There are some great places for eating in East Brunswick.
Rumi - 132 Lygon St +61 3 9388 8255. Seriously great middle eastern food. Menu changes frequently so difficult to recommend specific dishes. Mains are approx $10 - $20.
Small Block - 130 Lygon St +61 3 9381 2244. Fantastic place for breakfast. The bircher museli is excellent. The breakfast plate with homemade hashbrown and feta cheese is sublime. Be prepared to wait for a table on the weekends. But worth the wait.
Sugardough - 163 Lygon St +61 3 9380 4060. Quaint and lovely cafe. Another place that does a great breakfast.
The Alderman - 134 Lygon Street, +61 3 9380 9003. Low key, comfortable and cosy bar. Just like Fitzroy bars used to be like. Smal courtyard in the back. Food from Rumi (next door) can be ordered and delivered to the Alderman.
Easy to miss, but better you don't, The Green Refectory, (115 Sydney Road, Brunswick, tel (03) 9387 1150), serves great value homemade food, and quality Illy coffee to accompany it. I'm a fan of the gourmet salads, especially the tangy couscous salad with pumpkin, snow peas and heaps of mint, and eye off the homemade muffins, famous for their large and irregularly shape, for later. The crowd is eclectic mix of the Brunswick artsy crowd, univeristy students and young professionals pushing prams. I head to the outdoor area for a bit of space and it feels like I've stepped in someone's backyard, complete with garage at the back and outdoor toilet. Despite its non attendance in 'Signage 101' (look for the 'Illy' coffee sign that juts out from the front windows), the difficulty of locating this place hasn't affected its popularity at all.