DoctorTeeth

I went to Friends & Neighbors Cafe for the first time this morning. I wanted breakfast, and decided to stroll down Whyte and see what struck my fancy. I popped in and it was almost dead, but five minutes after I got my seat about eight more parties came in for breakfast/lunch. Their menu could do with a little editing (for layout and spelling), but the food was great. I just ordered pancakes with eggs and bacon, and the pancakes were heavenly. Rich and fluffy, and very filling. The price seemed steep at first, but when I was finished I had definitely gotten what I’d paid for. Friends & Neighbors Cafe is an Old Strathcona institution (open since 1980) and I can see why. Recommended, for breakfast at least.

This is the place to go if you’re looking for deals on good produce, seventeen kinds of mustard, fresh baked goods, home-made perogies, arts and crafts, and above all, delicious sampling treats. Most of the people who wander through the bus barns are a little like distracted sheep on Valium, but if you can maneuver around them and not get too frustrated, it’s an excellent place to spend part of your morning. Today my fiancée and I got fresh yellow tomatoes ($3/lb) and green tomatoes ($2/lb), as well as a jar of Wasabi Pear Mustard ($6) and some pussy willow branches to decorate the apartment with. Definitely worth a visit; you’ll find something you like there.

Every time I go to the Oodle Noodle Box, I leave a happy man. I love noodles, and they serve them up hot, fast, and tasty, with an average price of $6.50 or $7.50 a box. It’s quickly becoming my favourite quick-stop restaurant in the Strathcona area. I try a new dish each time I go, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. The Thousand Year Flavour is lots of garlic with a little ginger sweetness; the Mongolian Stir Fry has just a little heat but you can always add more; and the Penang Laksa was heavenly. I was expecting it to be a little sweeter dish because of the coconut milk, but it was used to mellow the flavours rather than just add sweetness. The surroundings aren’t much to write home about: it’s a fast-food restaurant with only the barest minimum of tables and a few plants, but the atmosphere’s not the reason to go there. The Oodle Noodle Box is batting three-for-three, and now that I live only 2 blocks away, I’m going to have to go more often.