OAKWOOD CAFE
Neighbourhood: South Osborne
Address: 660 Osborne Street
Phone: 204-45-4250
Entrees: $8 – $17
Modern cafes extend their sunny hospitality and coffee menu beyond sunshine hours, attracting brunchers, lunchers and evening eaters with eclectic homey dishes and casual demeanor. Such is the case at Oakwood Café, south Osborne’s community hotspot, providing coffee drinkers the comfort of familiar surroundings and the lure of being a regular.
The Oakwood, where friendly staff and charming simplicity are the backdrop to a menu with surprises in store, has been providing guests with fresh and scratch-made food, down to the soup broths and salad dressings since owner Wendy May took the reins nine years ago. Beet latkes, brisket dishes and creative renditions on breakfast demonstrate the kitchen’s forward-thinking focus.
Though enticing meals lure diners throughout the day, a reputation for imaginative breakfasts is well deserved. Ham accompanies the traditional egg and hollandaise sauce for an on-point version of eggs benedict. A meatless alternative swaps in tomatoes and avocado, for an equally perfect pairing with creamy hollandaise and egg yolk.
Prefer sweet to savoury for early day eats? Classic buttermilk or a stack of lemon poppyseed pancakes are golden and airy, and the addition of cinnamon honey butter and syrup and blueberry compote on the latter take these dishes to gourmet status. French toast makes an impression too. Even before the first bites are taken, aromatic warm spices tease the senses for the thick sliced griddled pumpkin bread.
Soups and sandwiches retain a rightful place as the comforting stars of a café lunch and Oakwood’s are all house made legit. Borscht arrives at the table with its classic companion – a dollop of sour cream. Colourful broth fills every spoonful with a perfect balance of sweet and sour.
While the selection of handhelds – from brisket to burgers – fulfils any craving, the aptly named ultimate grilled cheese creates fanatics with its addictive flavours. French bread, filled with multiple cheeses, bacon, caramelized onion and an unexpected layer of Dijon laced mashed potato soothes the soul on the weariest of days. Crisp, darkly cooked fries, round out the indulgent plate.
Pecan pie, a staple dessert on the rotating menu, served warm with vanilla ice cream leaves behind a lingering taste of syrupy custard and tender nuts – a time-honoured Riverview mainstay, worth crossing the city for.
