The Tomato Cafe

Yesterday for lunch Chris, myself, and a guest went to the Tomato Café in Kitsilano (www.tomatofreshfoodcafe.com). Upon entering, we were greeted almost immediately. It was a beautiful day and we really wanted to sit outside on the patio. When we asked if this would be possible, the hostess said there was no room, and so we agreed to sit inside. As we were headed towards a table, I noticed that among the empty tables on the patio, were two that could easily be put together, and asked if we could sit at those. She seemed reluctant, telling us that we would have to wait until one of them was cleared and they were set. (I think she may have been trying to spread customers around, so that servers with sections inside would also have tables.) We were quite happy to wait a few extra moments to get a seat outside.

While we waited, a server approached us, making sure that we were being helped. The attentiveness continued at the table. Our server came with waters very shortly after we were seated. We weren’t quite ready to order drinks, so he gave us a bit more time. When he came back we were actually ready to order meals as well. The server forgot my meal order, and came back to check before putting in the order, which I appreciated; it’s no bother for me to repeat my order, but it is a bother to get the wrong thing because a server decided to wing it.

We started with fresh juices. I ordered the Cleanse, Chris had the OG, and our guest had one with berries. Chris and I have been for lunch several times and I have never before ventured into the juices. Clearly, this is a serious oversight on my part, and one which I won’t make again. They were all delicious.

Our meals arrived very quickly. Chris ordered the Tomato Club with the potato salad as well a cup of the tomato fennel soup, our guest ordered the Italian Countryside sandwich (no side), and I had the crab cakes. The Tomato Club is a safe bet. Chris really likes it, and has ordered it multiple times. The turkey is clearly cooked onsite, and is very flavorful. (I personally find the club to be a little much. Back bacon is more meaty and less fatty than belly bacon, and the nature of the sandwich is really affected by the switch.) The soup was wonderful. The flavors were fresh and intense, to the point where a full bowl might have been too much. The potato salad was a little bland, something I’ve found to be true on previous visits as well. Our guest said his sandwich was quite tasty. It certainly looked good. I’ve been eying the crab cakes for our last few visits, but have been disinclined to try them. We spent several years South Carolina, a region that takes its food seriously, and where the crab cakes are a matter of pride. It almost wasn’t fair to order them yesterday, but my curiosity got the better of me. The cakes were somewhat small, with a nice crispy crust. There was very little filler in them, a good sign. They had a slight fishy scent, which made me leery. Fortunately, however, this was not reflected in the taste. They were, in fact, a little bland. Overall, they were perfectly passable crab cakes, but not remarkable, and not nearly as good as many others I’ve had. I doubt that I will order them again. (They were better than the Moroccan Turkey Burger, however, which I have ordered before and found to be quite dry.)

The Tomato Café uses fresh, local ingredients, and this is clear on the plate. However, that alone is not enough to make great food. In general, we have found their food to be good but not great. It is reasonably priced for lunch, and the juices are very tasty. It is in our general neighborhood, and as such, we will almost certainly go back. However, it is not the kind of lunch experience that we would go out of our way for, unlike Mistral, for instance. And we have been much less thrilled with dinner. When we eat out for dinner, we want food we can’t or won’t make at home, which can be anything from pho or carnitas tacos to a multi-course tasting menu. The Tomato Café just doesn’t deliver this for us. I know the cafe has received numerous rave reviews over the years, however, I suspect that this may be due to the relative novelty of their concept - a neighborhood place serving fresh and local food - in Vancouver when they started. But Vancouver has come a long way since then, and this is not so novel anymore. We are newcomers, and don't have the same allegiances. We just want good food.

In sum, the service was good, the food was fine, and the juices were great. Although we do not share the same level of enthusiasm as many others, we like this place well enough to return. For those who are interested, they have vegetarian options, and use Ocean Wise seafood.

2 thumbs.