Red House Shop & Café
Emily Pescod set the wheels in motion for Red House Shop & Café 12 years ago when she began collecting vintage fashion at the age of 14.
Fast track to today and she has created a vintage clothing shop and café at the iconic 1850s North Adelaide Railway Station on War Memorial Drive.
It’s an unusual and coveted spot, on the north-western fringe of the Adelaide Parklands: a well-preserved heritage building with nothing to compete with its Victorian dignity apart from the nearby gums and the trains that rumble by every hour or so on the Gawler Central Line.
Followers of vintage fashion in Adelaide would know Pescod – she has peddled her wares under the name of Red House for many years at the Gilles Street Market, music festivals and at Bowden’s That Dapper Market. Like many born in the ’80s, she’s into the ’70s. Her trading name is borrowed from the Jimi Hendrix song, and the clothes racks at Red House Shop & Café are hung with classic pieces from that era.
“I buy for my own taste, but they are also things my customers are looking for.”
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The idea for Red House Shop & Café emerged when Pescod decided she wanted a permanent space for her collection, and the food side of the business came as an extension of her style.
“My favourite meal is breakfast or brunch, but I don’t like eggs,” she explains. “I wanted to create a simple menu using free-range, organic and ethically sourced sustainable produce wherever possible, that offered options for people with allergies and vegan and vegetarian diets.”
Red House Shop & Café opened seven weeks ago. Pescod says the time taken from tender to trade has been almost three years because of heritage compliance requirements.
The long, narrow building has been carefully transformed from a virtually unused railway station to a vibrant café without affecting its original character. The ticket office houses the coffee machine, cakes and cash register; the waiting room has been filled with tables and chairs seating up 70 people, and the various cloak and back office rooms are assigned to food preparation, vintage clothing and more seating.
Unfortunately, no outdoor seating is allowed on the railway platform, because it is still a working station, but the drivers often toot their horn twice in greeting as they pass through.
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Pescod’s mum, Kate, is in the kitchen, her 81-year-old “Granny” is on the door and her stepdad “Otto Von Klinken” makes the Mulled Wine Mix you will see on the shelf by the counter.
The menu is very simple, honest and home-style, with mostly breakfast dishes blending to brunch that are offered until 3pm, when the kitchen closes. But the cakes, plates and platters are available till close at 5pm.
Favourite dish: Red House Nachos ($14.90) – organic corn chips topped with smokey cheese sauce, fresh pico de gallo salsa, capsicum, beans, jalapenos, sour cream and guacamole (you can add Mexican ground beef for an extra $3). Nachos in the wrong hands can be a disappointing and soggy fat and carb load lacking in obvious nutrition, but Red House serves up an elegant example made with lots of fresh ingredients and not too much cheese.
Other dishes: Fritter Stack ($14.90) – Zucchini and corn fritters served with avocado, roasted tomatoes and rocket (for an extra $3 you can add bacon). The addition of grated zucchini creates a lighter, greener, healthier fritter than a straight corn version. They are delicious and simple, but if you’re really hungry, make sure you add the bacon.
There is also granola parfait with berries and organic honey ($8.90), toasted fruit loaf with butter and ricotta cream ($9), peanut butter banana oatmeal ($8.90), pancakes with ricotta cream and orange maple sauce ($14.50), house-made baked beans ($15.50), mushrooms on toast ($14.50), all manner of eggs with influences from Italy to Mexico ($14.50-$15.90) and more. But if you’re after something that’s more definitely “lunch”, you could go for the Red House Veg Burger ($14.90), the Red House Beef Burger ($15.50) or the antipasto platter ($10 per person).
Something sweet/to drink: Pescod’s mum Kate makes most of the cakes, which are again home-style and comforting. On the day InDaily visited there was a platter of melting moments, a tray of super-big muffins with icing on top and a large carrot cake, all of which were disappearing fast.
Red House Shop & Café isn’t licensed, but you could swear the beautifully spiced Virgin Bloody Mary ($6) has a shot of vodka in it. There is also a whole range of milkshakes, thickshakes, smoothies and fresh juices, along with D’Angelo coffee in many variations.
Red House Shop & Café
North Adelaide Railway Station, War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide, ph 0432 092 218
Open seven days from 7.30am to 5pm / weekday bookings only via SMS
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