I was on Whyte Avenue today, looking for a nice place to take a friend for lunch. She's a north side-er and not used to going out to eat, so the job of choosing a place fell to me. I will admit, the choice was largely contingent on wherever I was able to find parking.
Luckily for us both, there was a spot right in front of Two Rooms Cafe. Located in a beautiful old heritage building on Whyte and 103rd Street, the cafe has a small interior - 5 or 6 tables - with an open kitchen and a pretty, atmospheric waterfall.
The real beauty of this spot, though, is the patio seating outside. Looking out at the legendary Princess Theatre and the (in)famous Commercial Hotel and Blues on Whyte, my friend and I had prime people-watching views in either direction of the avenue. The heat was sweltering but we were safe under the shade of Two Rooms' broad umbrellas.
Our server was friendly and helpful. She came out right away with ice water for us both and when I couldn't decide between the grilled portabella mushroom or the prosciutto panini, she was quick to offer advice and informed me that the mushroom sandwich was, in fact, her favourite on the small but creative menu. My grilled sandwich was fresh and prepared with lettuce, tomato, feta cheese, and avocado spread. My friend had the grilled chicken sandwich that came on fresh multigrain bread. We both chose the house salad on the side, which came with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, shredded carrots, and a house-made buttermilk herb vinaigrette served on the side.
When I went inside to pay I got a good look at their dessert case and was tempted by a sumptuous looking lemon poppy seed thingy. Turned out it was lemon poppy seed cheesecake, topped with local honey. I got a slice to go and brought it over to some friends who live in the neighbourhood. They were spending their afternoon of sunshine sorting a year's worth of bottles and cans and I figured they could use a little something sweet.
All told, the beaming sun shone down on me on my encounter with Two Rooms. While I was pouring over the dessert case I also noticed that it was lined with a very decent assortment of local, microbrewed, and imported beers. I will have to come back to incorporate them into my next sunny day on the patio at Two Rooms.
Luckily for us both, there was a spot right in front of Two Rooms Cafe. Located in a beautiful old heritage building on Whyte and 103rd Street, the cafe has a small interior - 5 or 6 tables - with an open kitchen and a pretty, atmospheric waterfall.
The real beauty of this spot, though, is the patio seating outside. Looking out at the legendary Princess Theatre and the (in)famous Commercial Hotel and Blues on Whyte, my friend and I had prime people-watching views in either direction of the avenue. The heat was sweltering but we were safe under the shade of Two Rooms' broad umbrellas.
Our server was friendly and helpful. She came out right away with ice water for us both and when I couldn't decide between the grilled portabella mushroom or the prosciutto panini, she was quick to offer advice and informed me that the mushroom sandwich was, in fact, her favourite on the small but creative menu. My grilled sandwich was fresh and prepared with lettuce, tomato, feta cheese, and avocado spread. My friend had the grilled chicken sandwich that came on fresh multigrain bread. We both chose the house salad on the side, which came with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, shredded carrots, and a house-made buttermilk herb vinaigrette served on the side.
When I went inside to pay I got a good look at their dessert case and was tempted by a sumptuous looking lemon poppy seed thingy. Turned out it was lemon poppy seed cheesecake, topped with local honey. I got a slice to go and brought it over to some friends who live in the neighbourhood. They were spending their afternoon of sunshine sorting a year's worth of bottles and cans and I figured they could use a little something sweet.
All told, the beaming sun shone down on me on my encounter with Two Rooms. While I was pouring over the dessert case I also noticed that it was lined with a very decent assortment of local, microbrewed, and imported beers. I will have to come back to incorporate them into my next sunny day on the patio at Two Rooms.
It has been brought to my attention that the weeping wall, as it is apparently called, at Two Rooms is in need of a little bit of grout and a lot of tender loving care.
ReplyDeleteI would like to learn how to make a weeping wall. If anyone is putting fountains in backyards or anything like that this summer, any chance you could count me in to watch you do it?