Local. Fresh. Healthy. It doesn’t get much better than that, especially when you’re surrounded by verdant fields of veggies and fruits, ready to be plucked and plated.

To keep things simple, just call it what it is: Real Food Cafe. This one’s in Creston, B.C., just north of the Idaho border. Though why these type of wholesome eateries aren’t more common in agricultural small towns is a mystery to me. It isn’t to the Creston locals, who have the cafe happily abuzz on a Friday evening.

There’s so much local stuff on Real Food’s menu, let’s just look, for simplicity’s sake, at what’s traveled a tiny distance for tonight’s specials. There’s the acorn and butternut squash for my earthy cup of soup. There’s watermelon in the salad, pear in the cake. Of course, I have to spoil things by ordering a quinoa and black bean burger, which is topped by local greens and a killer, house-made corn relish.

But perhaps the most impressive local thing about Real Food is the service. I seem to have two or three courteous, friendly waitresses attending to me—keeping my water glass topped up, asking if I’d like something to read while I wait all of five minutes for my meal, discreetly bringing an extra napkin when some leakage stains my face (that could be a full-time job).

They’re around so much, I can hardly take furtive pictures of my food. In fact, other than one blurry shot in a dimly lit room, I’m forced to solely focus on all the fresh flavours.

Real Food Cafe
223 10 Avenue, Creston, B.C.
Monday to Friday lunch 11 am-2 pm, dinner 4:30 pm-8 pm, Saturday 4:30 pm-8 pm. Sunday closed
250-428-8882