culleys

Freo's one of those special places. I can see why the tourists love it to death and everyone who lives in the Perth/Freo area reckons it's cool. You desensitised to the magic of all. That probably happens when you find out that Simmo's 'isn't selling Cherry Choc Chip flavour today'.

Today I was already pissed off. So I went to the real Freo: Culleys. Where cheap, good food is served to you by women who could easily be your grandmother. The beauty of Culleys is in what they haven't done rather than what they have done. It's been around since 1925, baking pastries, cakes and pies and serving them in their extended tea rooms. Yes, the median age of customers is about 70, but damn, the food is good, the service is fast and the waitress called Adam, 'Sir' when she regretted to tell him there were no Cottage Pies left. That's customer service.

The older waitresses have worked there for years, so much so that they have their own trays for taking food, drinks and dirty dishes around. Our waitress' tray had 'Property of Minnie' dymo-labelled onto it, just so other waitresses wouldn't nick it. Mr Culley (a son of the original, no doubt) wanders around, keeping an eye on everything. We saw the new Mr Culley wandering close behind. The changing of the guard must be immminent.

Anyone who's a third generation-plus Freoite will know and have some recollection of Culley's. Either through parents or grandparents mentioning it or physically dragging them there. It probably hasn't changed since your grandparents started eating there. There's still the display window out the front selling fruit scones for 50c, the decrepid old fan in the tea rooms that surely must have been there since 1925, the varnished pine tables and the little metal jugs that they put the tomato sauce that comes free with your pie into. There's no such thing as barbecue or sweet chilli sauce. It's tomato or nothing. And as for coffee, about the most exotic coffees they make are espresso and cappucino. So instead of my usual vanilla caffe latte, I had a milk coffee. It was still good. It gave me the caffeine fix I required.

So half an hour and $14.40(all together) later, Adam and I were fed and watered. I love Culleys.

Culleys is among the likes of Roma - eating establishments in Freo that have been around so long that their reputation precedes them and advertising is no longer necessary. You know the food is good and you never get disappointed. The real Freo isn't found on the Cappucino Strip, it's found in old places like Culleys and Roma, it's these good places where Freo's history is sitting having either Apple Turnover with a white coffee or Fettucine Carbonara with Garlic Bread.

Culleys is in the High Street Mall, Fremantle. Ambulances are close by to revive you when you go into shock over how cheap their food is.