Karl Wells
It’s hard to believe, but the tiny vegetarian restaurant tucked away at the west end of Duckworth, the Sprout, has been around for almost a decade. … Time for a spruce up maybe?
It’s hard to believe, but the tiny vegetarian restaurant tucked away at the west end of Duckworth, the Sprout, has been around for almost a decade.
Having spent a few hours there recently, I can report that Julia Bloomquist’s hardy little project is still as popular as ever. It was a Friday night. All tables were taken by 6:30 p.m. and a steady influx of take-away customers came and went.
Clearly, the Sprout has attractions, but, for me, fewer than it used to. Don’t get me wrong — the food is still good and the service first-rate. My tepid enthusiasm is caused by menu fatigue, the Sprout’s fading décor and lower-voltage atmosphere. Not to be harsh, but the Sprout needs a make-over.
I realize that for many of the Sprout’s diehard customers, menu and décor change may be irrelevant, even undesirable.
Thoughtful change, as opposed to wholesale transformation, can be a good thing. Even steady, loyal customers move on. Being fresh and relevant is important when attempting to attract new clients.
Paper light shades lose their lustre and yellow; paint fades, furnishings become worn. A menu that contains the same dishes year after year can engender apathy on the part of diners and chefs. Consequently, dishes may lose that indefinable quality that made them taste extraordinary in the first place.
Universal staples
Modest food like hummus with homemade bread should always find a place on the menu. Bread is a universal staple, and any self-respecting vegetarian bistro would be wise to serve a hummus.
Slices of nutty brown baguette accompanied the bowl of grainy hummus placed on our table. It was the best kind of hummus: basic with an edge of garlic and lemon juice. Combined with the subtle sweetness and soft texture of the bread, it was a fine palate teaser.
Soup-making has been mastered by the Sprout’s cooks. My bowl of fresh, hot mushroom soup was richly flavoured. The quintessence of the domed treasures revealed itself with great clarity thanks to quality ingredients and skilful preparation. It turned out to be the best and most memorable dish I ordered that night. Happily a few more slices of the tender baguette accompanied the bisque.
The Beet Generation salad has been on the Sprout’s menu for as long as I can remember. I also remember it having a little more of an up-tempo beat than the one we were served.
Although I liked the bowl of greens topped with grated beet, grated carrot, crumbled feta and some sliced fruit, it lacked the exciting taste it used to have. It was the equivalent of going from 3D to 2D for me.
Foundered falafels
I enjoy classic deep-fried falafels but I was willing to give the Sprout’s “baked chickpea falafels” version a try. Deep-fried falafels are round, golden, and break open like an egg to reveal a moist, textured centre of signature Middle Eastern flavours. The Sprout’s baked falafels were cakes — with a fissured surface. They looked dull and heavy. Trouble was (condiments aside) those same adjectives applied to the entire falafel experience at the Sprout.
“Poutine with a twist” at the Sprout is a version featuring cubes of roasted potato and brown rice topped with miso gravy, grated veggies and, if you want, tofu, tempeh or spinach for an extra cost. It, too, was a weighty dish, but unlike the falafel the poutine was exceedingly flavourful. I had it with cooked slices of tofu. This dish might live up to the poutine moniker a little better if the potatos were cut like french fries and roasted, and if the amount of rice was reduced. I’d actually like to see a version without rice.
The Sprout offered a number of desserts sourced from various local bakers. I opted for the one made in-house, a rhubarb crisp. The rhubarb registered in abundance. Unfortunately, overall, this dessert was not enjoyable. It was stodgy and undercooked with the consistency of a thick, oldschool, cafeteria-style pudding.
A sprout symbolizes renewal, joy and hope for the future. Maybe it is time the Sprout restaurant took its namesake to heart.
The Sprout 364 Duckworth St. St. John’s Phone 579-5485