Jack & Daisy

I WENT to Mordialloc for this week's column and ate at a place where I hid the seafood under my serviette and wondered about claiming Work Cover for potential food poisoning. So, no write-up on that place.

Next on the list was Jack & Daisy, a stronghold in a neighbourhood where cafes are few, the blocks are big, and kids' clutter fills many a yard.

''You can't move into Pascoe Vale unless you've got children or are pregnant,'' says Eugene Coghlan, 27, co-owner with Al Hall, 25. So when the lads opened Jack & Daisy (named after Coghlan's grandfather and a mate's grandmother) 15 months ago, ''kid-friendly'' was a focus.

Since then, they've stopped handing out colouring-in sheets and crayons because of scrawls on the walls, and they dismantled the children's corner because they needed the space for tables - this place is loved.

Now the nipper action happens in the enclosed courtyard where a big cubbyhouse holds books and toys and a slightly spooky talking teddy - lots for toddlers to ''No, mine!'' over. Another hit is the nudie gingerbread men to decorate with icing pens and Smarties. ''The kids can do whatever they like,'' Coghlan says, ''as long as they leave at 4pm.''

Upbeat staff are welcoming, the vibe is relaxed and the space is Ikea-slick yet homely with wood floors and vintage posters.

Jack & Daisy's big news is its next-door expansion into the old post office, creating another 30 seats and a room that can host parties - children's and otherwise, with nights available, too.

On the food front, expect honest cafe classics. ''Jack's roadhouse'' is the stuff of truckers' dreams, a fry-up with scrambled eggs, bacon, herbed button mushrooms, baked tomato (a touch undercooked, just like a real roadhouse) and thick sourdough toast. Possibly skip the potato hash, on this occasion, a greasy, stodgy patty.

Brioche French toast was soft and scoffable with a little pot of maple syrup. And, though the ''caramelised apple'' was a bit undercooked and the poached plum could have bubbled a bit longer, the dish was still good.

The kids' food (nothing more than $6.50) arrived on plastic plates and was blessedly normal, so Vegemite toast was just Vegemite toast and ''pancakes with maple and ice-cream'' came with everything on the side, showing a clear understanding of these diners' finicky needs.

How does Jack & Daisy compare with higher-profile cafes closer to town? The food is probably better closer in but on unpretentiousness and creating a community hub, this place rocks.

YOU may also like …

■Cubbyhouse Canteen Girt by parkland with a toddler playground, kids' menu and 5pm dinners on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Malvern Tennis Centre, 43a Union Street, Armadale, 0421 173 886. nrousseau@theage.com.au