Rhizome Warms My Heart

Rhizome is a relatively new cafe on East Broadway by Main Street, but it's already developed quite a following in activist circles. It could be due to the local organic food they serve up; or the all the community events they host; or the meeting room they rent out on the cheap; or the ever-changing, often political, art on their walls; or simply the warmth of Lisa and Vinetta, the owners who always make time to chat whenever I go in - there's definitely a lot to love about this place.

Don't let the empty photo fool you, this place gets hopping at night and during the weekend brunch. I took this photo on a relatively slow Tuesday afternoon - I guess everyone was busy working.

Perusing the events schedule for the month there's everything from experimental jazz, to international women's day film screenings, to reports on Palestine and Venezuela, but my personal favourite is queer-friendly board game night. Damn, it was last night! I would have gone to that. Me and my Settlers of Catan.

Foodwise, it's pretty healthy fare. I almost always get the rice bowl (miso sauce and green beans with tofu and peppers) or the cheese and salami sandwich - which, as they point out on their menu, is not vegan. Thanks guys. The portions are a good size and feel "home-cooked" which is a term I never understand when used to describe restaurant food, but in this case it's actually accurate.

And what's with the name? You ask. It's a botanical term for a root system that grows horizontally, connecting seemingly separate plants. These seemingly unrelated individuals are actually all connected, through a system that's not immediately visible to the eye, they elaborate on their website. Appropriately, the thing I love best about Rhizome is that it really feels like a part of the community; I often run into lots of different people there, and it's evident from all the events scheduled that many community groups and organizations have taken to the place.

So if you're in the area I recommend checking it out, either for some tasty soup or a night of board games.

Rhizome Cafe
317 East Broadway, Vancouver
* Tuesday to Thursday: 11am -- 10pm
* Friday: 11am -- midnight
* Saturday: 10am -- midnight
* Sunday: 10am -- 8pm
* Saturday & Sunday: Brunch served till 3
* (Closed Mondays)