By Amy Van Veen (The Cascade) – Email
Date Posted: October 25, 2011
Print Edition: October 19, 2011
20349 88 Avenue
Langley, BC V1M 2K5
604.882.0651
Prices: up to $8
Hours: Mon 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tues – Thurs 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Coffee shops are not exactly in short supply. The Fraser Valley is littered with Starbucks stores, Wired Monk locations and City Blends Coffee and Tea Houses. It seems that once a new shop starts doing well, the logical thing is to expand and chain it up. While this can be nice for consistency and knowing what to expect, sometimes the consistency and expectation ruin the whole idea of a coffee shop.
It would be ideal to have a Central Perk in every community – something a little different, something not chained, and something where people can come and hang out and actually have conversations with one another instead of plugging into one of the many convenient wall outlets to get their work done with their iPods blaring in their ears.
The Water Shed Arts Café in Walnut Grove is considered one of these places. Despite the rather clichéd feeling of a coffee shop that serves sandwiches, sells local art and has local events – it’s becoming rare to find a spot that does this authentically. It seems to be a shtick for businesses to play this up – especially for chains to play this up – so in this The Water Shed does offer something unique.
The atmosphere in this little shop was very friendly. There are some shops that have an exclusive feeling where new patrons feel like outsiders and the regulars get all the best treatment. While there were some fairly obvious regulars in this place, I wasn’t treated with any less amiability because it was my first visit. The long and narrow floor plan of the store offers more intimate seating in the back with more private tables and open couches and comfy chair seating to be discovered upon first stepping through the door. Also in the front of the cafe, couches and chairs have the advantage of a full and cozy fireplace.
While the shop itself was perfectly pleasant, the fare was lacking. Granted they served my favourite tea – Mighty Leaf – and I got to enjoy a cup of Bombay chai in an extra-large mug, but even something as powerfully named as Mighty Leaf couldn’t save the unsurprising cuisine.
I ordered a turkey and Havarti panini, which was rather interestingly made with raisin bread – the menu said it was cranberry, but what I tasted was definitely raisin. I certainly had the option to add a side for $3, but the rather diminutive size of the sandwich made me wonder how it cost $7.
The ingredients of the panini seemed to be of quality and the idea of turkey and Havarti should always be a good one – but I found the choice of the bread to overwhelm the contents of the sandwich. I couldn’t help but think the dish I had ordered was plagued with mediocrity.
This café is not one to be searched out for the food. The food is almost an aside to the atmosphere they’re selling. The Water Shed can be rented out as a venue and its complementary combination of openness in the front and intimacy in the back would make for a rather enjoyable social gathering – but, like with many coffee shops, the food is not the main attraction, it’s the casual experience of friendly socialization.
If a UFV student happens to live in the Langley area and they don’t want to be one of a million vying for a table or chair in one of the many Starbucks around 88 Ave, then it would be foolish not to take advantage of The Water Shed for some quiet studying, a friendly smile and a good cup of tea.
