Vancouver, city of bean snobs galore, has its fair share of noteworthy cafés. If you’re looking for an ethicallysourced, sustainably-grown, locally-roasted Peruvian dark, expressed from the anus of a cackling monkey and lovingly hand-polished by wee fairies, look no further than the corner of, well, any corner, and you’ll get your brew.
Most of these cafés, in addition to excellent coffee, also serve up a decent selection of baked goods; some made in-house, others sourced from local bakeries. A few notables take things a step further to offer actual meals that rival many of the casual – and even full-service – restaurants in town.
Matchstick Coffee is known for its lightly roasted quality beans, but is equally known for the house-baked bread and croissants. In fact, you’ll find their naturally leavened loaves and buttery, flaky croissants on café menus and in restaurant bread baskets all over town.
At any of its three locations, you’ll also find a hearty breakfast and lunch menu that includes soft-cooked eggs on toast. The latter can be ordered with slow-cooked pork, charmoula (a Middle Eastern herbed marinade) and pickled red onions, or smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese, or even baked beans and kale pesto.
The toast menu includes a lovely ricotta, apricot and lemon-honey version that pairs beautifully with a simple cup of joe. There is also a daily soup and salad, usually made with seasonal produce from Inner City Farms.
And, while the Earl Grey scones are fairly popular, the massive and delicate chocolate-chip cookies are the real stars of the baked goods display.
At Bows X Arrows on Fraser Street, chef Kris Barnholden (Latab, Mis Trucos) has revamped and expanded the menu into a full-service offering that includes breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner, with wines, cocktails, ciders and beers, as well as really great coffee.
A vegan minted-pea tartine on sourdough with sunflower cheese and radish is a fantastic twist on the rampant avocado toast. Spelt crepe with bacon, cheese sauce and puffed wild rice is a textural and flavourful symphony. Lamb ribs in apricot-black tea glaze are succulent and fall apart at the touch of the tines.
The menu varies slightly based on what’s available on any given day, but the mushroom rice is a staple that regulars have demanded all through the summer and fall.
My version on a recent visit was made with chanterelles and was topped with Barnholden’s famous “faux” egg. This version was soy-based and the “yolk” was soft and creamy, and spread satisfactorily over the risotto-style dish.
With more than a handful of vegan and vegetarian options, like the triple-cooked beets with fresh ricotta, there’s no shortage of options to pair with your coffee or a glass of Vermentino.
