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The mention of Craigieburn probably causes many thoughts to spring to mind - housing estates, the Hume Highway - but chances are none of them involve orange juice. However, this suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne is home to Sunzest Organic Orange Juice, the best bottled orange juice I’ve tasted, and I’m not the only fan. While the flavour of other bottled orange juices is highly variable, Sunzest is remarkably consistent. What’s more, at around $5.50 it’s a lot cheaper than most other premium, non-concentrate based orange juices. It’s available from Piedemontes in Fitzroy and other inner city locations.

Plenty of restaurants have come and gone in relatively quick succession on the site of 15 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. Here’s hoping Spicy Junction can last longer than the previous two tenants - a Columbian restaurant and an Italian restaurant. Not only is this Indian restaurant cheap, the food is good quality. In fact, I’d say it rivals the popular Fitz Curry Cafe, located just across the road. Spicy Junction probably wins on quality of meat, Fitz Curry Cafe has better, more distinctive sauces.

Occupying the former premises of Wildflower, bakers of some of the best bread in Melbourne, Min Lokal (422 George St, Fitzroy) has a tough act to follow. Based on a couple of visits, it certainly delivers. The baked eggs in napoli are not only the best baked eggs dishes I’ve had, and one of the better breakfast dishes I’ve had - let down only by slightly undertoasted toast.

Some people object to paying more than $5 for a loaf of bread, reasoning that water, flour and yeast are very inexpensive ingredients.  Me, I don’t see it that way. There’s a lot of skill that goes into making good bread. However, when I’m paying this much, I expect a certain level of quality - something I didn’t get from my $5.80 sourdough loaf from Browns. It didn’t have interesting texture, and the flavour was lacking, making it little better than supermarket bread.

This small cafe bar (334 Brunswick St, Fitzroy) is dependable for a few reasons - the meals are consistently good and it’s rarely closed, even on Christmas Day or Good Friday. Breakfasts are good value and good quality, with suitably runny poached eggs, and nicely crisp bacon. The $10 lunch specials, such as steak sandwiches, simple pastas, and risottos, are another reason to visit.