The Coastal Cafe - Very Creative Eats for Sure

One of the keys to creativity is confidence.  In order to produce an exceptional and original product you have to be comfortable with who you are and know that what you are bringing to the table is outstanding.  This creativity and confidence is evident when visiting The Costal Cafe in Halifax.  

To quote their website  “We don't provide the ultimate dining experience, nor do we demonstrate pretentions over your latte. We are honest, and our simple mission is to provide the best food and coffee without any bullshit.”  I can tell you after a couple visits they achieve this.  The people are very friendly, they keep it warm and welcoming and as a result there is a wide cross section of people that eat there.  

I will tell you that I am no coffee expert, I know what i like and what I don't (Sorry Tim Horton’s but your coffee is sour to me).  There is something about the coffee here that makes it craveable.  I cant break it down for you so you will have to go try it yourself and comment back here and let me know what makes it so special.  It is however among the best I have ever had.

Now for the food.  I have been there for breakfast and not breakfast (this is what they call lunch).  Both times I have left with a big smile and was impressed with the little creative touches that they add to their food.

When we went for breakfast I had the Huevos Rancheros Toros Locos.  This is three eggs over easy on corn tortillas with fajita beef, black beans, guacamole and pico de gallo.  The tortillas were crispy and salty, the eggs were spot on (I hate over cooked eggs) and the balance of flavors was perfect.  The best little touch was the sour on the guacamole that perfectly set off the richness of the eggs, meat and cheese.

My dining companion had the Eggs Oslo, which is 2 beautifully poached eggs on a parsnip rosti (think thick potato pancake but better) on a butternut squash jam and a red wine cranberry syrup.  The eggs were cooked perfectly and the rosti was very flavorful.  The butternut squash jam was a first for me so I dipped in and tried it and it was sweet and flavorful.  The sour component of the dish was the red wine cranberry syrup which could have been a little more sour to our tastes but we both really enjoy sour.

I am a big fan of breakfast and I can honesty say this is the most interesting breakfast menu I have seen in a long time.  They have taken the time to put a lot of creativity into their food and it is worth the little extra that you pay.  Not only are you getting really good food which is fresh, local and well prepared but you are going to experience something new and wonderful each time you go there.  I can't wait for winter to end to see what their spring breakfast menu looks like.  Though I still have to work my way through the rest of their winter menu, hmmmm a foodies work is never done.

Now as a rule I do not blog about a restaurant unless I go at least twice.  So today I ventured over to have some not breakfast.  Again I was impressed with the little creative touches on the menu.  I ordered the Tempura Haddock Burger.  This is served with a ginger wasabi mayo and sesame peppers, a beautiful salad and some thin cut homemade fries tossed with fresh herbs.  The fish was perfectly cooked, moist and fresh.  The batter was crispy and it was served on a lightly toasted english muffin.  The peppers added a nice fresh element and the ginger wasabi mayo was a real flavor treat.  When I was served the fries I was asked if I wanted ketchup, after one tasted I declined so I could enjoy the taste of the potatoes and herbs.  The salad was fresh and light and beautifully dressed.  

If you want to have a special meal in an open, friendly and unique environment and if you enjoy creative well prepared food The Coastal Cafe needs to go on your list of places to try.  Click on the hyperlink at the top of the blog to go to their website and check out the menu, there will be something there you just have to try.