Comfy Couches

More than just a place for gelato, Whole Lotta Gelato offers freshly made Whole Lot-a Panini(s) and Whole Lot-a Salad(s). Those who prefer customizing their orders can just fill out an order sheet at the side of the counter instead of choosing from the menu. You can choose up to 4 toppings for the Panini. If you love cheese like I do, you can request for two different types of cheeses and they’ll just give half-half. There are also large and small sizes for the salads. In addition, they offer kids’ meals like the PB & J meal. It includes a drink, toy, choice of chips/carrots/cucumber and bambino (which is…?) Heh.

Panini v.s Salad

Their generous portions always leave me with barely any room for dessert. Then again, there is always that separate compartment in the stomach for dessert eh! Not a fan of gelato? They have sweet crepes on the menu too. However, the crepe machine was not working the last time I went so I have yet to try their crepes. Furthermore, there is a sweeeet $12 all-you-can-eat deal. Paninis, Crepes, Salads and Gelato! Awesome!

Together with great coffee and a simple comforting meal, this gem offers a cheerful dining atmosphere and excellent service. It was my lunch buddy’s birthday on one of my visits so my server prepared a banana split as a surprise. However, he only realized there was no lighter in the restaurant after putting the candles on the banana. Hence, he came over with the unlit candles, sang the birthday song and told us to pretend to blow it. It was amusing and made my day.

You might not be in the mood for gelato due to the chilly weather recently. However, if you are looking for a healthy light meal, head over to Whole Lotta Gelato at the corner of Uptown Waterloo. Then again… Canadians do not consider it cold till it is -30degrees so yeeeaaahhh its gelato time!

Vincenzo’s moved from Belmont Village in Kitchener to the Bauer market place in Waterloo so I finally had a chance to visit. Its a locally owned Italian grocery store with a small cafe at the side. There are hot and cold options, serving sandwiches, salads and hot soups with daily features.

I went on a random Thursday after 2pm but it was still packed with the lunch time crowd. The queue system is interesting. You have to grab a number from the sandwich counter and they will beep the number when its your turn. Perhaps its meant to reduce overcrowding at the counters and customers will also be able browse around other sections while waiting in line. Might be a little confusing for first time customers but I think its a great idea. You also pay at a separate counter.

Easy steps to build your sandwich.

Heard a lot about their amazing breads and sandwiches. The variety available amazed me. They seem to have everything! I tried the Smoked Salmon Sandwich ($4.95).

After all, its just a sandwich so nothing much to comment about. Good ole’ comforting sandwich with generous servings of salmon and cheese. What pleased me was the effort put into making the sandwich. The server building my sandwich even replaced the original slices of cheese after trying several times because they did not fit well into the perimeter of the bread. Woaaah!

It is highly recommended check out the desserts if you have a sweet tooth like me. There is such a wide selection that I had to spend a looooong time analyzing all of them before deciding. The exorbitant prices of desserts always annoy me but once again, I had to order the Apple Caramel Cheesecake ($2.99) after getting bitten by the cheesecake-craving-bug.

Apples & Caramel bonus!

It was amazing. Two thumbs up!

It wasn’t too sweet, rich but not heavy, cheesy but not dense. Awesome. There’s apple filling in it too!

Vincenzo’s is definitely a place worth visiting. Might be a little crowded at lunch but the great sandwiches and excellent desserts are worth the wait. Get some exotic cheeses and freshly baked bread while you’re there!

At least they have nice doors.

I’ve read many reviews about the terrific food and terrible service at Hometown Eatery and was very prepared for them. Perhaps a little toooo prepared, both my visits were met with the total opposite. Perfect service and mediocre food.

My server’s name is Becca and she’s definitely one of the best server I’ve had in Waterloo so far – friendly, prompt and very welcoming. In addition, a lot of thought has been put into the menu. There are interesting names for dishes such as The KISS (Keep It Simple Sandwiches), Purple Velvet (Beet soup; daily special) and Yummy/Snoppy/Flirty Burgers. I tried the grilled salmon sandwich ($14) and gourmet grilled cheese sandwich with brie ($10).

$10 for a grilled cheese?

The exotic brie grilled cheese was definitely better than the grilled salmon, contrary to what I expected. It was warm and simple whereas the grilled salmon was dry. Hometown’s Eatery is supposedly famous for its cakes so I tried a strawberry cheesecake. Being a huge cheesecake fan, I was a little disappointed. It was okay, but nothing too fantastic. Perhaps the wrong cake?

If I ever return for another meal, it’ll definitely be for the cosy atmosphere, awesome service and quirky menu items. For the food? Meh, maybe not.

Also, it might be a bad idea to visit on an extremely cold day because they charge $1 for just a cup of warm water.

I come here for coffee and business meetings, so I decided to try it for lunch when my lawyer was in from out of town (no joke).   Their box lunch special is super flexible:  pick a sandwich, a salad, a drink, and some dessert.  The only thing I was disappointed with is that coffee isn’t an option on the drink choices menu for the lunch special!  Juice, milk, pop, water, basically anything but.

Options, Options

So I ordered the boxed lunch because it was 7.99+, no lie. A complete lunch for  under $10 is a blessing.   My choice was the turkey, with a mexican bean salad, and a brownie.  The standout was the bean salad, and I’d highly recommend it; cilantro with bean and light tomato, nice.

Boxed Lunch from Kava Bean

They apparently also have great chili, and the tuna wrap is solid.  I wish their cafe mocha used a slightly less sweet hot chocolate, but that’s a matter of preference, and probably more inline with the needs of the clientele.

One thing that I like about the Kava Bean (broad, sweeping generalisation) is that the people who eat there look like they work for a living.  The hurrying, the uniforms, the auto shop next door – the pace is human, and it makes lunch feel communal.

There is a really quaint English Tea room in the back where they serve a Prix Fixe offering at lunch.  Since it’s Friday a few co-workers and I decided to check it out.  We left with mixed feelings, mostly because it really could be a great $10 lunch experience.

Best Service Ever

Before I get into the food, I wanted to say that the service was fantastic. The server was polite, engaging, and knew when to take my stuff away. This is important when you’re serving three separate courses to a group of people, and is in line with what I’d expect at a “tea house.”  If you plan on being generous with the tip, the stupid debit machine is not set up for tipping.  It’s a small thing, but it turns me off when courtesies like that aren’t extended to the staff.

Sequentially Worse?

Onto the food. The $7.75+ Prix Fixe lunch seems like a great deal, especially given the environment (an upscale chocolate shop).  As each of the three courses came out, each was sequentially less impressive. The coffee, tea, and hot chocolate selection got us excited, and the people who got the hot chocolate won. The hot chocolate was delicious, not too sweet, a good Friday winter starter.  I got coffee like an idiot (also really good).

Look How Good the Menu Looks!

The soup, home-made ginger squash, was fantastic.    After that, the salad was fine but very barren. I commented that some walnuts or cranberries would dramatically improve the course.

The sandwich selection looked amazing on paper. It was tasty, but the presentation was poor (little sandwich, huge plate, following a meek salad). Looking around the table as the sandwiches came out, everyone had on that “Oh, that’s .. pleasant” face.  But once again, the service was great.

Put it Together

If I were to make one suggestion to the restaurateur: just serve the salad and sandwich together. They’re nothing special individually, but together it’d feel like a serious meal. Especially if the hungry plan on having a quick lunch.

Feel free to check out The Silver Spoon, and let me know your thoughts.  Everyone there seemed to be loving the atmosphere, as well as the slow and steady pace of a Friday afternoon.