May. 21, 2008 - Issue #657: Willkommen!
Two Rooms Café
Double your pleasure at the Two Rooms Café
I pop in sporadically throughout the winter, but it’s just not the same; it’s the lure of all that deliciously fresh produce that begins to reemerge come April that consistently coaxes me out of bed earlier than my body deems appropriate. I needed sustenance before tackling the bustling crowds on this particular Saturday, so I decided to treat my daughter and myself to breakfast first.
It was the perfect morning to check out Two Rooms Café. I had never before ventured beyond the unassuming façade but, in my countless sojourns to Whyte Ave over the years, I was often intrigued by the quaint little patio perched out front and the tantalizing smells escaping from within. Parking was a non-issue at 8:30 in the morning so, in no time, we were climbing the wooden steps up to the entranceway of the old Dominion Hotel Building. Access to the café is from inside this ancient building, which, oddly enough, smelled overwhelmingly of fresh popcorn on this bright morning. I didn’t think it was coming from the café, but if it was, it wouldn’t be the first time I had indulged in popcorn for breakfast.
Once we opened the door to the café, the movie theatre scent was replaced with the heavenly aroma of fresh baking; the heady mixture of sugar, cinnamon and buttery goodness swirled enticingly around us, leaving no doubt in my mind that this was going to be a very good morning. We had our pick of the seven tables and my daughter immediately deposited herself at a big square one next to the huge window that overlooked Whyte Ave. I hastily dropped my stuff on the extra chair and made my way to the back of the café, lured by the amazing aroma and the sight of our waitress plucking enormous muffins from hot tins and carefully placing them into waiting wicker baskets.
The blueberry/bran and peach/apple muffins, all bursting with juicy chunks of fruit, had just come out of the oven and, right beyond the counter in one of the two wall ovens, we could see the lemon/yogurt/berry ones rising before our eyes. After inspecting the muffins a bit closer, we ordered a skim milk latté ($3) and a hot chocolate ($3) and made our way back to our table.
My daughter described the café as “brown,” but I would call it earthy and rustic. Brown was the dominant colour, though, and could be seen in multiple shades and textures throughout the café: the wooden tables and chairs, the brick walls, the painted pipes and the tile floor. Even the muted lighting seemed to have soft undertones of brown. The stark contrast of a simple, bright yellow or white flower on each table added a splash of colour and a homey touch.
The menu was a single page, with the breakfast offerings on one side and beverages on the other. Egg-y offerings dominate, but there’s also granola, scrambled tofu, toast and, of course, those muffins, which were doing such a stellar job of tormenting me. As amazing as the muffins smelled, it seemed like an egg-y kind of day, and the vegetarian version of the breakfast burrito ($11) sounded perfect. My daughter, wanting something sweet, was torn between having a lemon/yogurt/berry muffin ($2.25) or the Cinnamon-kissed French Toast ($11). The french toast won out, but only by a smidgen.
Our drinks came in large mugs, the kind that is perfect for wrapping cold hands around. My latté was wonderful; the right size, the right temperature, the right creaminess, the right everything. I would go back simply for one of those. My daughter’s hot chocolate looked sufficiently decadent, complete with billowy whipped cream and a dark chocolate drizzle. She detected a slightly unusually flavour (maple?) but was quite content.
As we sipped our drinks and watched Whyte Ave come to life, the café started to fill up. Early morning regulars, coming in for their weekly fix of a coffee and one of those muffins, were filtering in. Pretty soon everyone was munching away except us, the hazard of not ordering something that was already sitting there, begging to be eaten. Between sneaking jealous glances at the other diners and watching with interest as an industrious gentleman tried, in vain, to hose the senseless graffiti off the big yellow building across the street, the time passed quickly.
Just as I was debating the merits of absconding with someone else’s muffin, two square plates finally filled the empty space on our table. My burrito was a divine mixture of scrambled eggs, roasted red peppers, jalapenos, black beans and salsa, all jumbled together and wrapped up in a sun-dried tomato tortilla. My daughter, unaware that my scrumptious-looking grilled burrito contained the much dreaded (for her) salsa and jalapenos, begged for a bite. Half a burrito later, I declared it off-limits and quickly devoured the other half before she had a chance to complain. The crisp tortilla gave way to the pillow-y softness of the eggs, revealing a mellow, comforting interior that had bursts of intense flavour and hints of spice.
It’s supposed to come with home potatoes but I ordered it without—I’m just not a home potatoes type of person. I’m sure they’re perfectly respectable potatoes, but I was much happier with the leafy greens, topped with ripe strawberries and nectarine slices, which replaced them.
Because I was forced to share my burrito, I had unrestricted access to the french toast. Three big fat cinnamon-y slices topped with a tangy strawberry/blueberry sauce, a little pot of pure maple syrup and a couple mounds of velvety whipped cream proved to be a challenge even for the two of us. They were rich, moist, custard-y and sweet, and the cinnamon in them almost made me feel like I was eating an ultra-gooey cinnamon bun. Some did get left on the plate, but only because there was simply nowhere to put it.
By the time we had finished stuffing ourselves, there was a line of hungry people waiting to be fed, so we quickly grabbed a muffin to go (we couldn’t resist) and paid our bill. Besides, the farmers’ market, what got me up in the first place, was waiting. But with the discovery of Two Rooms Café, it may get even easier to haul myself out of bed on Saturday mornings. V
Mon - Fri (9:30 am - 8 pm)
Sat (8 am - 8 pm), (Sun 10 am - 8 pm)
Two Rooms Café
101 - 10324 - 82 Ave, 439.8386
More info about Two Rooms Café →
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