Finch’s Tea and Coffee House

As I sometimes do, I asked Twitter last week to recommend a place for me to head for lunch. I mean, I’m relatively adventurous when it comes to food and I’ll try just about anything at least once or else asking the internet to for advice might not seem like such a wise decision. @nicolb quickly recommended somewhere called Finch’s, seconded even quicker by @colene. I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about so I did a quick search on Google on my iPhone…which I totally didn’t do while driving…because I didn’t ask on Twitter while driving either.

Sandwiches? Alright…I was hoping for something a bit more substantial but sure, a baguette sounds pretty good. Downtown!? Dammit, I didn’t want to drive down there but it would be a good reason to head down for some shopping and then head to that deli I like on Commercial for some groceries.

Finch’s, like a few of the other places in the Gastown area, seems like it’s from a different era…like someone put me in a DeLorean and sent me back to Victorian times where the furniture is creaky wood and things are still written…in chalk…on actual chalkboards. Seriously, the entire menu is on old school chalkboards in antique looking frames. The place is small, quirky and charming. Think of what the tea party in Alice in Wonderland may have been if they cram it into a store…or maybe I’m just thinking that because one of the waitresses on her lunch break was sitting beside me wearing what I can only describe as a sort of Alice in Wonderland equivalent of a nurse or police officer outfit girls wear for Halloween. Anyways…

The menu consists of breakfast, salads, soup and sandwiches. I was slightly put off by all the vegetarian dishes, about to curse out Twitter for sending me somewhere that wouldn’t serve me delicious, delicious animal parts but then I saw the word “prosciutto” and I was sold. In the event that you don’t know, prosciutto is a dry-cured, uncooked (usually) Italian ham that is pretty much the greatest thing in the world. Served with bread or cheese or wine or fruit or freakin’ by itself, it is delicious.

Having eaten what has to be hundreds of baguettes with prosciutto and various ingredients during my time in Europe, I’ve come to the understanding that the fewer ingredients, the better so I picked the prosciutto with Edam, tomato, lettuce, oil and vinegar baguette. I would’ve ordered one with the pears since prosciutto and fruit go well together but pears give me a slight allergic reaction. Maybe some avocado and walnuts next time.

A note about Finch’s: they’re not what you call quick. In fact, there’s a sign there that tells you that they take their time to get it right and make sure that the food not only tastes good but looks good as well. Don’t expect your order to come quickly…so either wait or call ahead of time. I like that sort of thinking…and I wasn’t in a rush.

My baguette looked…well, look at it. It’s pretty, ain’t it? Everything looks sliced and cut to order rather that being pre-made. I almost felt bad when I tried to take a bite and figured that stuffing everything a bit further into the baguette would be a better way to do things. Each bite explodes with flavors that play well with each other. The salty prosciutto, the strong Edam cheese with the tang of the vinegar and the fresh veggies. It’s a fantastic sandwich and at only $7.95, a much better value than the conveyor belt crap you’d get from Subway or something at the same price. I couldn’t get enough of it…I actually wanted to order a second one to take with me but didn’t want to wait or I’d have to fight rush hour to get home.

Apart from the amazing sandwiches, Finch’s offers something that the Downtown core has very little of…a place to simply sit and relax. The slow sandwich making along with the environment makes for a calming experience. I don’t know if they have Wi-Fi or not but as I chowed down on my delicious baguette, I really didn’t care which says something for someone who can’t stand to be disconnected for more than a few seconds.

I was very happy with the baguette and I hear the soups are very good as well so I’d recommend you try Finch’s if you’re in the mood for a gourmet sandwich and some atmosphere.

in Food and Fine Dining