What's cookin' up next?

April 15, 2022

Dear Blog,

Today was a great day in the neighborhood. I'm currently working towards finding the chef and former owner of that famous café that I fell in love with when I lived in my first apartment when I moved to BC.

The café, formerly known as "Tutti Frutti Coffee Shop," has since closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a decline in customers which led to no income for the business to stay afloat. The mom and son restaurant was famously known for their breakfast sandwiches and comfortable vibe that vibrated through the establishment.

The place consisted of a total of 5 tables which were ALWAYS full. Getting a seat was first come first serve before their 3 p.m. daily close.

I used to order my food to go to eat at home, which was around the corner from the café. I was young and really scared to eat at a table alone or come off as lonely. But then I fell in love with the energy every time I walked in. I encouraged my family to eat there once and from there, we became regulars. We ate there so often, one morning the owner took our photo and framed it on the wall.

This was the kind of place you'd walk into and the waitress, the mom of the joint, would already put your order in for the chef, the son, to get started making. She'd come to our table look at me and say, "so, the delicioso panini with salad and a water?" and I'd smile and say "of course," every time.

That salad was to die for! House made avocado dressing, fresh spinach and kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, and sometimes carrots, it was AMAZING! And the panini? Bacon, chicken breast and mozzarella cheese all pressed into a panini cut into a perfect diagonal triangle. I felt like a sophisticated child-adult because of how excited this place made me. It was the highlight of my week every week.

When I moved I wasn't as a consistent customer as I would've liked to be, which made me even sadder when I discovered they were shut down after the pandemic. So, I'd love to catch up with the mom and son and see how they've been post pandemic and if they have any plans to reopen in the near future.