People connect over great food at Langley cafe
It’s not often that a restaurant experience is punctuated by a singalong. (And I’m not talking about the Happy Birthday variety.)
But, that’s exactly what happened during a recent meal at the Water Shed Arts Cafe.
The bright, welcoming eatery, located in the middle of a strip mall in Walnut Grove, boasts a friendly, community vibe — so much so that when I’m a Believer by the Monkees came on and one of our party began to sing quietly to herself, a fellow diner heard her and joined in.
“You take the high notes and I’ll take the low,” he said with a smile. Yep, it’s that friendly.
While the singing scenario was an extraordinary occurrence for our group, when it was recounted later to the eatery’s chef/owner Jenn Cornish, she wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“We are an arts cafe that celebrates food and celebrates people and gives people a place to connect with one another,” she says proudly. “A place where there is art and people can perform.”
The idea of bringing people together in a “safe space” — where they can also eat good food — was what motivated Cornish to open the restaurant 10 years ago. Safe to say, the idea has been well received by her patrons.
“It’s crazy,” Cornish says of the milestone year. So, what’s the secret to a decade of success in the restaurant industry? According to Cornish, it’s not only about the food. But rather, it all comes down to the people.
“Part of what we do, is we want to know people,” she says. “Not just what they order, but also who they are.
“I think people are really important. I like caring for people. And giving people a place where they feel safe, can slow down and can connect, that’s really important. We don’t necessarily have that for us in the world.”
But, they can — and apparently do — find it at the Water Shed. Despite being past the lunch hour, there was a steady stream
of customers coming and going at the cafe, many of whom paused at the counter to chat at length with the eatery’s staff.
The counter-service option lends to the casual vibe, as do elements such as the mason jars used in place of other glasses for drinks, and the presence of art hanging for sale on the walls. In addition to lattes, coffee and teas ( both hot and cold), the Water Shed serves up trendy kombucha from Vancouver’s Hoochy Booch Kombucha.
A sign on the eatery’s front counter reminds visitors the food is made to order, so service may be a bit slow versus a fast-food option. Further differentiating itself from the drive-thru set, the restaurant sources a majority of its menu item ingredients from local producers and farms.
“To support other local businesses and other local food producers, I think, is incredibly important,” Cornish says. “And we have an incredible group of people in the Fraser Valley to pull from, so it would be silly not to do so because we have some of the best stuff you can get around.”
To continue with the “slowfood” mentality, the restaurant’s menu also is a bit slower than others to change.
“We try and change it probably every year,” Cornish says. “We always have specials, so those rotate quite a bit, but the actual menu changes probably every year or year and a half.”
It’s a quality that seems to lend to the cafe being a steady favourite among locals, with the sandwiches proving to be a popular choice with the post-breakfast crowd. The sandwiches feature bread that’s baked in-house using flour from Chilliwack favourite Anita’s Organics Mill and served with a side of oil-infused popcorn.
“We got connected with All of Oils, which is a local company,” Cornish explains of the side dish. “I wanted something different for the side because everyone does greens or soups. And I wanted something different.”
“And, our house is obsessed with popcorn, so we thought it would be really fun.”
The turkey Havarti ($6 for half, $11 for full) was delicious thanks to moist grilled turkey, gooey Havarti cheese and artichoke spread, all pressed between a deliciously crisp cranberry bread. Sadly, the savoury sandwich will soon be replaced with a chicken sandwich served on sour-cherry bread with chicken, pear, brie and sour cherry chutney.
While the decision to remove the sandwich from the menu will likely disappoint many regulars, Cornish said it was one she had to make due to her own ingredient-sourcing concerns.
“I’m a really strong believer that what we put in our body really matters. It nourishes us. And how we treat the Earth and animals is also really important,” she explains. “If we are serving animal, we want to know that it has had a good life and has been properly treated and properly butchered.”
While Cornish herself follows a plant-based diet, she say she’s not one to force the cafe’s visitors to be the same.
“I don’t want that to be in place at the restaurant because I want it to be a place where everyone can come and everyone can learn,” she says.
“If you are going to choose to eat meat, that’s great. Just think about it. And here’s a place where you can eat meat and know that we did research into where it’s coming from and how it’s treated.”
It’s this research that prompted Cornish to remove the muchloved menu item. She says she struggled to source turkey from a farm she felt comfortable with.
“It’s going to be sad for a lot of people,” she says of the menu removal. “But I can’t find anyone that I really love as far as how they treat (the turkeys).”
The toasted chevre, apple beet sandwich ($6 for half, $10 for full) features a thin spread of Milner Farm goat cheese with crisp pickled beets, arugula, apple and house-made onion jam, all of which combines to be simple and tasty. The flavours mixed well, although the sandwich could have benefited from being offered as an openfaced item rather than pinched between the two pieces of hearty whole-grain chia bread. The bread was a bit heavy and muted the delicate flavours on offer with the beets, apple and cheese.
The BLT+A ($6 for half, $11 for full), minus the avocado because of an allergy, was tasty, if a tad too light on the bacon. Our table agreed the sandwich could have benefited from a few more slices of the locally sourced pork that hails from Ennis Farms Meats of Langley. Forgoing another serving of the popcorn, we opted for the kale caesar salad ($11 for meal size; $6 as a side), which was crisp and well-dressed. The dressing, which is also crafted in-house by the Water Shed team using house aioli sauce with Parmesan, lemon and garlic, was neither too creamy nor too rich. The chopped kale leaves held up well to the dressing, maintaining a slight crunch, while tiny slices of red pepper added a nice touch.
“One of the things we do with that dish is we use spiced roasted chick peas,” Cornish explains of salad. “They give it a nice crunch without it being gluten. Without the croutons it’s gluten-free.”
With a big menu shift coming soon, she says visitors can expect to discover some exciting new additions on the menu this summer. The Water Shed will be adding new bowls and cutting down on sandwiches in the near future, as well as offering an expanded breakfast offering.
“It’s a bit more to play with,” Cornish says of the menu changes. “And I’m really excited about it.”