By Amy Van Veen (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: November 23, 2011
#103 – 2636 Montrose Avenue
Abbotsford, BC
604.746.1201
Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
North of the martial arts centre and around the corner from Captain Jack’s, Formaggio Fine Foods offers passers-by something savoury, something sweet and something simple. However, this “urban deli and cappuccino bar” had a preceding reputation for deliciousness and friendly service, which made my expectations, admittedly, slightly elevated.
Upon walking it, there isn’t as much grandeur and pretension as I would expect from a place that sells “fine foods” – which was a comfort. The simple part of their store is the minimalist décor and open atmosphere. A display cooler—almost the length of the restaurant—holds both savoury and sweet quality salads, paninis and treats, as well as a variety of gourmet cheeses for people to either get to-go or to enjoy in one of the handful of tables in the shop.
Their lunch menu offers incredibly reasonable options all for under $10, including paninis for $7, and lunch combos—soup and sandwich, etc.—for around $9. I decided on a tasty looking premade turkey, brie and spinach panini on focaccia bread because, well, who wouldn’t eat brie when it’s right in front of them? I’ll admit that individually all of the ingredients were scrumptious, but the sandwich itself was a little sparse. The bread—as flavourful as it was—overpowered the goodness of the brie and turkey, which was unfortunate.
The service of the gentleman behind the counter, though, made all the difference. There are just some people whose personalities are entirely suited for customer service, and combining that with his obvious knowledge on fine foods (specifically the fine selection of hard-to-find cheeses) made the slightly lacking sandwich that much better. This is definitely one of those places where if you go in unsure of what to order, the person behind the counter will help you analyze your way through the choices like a skilled therapist before helping you find just the right meal for the moment.
This bistro offers more than just cheese and lunches, though. They do outside catering (see the menu on their website) as well as pre-ordered meals for up to eight people – so if you want to fake your way to domestic glory, you could always call ahead, place an order and offer guests a home-cooked meal. They’ll be none the wiser – unless they find the take-out bag in your trash bin.
On the way towards the till, I had to succumb to the temptation of the brownie slice sitting in the cooler, calling my name. Dark chocolate with nuts and dark chocolate icing? Yes, please! The wonderful gent behind the counter—with his natural disposition for bistro service—made my day by warming it up and drizzling it with even more chocolate sauce before packaging it up to go.
Even though the sandwich was a little sparse, the quality of the ingredients, the price, and the fact that he gave me extra chocolate all made this a return-to spot. Additionally, the cheeses alone made me want to come back and sit in the corner with a plate of gruyere and gouda.
