meat pies and sausages. There is no way you can visit without grabbing a cheesy meat pie and sausage puff pastry! (I took quite a few home!) Cara outdid herself with the spread that included individual coffee cups, water bottles and a Tim Tam wrapped with a cranberry candy cane. The evergreen centerpiece was dotted with tiny Australian flags.When the rest of the brunchers arrived Cara let us know we could choose anything off the Brekky menu and that they'd be starting off our meal with a Vegemite toast basket.I was pumped to try Vegemite - a salty "concentrated yeast spread" that is as much a part of Australian culture as Kangaroos and Koalas. The Men At Work "Down Under" lyrics were absolutely ringing through my head. He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.....
The vessels of sourdough toast definitely helped its cause. I wasn't about to take a tub of the Kraft product home, but I am certainly glad I got to try it and did eat two pieces of the savory toast!Some of the other brunchers Brekky choices included:Herbed Potato Rosti with slow roasted tomato, bacon, and topped with a fried egg. Sweet Corn Fritters with bacon, avocado and arugula. I chose the Croque Madame. The classic grilled sandwich has melty provolone cheese and smoked ham inside thick and crispy sourdough bread walls. Topped with an immaculate fried egg and a dusting of fresh herbs, breakfast Aussie style did not disappoint.
As if we weren't sufficiently stuffed, Cara followed our entrees with a surprise round of sausage rolls.
I topped mine like they do in the land down under, with ketchup of course!The locally produced sausage is mixed with fresh herbs and a secret ingredient, which I am assuming gives it that melt in your mouth quality. Never before and most likely never again will you hear me describe sausage as "melt in your mouth", but that is the honest to gods truth. The envelope of a flaky, doughy puff pastry aided in this feat while the ketchup added a dash of contrast to the piping hot roll. Lastly, we sampled the Sticky Date Pudding with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce. Sweet was a lust worthy factor after a meat heavy meal of smokey bacon, ham and sausage. The warm date pudding was delivered bathing in butterscotch. When topped with a scoop of cool vanilla ice cream, the combination rounded out the meal in perfect harmony.If you live in Boston and have long been wondering what Southie has to offer by way of visit-worthy eats, look to KO Catering & Pies at 87 A Street. Likewise, if you've visited Australia and have been lusting over Tim Tams and Vegemite ever since, you can be guaranteed to get your fix here.

KO Catering & Pies where local time = pie time.