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Local Guides
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BAD DOG A GOOD CAFE
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by
Leanne Kemmler
March 17 – 23, 2005 |
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DESPITE THE HEAVY snow falling on
Hamilton last Saturday afternoon, I
dragged my family out to Locke Street
South for a little lunch. We went to the
Bad Dog Café. It is the kind of place I can
easily imagine in a west coast city like
Vancouver or Seattle: a laid–back eatery
with character and a conscience.
Let’s get one thing out of the way
straight off: I don’t drink coffee. Neither
does the MOTH (Man–Of–The–
House), nor the kiddo. Bad Dog Café is a
café and they serve a full menu of Fair
Trade and Organic coffees. I wish I could
tell you that I ordered the Chocolate
Hazelnut Latte that was on the daily
menu board, but I can’t. I can tell you,
however, that when I asked for a nice boring
cup of Orange Pekoe tea (chosen from
a bevy of options including herbals), the
cup was huge—exactly the way I like it.
So, now that I’ve confessed, let’s talk
about the food. I ordered the Cajun portobello
wrap ($6.50) and a half bowl
($2.50) of the daily soup: Moroccan Nine
Bean. The MOTH ordered a pressed
pesto chicken and artichoke sandwhich
($6.50) and the kiddo had a cheese quesadilla
($3.00).
The cheese quesadilla
came first. A
lightly grilled tortilla
filled with cheese, it
wasn’t particularly
tasty, but the kiddo
didn’t mind, dipping
the wedges into the happy face of ketchup
smiling from his plate.
The soup arrived next. Wow! This
hearty mix of beans and root vegetables in
a fragrant curry–based broth was delicious.
Two other diners had the soup while I was
there and I overheard them both raving
about it. What a nice change from the
standard soup choices at restaurants.
The Bad Dog Café offers a lot of vegetarian
options and goes one further by
offering vegetarians the chance to substitute
portobello mushrooms for meat in
any of their sandwich or wrap offerings.
The Cajun portobello wrap, with feta
cheese, definitely proves that vegetarian
doesn’t mean bland.
I had a couple of
problems with it,
though. Firstly, it
wasn’t so much spicy
as it was salty and it
featured a salty
cheese. It was so
salty I traded half with the MOTH.
Secondly, it was so moist that spicy juices
poured out as I tried to eat it.
The MOTH’s choice of sandwich was
more satisfying. The chicken artichoke
was accompanied by pesto mayo that perfectly
highlighted the subtle tastes of the
artichoke and chicken. The whole thing
was on lightly grilled multigrain bread. I
thought this was a really delicious and
innovative sandwich. Many of the sandwiches
featured similar interesting choices
of vegetables you might not think of
putting on a sandwich.
The kiddo and I shared a square of
fresh, yummy carrot cake for dessert. The
desserts, standard choices of squares like
Nanaimo bars and brownies, are brought
in from an outside bakery. I’d love to see
owners Nils and Jackie offer a vegan
option of sweet. Their other creations are
so tasty and vegan–friendly, it’s a shame
they leave out sweets.
One of the very cool things about the
Bad Dog Café is the bowl of dog biscuits
in the entranceway for their four–legged
patrons. In better weather, this is a great
destination for dog walkers looking for
chat and a snack.
Overall, I wish there were more
places like the Bad Dog Café in
Hamilton. It is reasonably priced, offers
interesting food and sports a comfortable
and eclectic décor that encourages conversation.
V
BAD DOG CAFE
229 Locke St. S.
Hamilton
905.524.5732
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