Images by Wayne Pearson
Food like nothing else in Adelaide. And your pets are welcome.
When you’re tired after a big week, there’s nothing better than having someone make you breakfast on the weekend, right? Pony and Cole’s all-day brekky menu is generous to say the least, and Nicolle Hahn’s work family will welcome you inside.
When you head out for a feed, you want to be sure you’re getting good value for money. It doesn’t matter if it’s your local or someplace new, it needs to be worth the effort. Pony and Cole is worth the effort!
Nic wants to offer you a food experience that you won’t get anywhere else in Adelaide. Her menu changes with the seasons, because she wants you to experience the freshest produce that SA has to offer when local producers are well-stocked. And once it hits her kitchen, Nicolle’s food is made by people who are passionate about this state and the hospitality industry. Pretty simple.
Nicolle grew up in the Riverland and followed her parents’ path into hotel management. This experience lit a fire in her, but Nic’s creative side kept beckoning her back to the kitchen, where she could express herself on a plate filled with colourful produce, bursting with BIG flavour!
Her apprenticeship refined her skills in the kitchen, but after years of working long hours doing what she loved, she thought it was time to do that for herself. When Nic and her partner, Julie, peered inside the old warehouse on Manton Street in Hindmarsh, they saw the potential of this magical place that looked like a time warp from the ‘60s. They cleaned it up, dropped in an industrial kitchen… and Pony and Cole was born in 2017!
And if you’re wondering what’s in a name? It’s named after Nicolle (Cole) and her sister, Simone (Pony), who’ve gone by these nicknames since they were kids.
NOT YOUR USUAL BREKKY MENU
Let’s face it, you can get smashed avo anywhere. But is it worth the drive to have something you’ve had a hundred times before, and even something you could easily knock up at home?
What you can’t get just anywhere: potato waffles with smoked salmon, cream cheese, chives and pickled red onion; pork belly benny on jalapeño cornbread, with sriracha hollandaise and baby spinach; grilled cauliflower steak with pesto vegan cheese, roasted baby tomatoes and smoked almonds; a BIG brekky salad with a poached egg and toasted almonds; or Hawaiian French toast comprising thick slices of brioche bread dipped in coconut milk and pineapple batter, griddled to golden perfection and topped with caramelised bananas, macadamias and a drizzle of passionfruit syrup.
FILL YER BOOTS AT LUNCHTIME
Choose from the likes of beer-battered flathead with chips and mushie peas; a falafel burger with all the trimmings; fish OR pork tacos with pico de gallo (Mexican salsa); harissa chicken skewers; panfried salmon on a beetroot salad; or a world-class steak sanga with Scotch fillet, beetroot relish, caramelised onion, salad, egg and cheddar cheese!
EVEN YOUR DOG WILL LOVE IT
There’s a level of guilt associated with a weekend outing when your pooch isn’t invited. It’s not nice, but hey, most cafes and restaurants aren’t pet friendly and what are you going to do — go without? But Pony and Cole is pet friendly, meaning you won’t need to grovel when you get home. Nicolle and Julie’s pooch, Fozzie, highly recommends hanging by the heaters in winter and enjoying a drink or two from the numerous water bowls for your furry family members, year-round. GIVING
BACK TO THE INDUSTRY
“Our community and staff are very important to me. So are apprenticeships because this is the next generation,” says Nicolle. It’s hard to find good staff, so when she finds them, she makes sure they know they’re valued because the experience is a huge part of what customers will remember when they eat at Pony and Cole. They’ll remember how the staff made them feel when they arrived, while they waited for their food, and as they left.
But what does Nicolle look for when staffing up? “I find that you have to pick people with really big hearts, who love to look after other people,” she says. “Skills can be taught; heart and soul are a gift.”
It’s Nicolle Hahn’s mission to make sure every guest leaves with a big smile on their face. The next time you’re in need of a welldeserved morning out, pack your appetite and if you have one, your pooch!
