TL;DR: Anyone in Brisbane will know it, even if they are not aware of it. This Sol Breads has shown the way for many a year, with the healthier option in getting some bakery items. There is a hippy sort of image to West End, and this certainly will help that idea stay alive. The cafe does the next logical thing, and partner the fresh produce with equally fresh breakfasts. It is all in a calm, friendly, and relaxed environment that is essentially the West End vibe defined. A really good reason exists for why the Sol Cafe is still with us while many competitors went the way of the dodo.
You know it is an institution when the reputation of a place manages to go beyond its target audience. While the vegan diet has gotten more traction recently, the scene is not anything new. You could find a few places around this nape of the woods - Brisbane's West End.
Overall of these years, this has been present since I started so many years ago. That might not be so strange in itself, but this has been one of the big fixtures in West End which used to be my stomping grounds as well. Well, the case today is that I finally made it here - whether it was anywhere in my mind or not. We are talking none other than Sol Breads. Go to any fresh produce market around Brisbane, you are bound to see someone selling their products.
It was the usual business on Sunday, which is going out to get some breakfast. Also by the usual business, it meant one thing for my housemate. While I was essentially dead to the world, he walked into the room with the airhorn prepped and ready to blast. One big blast from the door and I was up and ready in less than five minutes.
He was shaking it up this week, trekking to West End this time around. You got to rotate it sometimes, to keep it fresh and not to run through all the places in one area. It wasn't in the main stretch but the back area. It came down to the usual razor edge of two places, and since it was way more welcoming Sol Bread's won out in the end.
A level of customer service that you know will be good from the get-go is when they first notice you at the door. What might be better yet is when you arrive just a bit early, since how they address that can and will make a degree of difference. Such was the case with the housemate and me.
There is both the cafe and the actual bakery at this location. The cafe opens just a bit earlier as opposed to the bakery. Neither of us was aware, and it was a great perp to the morning. As per usual, I was looking inside and perusing the menu. It was to gander whether or not to give it a go.
In a situation such as this, customer service presents a big opportunity for the waitstaff. One of the best aspects of good customer services is how they react when a client steps right through the door. It is even better if they catch you before that happens, beckoning you inside. This came about when I was giving the menu outside the bakery a little read, and the owner of the cafe noticed the two of us looking interested. Upon that, he went and beckoned us into the cafe which was enough to settle down for something to eat.
It only looks like a corner shop from the outside; walking into Sol Breads reveals a small coffee shop/cafe kind of setting. This is the sort of architecture that works wonders with hot environments from its spaciousness and the way that it held in the breeze from the outside. They had a wonderful choice in music, opting for a mixture of lounge music, jazz, and a general relaxing vibe. What was best about the setting was a hidden gem, the side door leading to a garden.
Saying that this is a vegan place might not be entirely correct. If you are a meat-eater or like the eggs, they are still present in a small way. Let's just say it is one of the easiest locations around town to score something healthy, and not struggle too much as a vegan. A lot of the menu is decidedly simple, focuses much on fresh produce and ensuring that it is healthy. They have got to go against that preconceived notion.
Much of the fare is hot, along with one or two colder treats. From what I can remember, they have a range of sweet treats in the cabinet, but if not they would certainly be available in the bakery section along with their famous variety of bread.
Getting onto their drinks menu, the main foot forward is both tea and coffee. Dedicated care is done with both - as we have Cleanskins coffee for their brew and beans, and loose-leaf tea from Mayde as the tea leaves, and a rare third dedication with chai tea from a company purely dedicated to chai. With the cold stuff, they have pressed juices, flavoured waters, cold coffee, milkshakes along with their ilk, and smoothies.
The coffee machine was ready to go first, with the kitchen soon to open. It was a hot day outside, so few things sounded as inviting as a cold coffee. Ergo, one of those black and unsweetened was the first deal of business. Some coffee blends go better with the cold-press variety than others, and Cleanskins easily falls into the good category. It is something to do with its cleaner flavour and smoother texture. Plus, if any chemist cares to explain why, the coffee tends to get more concentrated and come across stronger upon getting chilled. That in itself is a bonus.
When it came time for the meal, I decided on the cauliflower, feta, and herb fritter. The fritter is pan-fried, with some house-roasted capsicum, and an almond dip, along with garlic-infused kale. As an extra, I ordered some ham on the side.
This was a delicious meal. I was having a hard time finishing it since the portion was so generous. That is not often that I say it, and even so, I don't like to mince words. Everything on the plate popped wonderfully. This is a visual treat to behold, and each bite is anything but bland. Even a big carnivore would be made to admit to that, side of ham on the plate or not.
You could easily detect what the vegetables were. The cooks also went for a slightly Indian approach in spicing them up a little bit. The cheese had melted somewhat, to the extent that feta can melt, plus the capsicum at that cooking stage where it was a little sweet. While I can't give any proper opinion about kale, what opinion I can give is that garlic will always liven up a dish. Rounding it all out, the portion of ham was generous and definitely tasted better than what could be brought from the store.
This cafe is not necessarily a scene that attracts me all that much, yet when credit due it ought to be due. A good start to any breakfast out is going to give some brownie points, to begin with, and that in turn, likely showcases care for other areas of quality. The garden vibe is lovely and relaxing, particularly from their choice of music playing. Being out in the open, having the quiet ambient noise plus the cool shade of the trees is a hard combination to beat. It essentially went out of its way to ensure good customer service, and that each client enjoys their stay to the fullest extent. When it comes to West End, there is a reason that some of their greatest hits have been around for decades - here is one of them.
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