If
you are looking for a nice spot to grab a quick, casual lunch and your
dietary leanings are gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan- I
enthusiastically recommend The Smallflower.
The Smallflower
is a gluten-free, vegan-friendly bakery, sandwich shop and retail space
in Gastown (on E Hastings near Acme Cafe and Save On Meats.)
Smallflower is affiliated with The Wallflower Modern Diner on Main
Street and that menu features many many vegetarian, vegan and gluten
free options. See a previous posts on Wallfower here and here.
Smallflower
is also a retail space with a wide array of vegan and gluten free
products. Gluten free ice cream cones- check. Faux smoked salmon-check.
Artisan Kombacha- check. Milkless Milk Chocolate Bars- WHAT?
At
the counter, it’s a feast for the eyes with gorgeous, freshly baked
gluten free goodies. Apple Crumble Pie, Sticky Buns, Raspberry Chocolate
Cake, Peanut butter cupcakes, Krispy Squares….all looked delightful.
This
is a small space and the three large communal tables were all full when
we arrived so if asked if we could pull up chairs and sit at the
counter. The staff said it was no problem and helped to set it up.
I
ordered the Veggie Melt Sandwich ($6) with a side of their quinoa salad
($2). I really really liked my sandwich. Made on house made focaccia is
was toasted and grilled in a panini press. The bread had a lovely
crunch and wonderful herbacious flavour. Eating mainly vegan means I’m
not used to eating any kind of “melt” so to have a sandwich with that
texture and cheesy taste was a nice treat. I loved the pesto hummus
spread. This was nearly sandwich perfection….if the veggies inside
(mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes) were grilled or cooked. The raw veggies
slipped out a bit and I just think grilled veggies with a softer texture
would make for a perfect bite with some added smoky flavour. Just my
opinion. But over all a great sandwich. The quinoa salad was light and
refreshing, although I found the sesame lime dressing nice…it was a bit
mild for my taste.
My
dining buddy ordered an Apple Bacon Cheddar Sandwich ($7) and added a
soup (for $2 extra- soup of the day was apple carrot ginger). She loved
everything!
The
staff are LOVELY here. They are friendly and ENTHUSIASTIC about their
food and their products. The nice people behind the food made the dining
experience even better! Good food, reasonable prices, and nice staff=
great lunch.