The Yellow Deli
Neighbourhood: St. Boniface
Address: 490 Des Meurons
Phone: 204-453-5156
Entrees: $6-$10
Fiddle music and the aroma of baking welcome visitors into The Yellow Deli. Enveloped by wholesome décor, St. Boniface’s breakfast and lunch crowds perch around tucked-away tables to enjoy simple sandwiches and salads made fresh.
Though located on industrial Des Meurons, the deli seems hewn out of the inside of a mighty oak. Sunshine pours through frilly cotton curtains, brightening each eating nook fashioned from raw-edged wood and bedecked with macramé.
The café’s hippie-Hobbiton design matches its modest but well-executed menu. The Yellow Deli adheres to a scratch-made philosophy, starting with an impressive list of freshly baked bread, including onion and egg rolls and spelt loafs. Tender lamb roasted in-house and pairs well sandwiched with crisp cucumbers and lettuce. The Reuben satisfies with layers of corned beef stuffed between warm—not fried—rye bread.
A side of mild chili delivers heaps of kidney beans, cheese and juicy ground beef while the vegetarian breakfast “spinwich” smothers a spinach and egg patty with parmesan, cheddar and pepperjack on a fluffy egg roll, brightened by bits of roasted red pepper. A cumin-spiced lentil patty lends the veggie burger a kick, accentuated by chipotle mayo.
Locally grown produce provides the backbone of the menu, which abounds with seasonal veggies and fruit. Three salad varieties—all generously portioned—begin with a base of mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots and cheese. Red onion and peppers rest on top, julienned into eye-catching rings. From there, diners can add cashews and craisins with a sweet vinaigrette or croutons, turkey and olives doused in a creamy house dressing. Housemade granola offers more than a basic breakfast bowl, especially when topping a fruit-bursting parfait.
Along with the full-service café, the space houses a retail section catering to home cooks with healthful tastes. Bulk ingredients including Himalayan salt and Saltana raisins line one wall. Other shelves are stocked with supplements, Manitoba-made snacks and boxes of organic yerba maté.
The Yellow Deli creates a warm and otherworldly dining experience with its homespun eats and treehouse-like atmosphere.
