My partner stumbled upon Riverdale Perk Cafe, a little neighbourhood cafe near the park. The cafe has a vintage upscale ambiance. Like the store, the owner, Danielle is kind and charming. Everything is baked in house.
We came for brunch but unfortunately missed it by 2 minutes due to the line in front of us. Instead, we opted for lunch. We ordered the Kale Caesar salad, herbivore burger and matcha latte. While the matcha latte was not to our liking, the Kale Caesar and burger were right up our alley.
I really enjoyed the Spicy Kale Caesar ($12.5) topped with crispy chickpea, garlic chips, parmesan fricos, homemade croutons and smoked coconut "bacon" with sriracha and creamy caesar dressing. The various ingredients in the dish created a very unique textural experience.
My partner devoured the herbivore burger ($12) within seconds. The pattie consists of organic quinoa. bulgur wheat, lentils, almonds, beets and carrots. The burger is completed with cucumber, tomato, avocado mash, swiss cheese, alfalfa sprouts and cilantro lime aioli. He raved about the aioli.
Overall, we both really enjoyed our venture to Riverdale Perk Cafe. We will definitely be back for brunch!