Tomas, Cam and I just moved into a new house in the Fraser/Broadway area of Vancouver, so the target-area of nearby breakfast joints has changed. On this particular Saturday, none of us were feeling like going particularly far, so the options were limited. Most of the close places (Seb's, Lion's Den, Salt & Pepper) have already been subjects of this blog, but luckily, there was one option that we could all agree on. Say hello to Rhizome! Located on East Broadway, just off of Kingsway (317 East Broadway), Rhizome opened in June of 2006 and has become a mainstay of the area. Known as more than just a diet-inclusive cafe (I use that term to describe a venue that provides vegan/vegetarian food, while still serving meat), Rhizome is also a community meeting-spot and local art venue. They host everything from film screens and panel discussions to game nights and live music most Thursdays to Sundays, so there's never a dull moment at this place. On Saturdays and Sundays, they also have a brunch menu, as opposed to the regular daytime menu, so Saturday was the perfect day for The Team to hit Rhizome for the blog!
Stepping into Rhizome, the three of us were instantly taken in by the vibe of the place. We were greeted by pieces of art hung all over the walls and the chatter of people of all sorts. Almost immediately, one of the servers came up, took us to a table and got us our menus. Items varied from tofu scrambles and polenta to pancakes and their own take on eggs benny, Eggs Rhizomedict. While browsing our menus, we were brought water and coffee ($2.25, free refills only during brunch) and given a few more minutes to make our choices. It's always tough, when coming to a new breakfast venue, to decide on what to eat since you want to try it all! Eventually, we came to our decisions and put our orders in. The server took our menus and we took to enjoying our coffees (delicious, by the way!) and conversing. It wasn't long before our food began to arrive, along with a whole pitcher of water since we were drinking it at such an insane rate...
Tomas and Maria both chose the Chilaquiles, which is strips of corn tortillas scrambled with eggs in red salsa, topped with jack cheese and served with black beans.
In addition, Maria ordered a fruit cup, which was actually fresh fruit cut up, as opposed to that crap that comes out of a can. Also, Tomas took an order of veggie patties, on top of home-made biscuits, topped with miso gravy, just for the hell of it.
And, finally, I went with the Eggs Rhizomedict. Basically, take a classic benny, but instead of hollandaise sauce, it's topped with their own special-made squash sauce! It also came with pan-fried potatoes & yams and a side salad. I also ordered a side of chicken sausage, since I've never actually tried such a thing.
We all took a refill on our coffees and dug into our respective meals. My tongue was met by an explosion of flavours as I took the first bite of my benny. The squash sauce was sweet, but not too sweet, the eggs were done just right and the home-made biscuit was delicious. The salad was a standard mixed-green salad with a tasty dressing, while the potatoes/yams were cooked to perfection and didn't require any seasoning (a sure sign of well-done root veggies!) Meanwhile, Tomas inhaled his food, minus the veggie patties that he left for Maria and I to try, voicing his approval of his meal. Maria, being the Baby Snake that she is, fought to finish all of her food, but that doesn't mean that she didn't enjoy it! Each of us took turns tasting each others food as well, just to get a good range of opinions on the plates. The Chilaquiles were quite tasty, definitely a refined dish with the salsa and eggs striking an excellent balance in the recipe. By the time that I got to the veggie patties, I was full already, so I only had a half of one. All three of us agreed that the miso gravy was a bit strong and that the patties weren't quite what we expected. Still, they weren't bad by any means. I'm not a big miso gravy man, myself, so my opinion is a bit skewed. In the end, though, we all agreed upon an overall 4.5 Bacons, though I'd put it to a more realistic 4.9, since the only real complaint that we had was the patties. Otherwise, the service, ambiance, value and food quality was amazing! The overall bill was only about $30 or so, so you can't knock that, especially since we all left feeling pleasantly full. Plus, the ladies there were just plain amazing people. So yes, if you find yourself in need of a good brunch on a weekend, and you're in the area, I'd suggest Rhizome 100%!
Stay sharp, kids
Jesse
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