Nana Hot Bake

Shop 30 / Market Plaza (Central Markets, West Side), Adelaide

As a tike, The Central Markets used to scare me. It was big and bustling and loud and blinkered shoppers seemed to actively seek out my shins to run their carts into. With time and courage however I’ve become pretty familiar with the body of the precinct – I’ve mapped my favourite stalls and learned that when The Mettwurst Shop name something a “bum burner”, they’re not joking. Still, I feel we understand each other much better these days.

In the fringes however, I’m less confident. The awkward mess of stalls transitioning shoppers from market proper to the food-courts and beyond (the Wendy’s, that takeaway food box place, the dodgy-looking jewelers, the souvenir shop with all those spinners…) is a realm I still experience as jarring and sorta disorientating. Yet, nestled in amongst this chaos is a holy bastion – a haven for the hungry and sanctuary for the shallow of pocket….

Nana Hot Bake – okay, so the name makes no sense – but then the smell hits you; all warm bread and sugar. Shiny-topped buns enveloping any manner of savory or sweetly goodness, and beyond, a Marshall Stack oven arrangement chugging away to keep the counter freshly stocked.

I’ll say it right here, Nana’s BBQ pork bun is the true star; doughy, gooey, meaty, sweet and right in all the wrong ways. Lemon tuna (popping with chilli) and pork sizzle follow closely (in fact, stick to anything with the suffix “izzle” and you’re onto a good thing) and Nana’s own hotdog – also available in “deluxe” – proudly holds its own*.

Prices range from $1.60 to $2.80 a pop, but you’re probably looking at around 3 to 5 pieces for a hearty snack. Believe it or not** you could order one of everything, and STILL get back change from thirty.

Be they straight outta the oven, or following a quick lap in the microwave (Nana can always “heed [sic] up for you”) these moorish morsels make any market trip worth the doing.

Be well, TV.

*I’m determined to steadily work my way through Nana’s entire repertoire – if ya’ll have any tips, faves or must-dos, hit me up in the comments.

*Believe it, I did the math.

Greetings and salivations.

Best I feel, to get that out of the way early on. No more horrible food puns, promise*.

So, I guess, “welcome”. Is it poor blog etiquette to begin an inceptive post quoting someone else? In a style which will no doubt become more prevalent as things here tumble on, I’m throwing karma to the wind –

“I believe humans get a lot done, not because we’re smart,

but because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.”

Flash Rosenberg said that, and never have I experienced a more succinct appraisal of (my) life. It’s true – humans ain’t smart, and we seem committed to reproving this on a daily / hourly / secondly basis. Coffee is a motivator for the masses, with many – myself included – finding a day in its absence almost insurmountable. The equilibrium established by these two factors – idiocy and caffeine dependency – is what propels humanity forward en masse. It is my hope that these posts illuminate the latter, rather than the former, within my own existence, and perhaps aid to curb risk when sating your own.

So, what’s this all about? Let me just clarify that the posts here are not reviews. No stars, hats, rubber chickens or directional thumbs will be awarded. The purpose of my ensuing installments is to recognise good people and places doing good work – simple. It’s food, not “foodie”. There will be a strong focus on coffee, as such expertise to which I may lay claim rest almost exclusively in this field. Most of the venues presented will be located in Adelaide, but posts may stray to those beyond the southern state, as do I on occasion. If you see something you like, go check them out. As an avid supporter of independent businesses I’ll be encouraging readers to break out and engage with new culinary / caffeinated opportunities.

I welcome your comments and openly encourage discussion, suggestions and rambling feedback, and will probably even engage you in swapping dumb abuse, as such a public format often invites.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again.

Be well, TV.

*Not a real promise.