The Woodrack Cafe

It's been a long time since I've written a review of a new local business, so I'm excited to finally get back into the swing of things again. First of all, I can't believe it's already October! September flew by so quickly, and it won't be much longer before those beautiful fall colours on the trees disappear. October is also the month that I dread as a university student... why, you ask? Midterms!!! For me, October has always been a month with tons of midterms or assignments, which of course means a lot of studying to be done. Although I mostly study at home or at school, sometimes I enjoy venturing out to a locally-owned cafe for a change in scenery. That's where this post and future posts come in... I hope to share with you a couple cafes throughout Edmonton that would be perfect for studying in or for getting that caffeine fix to help you power through your lecture notes. And as usual, my posts will also be an overall review of the business I check out.

The Woodrack Cafe.

One cafe that has been on my list all summer is The Woodrack Cafe (7603 109 Street), which officially opened to the public just last Monday September 28th. While out kayaking, the owners - Melissa and Shammy - collected driftwood and placed it on the rack of their kayak's - that's how the name of this cafe was born! Located on 109 Street and 76 Avenue, it is only a few minutes away from the University of Alberta (and from Whyte Ave).

The interior.

The interior.

When I stepped inside the cafe, it was almost a full house (the above pictures were taken later on)! It was so nice to see a bustling space on their first day of operation... a good sign that The Woodrack Cafe is very much a welcome addition to the neighbourhood.

Comfy seating at The Woodrack Cafe.

Now let's talk about what really caught my eye when I walked in: the lovely decor and the atmosphere! The About section on their website describes the cafe as having a "relaxed boho style atmosphere", and I couldn't agree more. The room itself is spacious and modern, but the furniture and decor were what really gave off that perfect, cozy vibe throughout the entire cafe. The dream catchers hanging on the walls, the driftwood art, and (my personal favourite!) antler art on the tables and shelves looked absolutely gorgeous. I'm happy that the owners (who are also very friendly!) took their time in making their vision for this cafe come true!

Baked goodies!

Menu for Hot Drinks.

Menu for Cold Drinks.

There is a huge glass display case showcasing all the different baked goods they offer, but when I arrived just past 1:00 PM the case was almost empty! Talk about a very busy day for The Woodrack Cafe. The drink menus, neatly written in chalk on two blackboards hanging above the till, are easy to read and categorized into hot and cold drinks. The Woodrack Cafe features 3 brands of coffee: Danesi, an Italian roast, Edmonton's own ACE Coffee Roasters, and Anchored from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Chocolate Whoopie Pie.

I managed to score the very last Chocolate Whoopie Pie ($4.50) available! I'll admit that my goal coming in was to try this exact treat, so I'm quite lucky to have picked up the last one. Whoopie pies are The Woodrack Cafe's specialty, and I would say the one I tried tasted really good. Soft and a little crumbly, with a rich chocolate flavour all held together by a delicious, fluffy frosting. As a fan of all things chocolate, it's no surprise that this treat immediately became a new favourite.

12 oz Hott Chocolate.

Even though the weather was warm when I visited, I still ended up going for their 12 oz Hott Chocolate ($3.50). The drink was served with whipped cream in a beautiful mug featuring antlers! The Woodrack Cafe has a bunch of these mugs for sale as well (for $28), so I'm planning on purchasing one for myself during my next visit. The hot chocolate was on the sweeter side, but it was smooth with no shortage of chocolate flavour, just how I like it.

Earl Grey Shortbread.

CJ got Earl Grey Shortbread for himself, which looked delectable. I didn't end up trying it, but it was instantly devoured! A sign that it was quite tasty for sure. 

12 oz Iced Mocha.

To cool down, CJ went with the 12 oz Iced Mocha ($5.25) for his drink. Yet another drink served in a really pretty cup featuring antlers! These upcycled cups hand crafted by the owners themselves are also available to purchase too.

Pretty antler art found throughout the cafe, view from the couch.

Although CJ and I sat down at a table at first, we were lucky enough to eventually relocate over to the comfy couch facing the fireplace and large windows. There is definitely room for more than 2 people on the couch, and I think it would be a perfect spot to sit and read a book with a hot drink in hand. 

Take a book, leave a book. That's my own stuffed animal to the right!

The Woodrack Cafe has a lot to offer: in front of the other entrance (the one not facing 109 Street), there is a shelf filled with books with a sign reading "Take a Book, Leave a Book". Really cool to see! I didn't have a book with me to leave, but some of the books on the shelf looked like ones I would find myself picking up. 

View of the bar and shelf containing merchandise.

More items for purchase near the front entrance.

The Woodrack Cafe combines delicious baked goods and drinks with hand crafted merchandise available for purchase. T-shirts, cups, mugs, and even earrings are for sale! Furthermore, those beautiful dream catchers hanging by the window? The driftwood art? You can buy those too! You can tell that a lot of love and care went into creating them. 

Yummy!

I think The Woodrack Cafe is a great place for studying or getting work done because of the super cozy space and relaxed atmosphere. It's easy to get to from the University of Alberta which is bonus for me too (take bus 9 on 109 Street going to Southgate and get off at the stop just past 76 Avenue. Or walk, bike, or drive! They have a parking space). I have a feeling that I'll be making a lot of visits to The Woodrack Cafe this school year. And why wouldn't I want to hang out in a place that has tons of antler decor! Caribou/reindeer are one of my favourite animals after all. 

At the moment, The Woodrack Cafe is open from Monday to Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. They are currently working on extending their hours and eventually opening on weekends. I'm looking forward to that. Be sure to follow The Woodrack Cafe on Twitter (@TheWoodrackCafe), Instagram (@thewoodrackcafe), and like their Facebook page.

La Poutine

Hey everyone! It's the first Monday of March, and I've unfortunately caught a cold just in time for midterm season (bleh). So before I get back to that study grind, I thought I would write a short and sweet post about one of my favourite food places: La Poutine! 

The interior.

To put it simply: if you've never been to La Poutine, you're seriously missing out. Located along 109 Street in the Garneau neighbourhood, La Poutine is an eatery that specializes in poutine, which is also less formally known as the Canadian salad originating from Quebec. The combination of fries, gravy, and cheese curds is an all time favourite of mine. 

Our food.

I'll admit that the first time I went here, I was asked if I've ever had poutine before. I responded with, "Only the ones from New York Fries". I was then told I would be getting "real poutine" here, so I couldn't wait to see what it was like. At La Poutine, the fries are hand cut using russet potatoes and fried twice in canola oil, while the gravy is served as either traditional or Western style. The cheese curds are locally made and perfectly fresh. 

Supreme Poutine.

I normally get the Canadian Poutine whenever I come here, but on this particular day CJ and I told each other to try something new instead. I went for the regular sized Supreme Poutine ($8.50) which is listed under their Pork options. This particular poutine is topped with bacon bits, sour cream, and green onions. I love how La Poutine offers so many different kinds of poutine combinations: there is something for everyone! The traditional gravy was nice and light, the bacon bits were delicious and the amount added was spot on, and the sour cream and green onions provided more flavour and texture. Of course, the fries were beautifully crispy, and the cheese curds had the most satisfying squeak with every bite. 

BBQ Chicken Poutine.

CJ got himself the regular sized BBQ Chicken Poutine ($8.50), which is topped with roasted chicken breast and BBQ sauce. La Poutine also offers a large serving size, along with a choice of the traditional gravy, beef gravy (which is thicker and darker), and gluten free. I thought the BBQ chicken was quite flavourful and paired nicely with the rest of the poutine. CJ also commented how it was his first time feeling and hearing the cheese curds squeak in his mouth! I had mentioned that during the first few times we went, but he never understood what I meant until now. Yay! 

My fave. 

I highly recommend heading over to La Poutine the next time you have a poutine craving. You probably won't want to settle with another poutine from the food court after trying the ones here. The poutine is always light and delicious and doesn't leave me feeling icky afterwards. They also have some vegan and vegetarian options as well! There are only a few seats inside the place, so it's perfect for grabbing a lunch to go or for a casual date with a friend. La Poutine also offers a pretty good Groupon deal, so CJ and I tend to come here whenever the deal reappears again hehe. We're two big fans of the poutine here, as well as the music they play while we eat, so we will definitely continue visiting this eatery! 

It' Dog

The newest eatery in town? It' Dog! A Korean fusion joint specializing in gourmet hot dogs and fried chicken, It' Dog is located on 109th Street right beside Remedy Cafe and Movie Studio. I first heard about this place on Instagram and Twitter, when a few people posted pictures saying they had just opened on January 6th. Unsurprisingly, I took a visit here the next day with CJ. I guess you could say I like to stay on top of my #yegfood adventures, lol! 

The interior.

CJ and I left for It' Dog right after school. I really like how close this place is to the University Campus, so it's perfect to go to for lunch or for a bite during breaks in between classes. We were the only people there when we arrived, so we had a lot of time to take in the menu and the interior! 

The menu.

The menu at It' Dog is simple and quite easy to read. Their food includes hot dogs, fried chicken, and poutine, along with drinks such as pop, juice, or beer. It's clear that the hot dogs are the main focus of this eatery, considering that it takes up an entire board! There are definitely a lot of options... kimchi, bulgogi, and truffle mac and cheese were just a few of the hot dogs that intrigued me the most! 

Our hot dogs.

The hot dogs here are loaded with toppings! It was so fun to take pictures of them because CJ and I had never eaten hot dogs like this before. Not to mention that the colours of our food was so vibrant and pretty. Our hot dogs came out a bit slower than was expected, but it was probably because there were suddenly more and more people pouring into the eatery. We were both happy to have beaten the lunch rush. 

Crispy Chicken Dog.

I finally decided on the Crispy Chicken Dog ($7.50) for my hot dog. I wanted to try both the hot dog and the crispy chicken, and since this option incorporated both I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. The grilled beef sausage is also topped with lettuce, spicy mayo, and onion. At first, I was quite overwhelmed by how big this hot dog was (from my viewpoint, at least). How was I supposed to eat this and not cause everything to spill out! I ended up just cutting up the hot dog into pieces with a knife and fork. Yes I know, not fun at all. In terms of taste, I found the sausage to be bland and nothing special. Tasteless, almost. While the pretzel bun added a unique touch, I thought it was a bit dry and difficult to chew on. The spicy mayo had a subtle yet enjoyable heat - more sauce, please! The crispy chicken topping was the best part. So good and crunchy! Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) done right. 

It' Hot Dog.

CJ's pick was the It' Hot Dog ($10). This hot dog is topped with bulgogi, tempura shrimp, mushroom, caramelized onions, mozzarella cheese, green onion, and sweet wasabi mayo. This one was the most expensive hot dog option. During our trip here, I asked CJ to write a review of his food for me instead of me just asking him what he thought. He definitely had a lot to say: "The individual hot dog tastes like one that comes out of the can from the Dollar Store. I didn't like the mushy texture of it. The pretzel bun didn't work because it just absorbed too much. I felt my throat becoming drier while eating it. Everything else tastes like how you would expect it to. Overall, meh experience. 5/10 because it was $10 for a hot dog - a little bit too pricey for what it tastes like to me. However, this all may be due to me being sick and all my taste buds aren't here. It was hard for me to eat the hot dog when I would usually just scarf it down." 

Nomz.

The verdict on It' Dog? The food we got was just okay, but there is certainly some room for improvement! I think the combination of the toppings are what makes the hot dogs special, but the actual sausage and bun could use some work. I would come back here for the fried chicken for sure - it was awesome and even comparable to Coco's Deep Fried Chicken! It' Dog also offers sweet & spicy, sweet mustard, and soy garlic chicken for the fried chicken lovers out there. The pricing of the food is inexpensive overall, which is a plus for us university students haha. I personally think the convenient location and close proximity to the University make It' Dog a great place to go to for an after school lunch with friends. They are also open until 3:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays for any night owls. Give it a try!

Moonshine Doughnuts

Moonshine Doughnuts (https://www.facebook.com/moonshinedoughnuts/) is an Edmonton doughnut company founded in 2012 by Matthew and Simon. The doughnuts made are vegan-friendly, meaning they do not contain any dairy or eggs. They also make gluten-free doughnuts as well! I've taken the trip Downtown to visit the City Market a few times for the sole purpose of trying these doughnuts, and I've always been super happy and satisfied by them. So at the start of September when I found out that they would be at the University of Alberta Farmer's Market on Thursdays, I knew I had to take a quick trip over to the Students' Union Building (SUB) to pick up a new box of doughnuts! 

Moonshine Doughnuts.

One thing I love about Moonshine Doughnuts is that these doughnuts always look absolutely gorgeous! The glaze is a pretty vibrant colour, and the toppings add another layer of beauty to the treat. Like an art masterpiece, but in an edible form. For a pack of 4 doughnuts, it costs $10. Gluten-free doughnuts are $12. 

Hibiscus Rose.

The first doughnut I tried was the Hibiscus Rose. This doughnut has a vanilla cake base with a bright pink and sweet glaze on top. I found this doughnut to be a bit dry, but it was nice to have when washed down with a cup of cold milk. There was a pleasant yet assertive sweetness in the initial bite which later mellowed out in my mouth as well. 

Blueberry Chocolate.

Next up was the Blueberry Chocolate. I loved how the beautiful purple colours stood out against the deep brown chocolate cake base of this doughnut. The glaze itself was not too sweet but paired well with the chocolate cake, but I do wish that I got more blueberry flavour! 

Matcha Coconut.

Anything with matcha is bound to be a hit, and this Matcha Coconut doughnut definitely was! This doughnut has a vanilla cake base with a mellow green matcha glaze topped with shredded coconut. I don't usually go for treats with shredded coconut on them, but I found this one to be particularly addicting. The matcha and coconut was a surprisingly pleasant combination, and while the matcha came through nicely in the glaze, it was not too sweet either. 

Campfire S'mores.

Last but not least: the Campfire S'mores doughnut. I had seen many photos of this doughnut appear on Instagram with people raving about how good it was. Of course, I had to try out this doughnut for myself. Made with a chocolate cake base, this doughnut is very eye catching with the cute toasted marshmallow and graham crumbs on top. A few bites of this doughnut, and I was immediately in heaven. IT WAS SO GOOD!!! The chocolate flavour of the glaze was delicious, and the cake base was dense and velvety. I loved how the graham crumbs added a nice texture with every bite, and the subtle heat of the doughnut was amazing. This doughnut is by far the best one I've tried from Moonshine Doughnuts. I had initially planned on giving CJ half of this doughnut, but I couldn't help myself. I had to eat the entire thing. It was that good. 

Be sure to give Moonshine Doughnuts a try! They can be found at the City Market in Downtown, the 124 Street Grand Market, or the U of A Farmer's Market on select Thursdays. To stay up to date with this awesome doughnut company, follow their Instagram (@moonshinedoughnuts) or Twitter (@moonshinedough) pages. 

Qup Cafe

Qup Cafe (https://www.facebook.com/qupcafe) is a fairly new bubble tea establishment tucked away on 109th Street in the Garneau neighbourhood. It is within walking distance from the University, and since CJ and I were already there, I knew I wanted to check it out. Like a lot of the food places I've been to, I first heard about Qup Cafe on Instagram (@qupcafe). 

The interior.

Monopoly Wall.

To get into Qup Cafe, you have to open a small door on the street facing side of the building, which will then lead you up a narrow set of stairs. This place really takes "hidden gem" to the next level! The inside is on the smaller end, but it is quite cozy. There isn't a lot of decor except for the Monopoly Wall that adds a colourful and cute touch to the interior. 

The menu.

Along with bubble tea, Qup Cafe offers a variety of hot and cold Asian drinks, desserts, and a few savoury snacks. The food here is similar to the kind you would find at Dream Tea House. I knew I wanted to try their bubble tea along with a dessert. The servers were very friendly and we didn't have to wait too long for our food and drinks. 

Our food.

I was excited to get our huge bubble tea drinks, along with the food we had ordered! Time to dig in!

Make a Wish.

The first drink to come out was CJ's choice: the Make a Wish ($5.50), one of their Special Bubble Teas consisting of strawberry and peach. I thought the bright peachy pink colour was gorgeous, and I was of course impressed by the amount of bubble tea we got as well! After having a few sips of the drink, I could tell CJ didn't like it. He said it lacked a lot of sweetness, and that it was more on the icy side instead of milky. I tried some of this bubble tea, and I definitely agreed with him. 

Lovers and Friends.

The Special Bubble Tea I ordered was Lovers and Friends ($5.50), which has strawberry and banana. Let me just take a moment to say that the names of these bubble teas are really cute! Hehe. Compared to CJ's drink, Lovers and Friends was significantly better! The strawberry and banana were perfectly blended together, and the drink had just the right amount of creaminess and milkiness. I'm glad that I was able to add lychee pieces instead of tapioca balls to my drink as well. 

Green Onion Cake.

The first snack we tried was their Green Onion Cake ($5). CJ and I were immediately unimpressed when we saw this dish: it was essentially one thin piece of green onion cake cut into 8 tiny wedges. The portion of the food and the price did not match up with this snack at all. So overpriced for something so small! Later on, CJ told me that the pictures used on their menu was very deceptive. He thought that the green onion cake would be much larger based on the picture, so he felt that $5 was worth it. We found out that this certainly was not the case. You could buy larger pieces of green onion cakes at the grocery store or at any other restaurant and that would cost a lot less compared to what we had at Qup Cafe.

Egg Waffles.

For our sweet snack, I decided to get their Hong Kong Egg Waffles ($4.50). We got ours topped with icing sugar, cinnamon, and brown sugar. You could also add fruit for an extra $1.75, or chocolate or caramel drizzle for $1. I've seen a couple pictures of egg waffles all over Instagram, so I thought now would be a perfect time to try them for myself! I really enjoyed the light and simple taste of the waffle, and the toppings added a hint of sweetness. I personally felt I would have enjoyed this dessert more if we got some fruit or chocolate sauce with it though. 

Overall, Qup Cafe is a decent place to go to if you're having bubble tea cravings in the University area. This place is great for relaxing with friends after classes! They even have a variety of board games to play as well. Recently, they've added a couple of bubble tea flavours that sound delicious and are perfect for the holidays, so that's something I would be interested in trying next. Unfortunately, it's hard for me to get CJ to return here. He's not as forgiving of food places as I am, especially whenever he has a particularly negative experience. Since he didn't like his drink or the green onion cake, I definitely understand his reasoning to not come back. I also like didn't how overpriced the food was, so I'll probably just stick to bubble tea if I ever come back. However, I still believe Qup Cafe is worth a try if you're a bubble tea lover and want to hit up all of Edmonton's bubble tea spots! They are open everyday except on Tuesdays, so check them out!

Rosso Pizzeria

It seems that having a rainy day lunch on Thursdays with CJ is becoming the norm. Rain is nice and all, but I'm glad that this weekend had beautiful warm weather and sunshine! Last Thursday, we decided to check out Rosso Pizzeria (www.pizzeriarosso109.com) in the Garneau neighbourhood. It is within walking distance from the University of Alberta, which is always a plus in my opinion. CJ and I have been to almost all the food places in this area, so we thought it was time to cross off the remaining places on our list, starting with Rosso Pizzeria. 

We walked in to find ourselves in a somewhat tighter space, but we were greeted with a friendly welcome. We were told to sit wherever we'd like, so CJ chose a table in the corner to our immediate right from the entrance. Shortly after, the menus were brought over to us. 

Drinks and food menus.

Rosso Pizzeria offers antipasti, insalate (salads), paninis, and red and white pizzas for lunch. "OO" Organic flour is used for their pizza dough, which is then made to become a soft, thin pizza crust in their traditional Forno oven. The idea is similar to the pizzas served at Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, a pizza chain with many locations across Edmonton (and other cities). CJ and I wanted to get something small so we each got our own Pizzettas, which is a half sized pizza available during lunch from 11 to 3pm. 

Our drinks.

For drinks, CJ ordered a lemon iced tea while I got myself a San Pellegrino Aranciata beverage. I actually just wanted regular orange juice, but they didn't have any. Oh well, a sparkling fruit beverage is close enough. 

Our view.

We actually had a nice view of the central display area. I could see all their desserts lined up behind the glass display case, while I thought the drinks and glasses on the overhang above added a nice modern touch. It seems that all the seating inside are positioned to be around this central area. Rosso Pizzeria also has a patio, but since it was raining it was closed for the day. 

Our Pizzettas.

It only took a few minutes before our food arrived on our table! It looked and smelled delicious! For some reason CJ thought that the pizza would literally be half of a larger pizza, rather than a personal sized pizza. Sigh. 

Margherita Pizzetta.

The dish I ordered was their Margherita Pizzetta ($8). It is made with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella fior di latte, pecorino romano cheese, and is topped with fresh basil. To be honest, margherita pizzas are the only kind of pizzas I order at Italian Pizzerias. When we were still deciding on what to get, I even asked CJ if I should try something different, or stick with the margherita. He said to get something different, but instead of being adventurous I naturally stuck with my go-to choice. I promise I'll try something new next time! Anyways, I thought Rosso's Margherita Pizzetta tasted yummy! The crust was warm, soft, and had the right amount of chewiness. I really liked the taste of the fresh basil along with the rest of the pizza. I just wished that there was a bit more mozzarella cheese added on top! 

Prosciutto Cotto Pizzetta. 

Next to me, CJ was busy eating his Prosciutto Cotto Pizzetta ($10). This pizza rosso comes with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella fior di latte, Italian ham, and roasted wild mushrooms. CJ picked this dish because it had both ham and mushrooms, two of his favourite things to eat. I didn't get to try his food, but he didn't have any complaints while he eating. I knew he was still hungry afterwards though. I asked him later what he thought of his pizza, and he said that he prefers the pizza at Famoso better. Hmmm, fair enough. 

Overall, I would have to say that CJ and I had an enjoyable rainy day lunch at Rosso Pizzeria. The service was great, and our food was brought out to us in a fairly short amount of time. I personally thought my Margherita Pizzetta tasted good, despite there not being enough mozzarella cheese (in my opinion). Next time I'll want to try a different pizza (perhaps one of their Pizza Bianca?) and also their gelato for dessert! If you want to go to a place that serves traditional Neapolitan pizzas, I would definitely recommend Rosso Pizzeria. It's not as packed inside during lunch time like Famoso tends to be either. Next time you are in need of a tasty lunch (or breakfast or dinner!) and are in the Garneau or University area, head over here! 

Upper Crust Cafe

How do you like to spend a rainy day? I normally like to stay at home watching anime or playing video games, but there are some occasions where heading out is unavoidable. That was the case last Thursday, when CJ and I had some things to take care of at the University. We finished our errands just before noon, so we were trying to decide on a place to eat for lunch. I suggested a couple cafes in the Garneau area (within walking distance from the University), but of course CJ said no to all of them. He doesn't like cafes at all! He thinks the food there isn't very filling and is more expensive than at an actual restaurant. Even though I tell him some cafes serve "real food" and not just light snacks, he still never agrees to go to one. Sigh. You're so silly CJ!

We decided to go to High Level Diner. Walking in however, there was a line up to be seated. I wasn't sure how long the wait would be since it was lunch time (it seemed like a full house!), so I suggested to go somewhere else. After taking a minute or two to think about a different place to eat, CJ finally agreed to go to a nearby cafe! Yay! We stepped out into the rain (sadly without an umbrella) and headed over to Upper Crust Cafe (www.cafeuppercrust.ca), located just off 109th Street in the Garneau area. 

Upper Crust Cafe first opened their doors in 1986. Even though they've been around for awhile, I actually didn't really notice this place until my friend told me about it. We walked in to find ourselves in a fairly large room that was just as packed as High Level Diner. Fortunately, we were able to snag the last two seats!

The lunch menu.

The lunch menu at Upper Crust Cafe offers soups, salads, sandwiches, side orders and entrées. They also have a variety of red and white wines, beer and hot and cold beverages. Everything on their menu is reasonably priced, with every food item (including the entrées) being under $15! I decided to get their Spinach & Feta Quiche of the Day, while CJ got their Pan-Fried Chicken Breast. He also ordered their Soup of the Day. 

Waiting for the food to arrive gives the perfect opportunity to take in your surroundings. I noticed that our table wasn't really in the best position in the restaurant - CJ and I both felt that we were in the way of the servers and the other diners passing by. We even had to reposition our table and seats altogether. CJ also pointed out a blackboard that was behind me, which listed their Daily Specials including the specific Soup and Quiches of the Day. Instead of just a single flavour of quiche, they actually provided 3 or 4 options (Spinach & Feta being one of the options). Coming into the cafe, there is also a display to the right side that was filled with an assortment of pastries. Overall, this cafe gave off warm and inviting vibes. 

Quiche of the Day.

Our food arrived fairly quick despite the large volume of people coming in to eat. The Quiche of the Day ($12.95) is served with coleslaw and bread. There were also some cut vegetables on my plate as well. I went for the coleslaw first, and it was nothing special. It tasted like any regular coleslaw you could eat pretty much anywhere. I tried my Spinach & Feta Quiche next, and I thought it was okay. Like the coleslaw, it wasn't anything special but it was still very warm and hearty. The first couple bites of the quiche were good, but it slowly began to taste a bit unappetizing as I was working my way towards the crust. In between bites, I would help myself to some of the coleslaw to cut the rich taste of the quiche. Last but not least, the piece of bread. I really wish it was toasted! Having just a plain slice of bread on my plate wasn't appealing at all. Good thing our server gave us some butter!

Soup of the Day. 

While I was eating my food, CJ was busy with his Soup of the Day. Unfortunately, I'm not too sure what the Soup of the Day was! The blackboard behind me had it written down, but I didn't really take a second look at it. CJ ordered his Soup of the Day in a Bowl ($6), which came with a slice of bread. I asked CJ how he thought the soup was, and he said he wished it was more creamy. He let me sample some of his soup, and I agree. The soup was quite watery, rather than the creamy taste we were both expecting. Nevertheless, CJ finished all of it. 

Pan-Fried Chicken Breast.

With the soup gone, CJ started on his lunch entrée. The Pan-Fried Chicken Breast ($13.95) is served with rice, grilled vegetables, and sautéed mushrooms in a cream sauce. CJ offered me a piece of the chicken and the mushroom together in one bite, followed by some rice. I actually really liked how the chicken and mushroom tasted! The chicken was nice and moist, while the mushroom added that extra dimension of flavour in my bite. I would consider this dish to be a lot heartier and more comforting than the Quiche of the Day dish I ordered. 

Overall, I had a positive experience at Upper Crust Cafe. The food arrived at our table in a relatively short amount of time, and even though the taste wasn't mind blowing, it was still pretty decent. I thought this place was perfect for a rainy day lunch - something simple and comforting to warm up your belly. The main selling point for me would definitely be the price of the food! Obviously not cheap, but still not as expensive compared to some other cafes I've been to. If I were to return here, it would be for a light lunch. Maybe next time I'll even try some of their pastries!