Bread is Pain

Santropol was my first instance here where someone referred to where they went as if I should already know about it, like asking for a Kleenex instead of a tissue. “Oh, we just had some Santropol, now we’re going to see a movie.” Who or what was Santropol? Turns out, a coffee shop, boasted by locals and local celebrities alike for its hip atmosphere and enormous sandwiches.

It is clear that Santropol caters to the leisure crowd – what other coffee shop could get away with opening for a coffee fix at 11:30? An eclectic blend of tables and chairs fill the converted house, with an incredibly hospitable terrace out back during the summer months. Not your ordinary terrace, Santropol’s features a koi pond and many decorative plants instead of maximizing table saturation, not only beautifying the space but allowing for relative privacy and comfort. No wonder it’s consistently rated one of the best in the city!

Santropol was founded in the late 70′s as a way of preserving an historic area of town that was rapidly being scheduled for demolition as businesses closed down. After painting the space and filling it with discarded neighborhood furniture, Santropol was born as an alternative cafe for the heavily concentrated student population. Cooking apparatus were out of the budget, so sandwiches and salads became the menu’s focus, and to this day the cafe doesn’t have a permit to do anything beyond boiling water. This still doesn’t stop them from making some tasty soups and a decent vegan chili. Across the street is Santropol Roulant, another of the saved buildings housing a community-organized sustainable meals on wheels program that delivers food to the elderly.

The sandwiches offered here are not what you’d usually find in cafes, like tiny bland paninis and meat on a bun. Instead, Santropol seems to have a rabid obsession with cream cheese, dolloping copious amounts onto a large portion of the selections which makes you wonder how they stay afloat. Mostly vegetarian choices, the sandwiches range from $7.50 – $9.50 and feature fresh, inventive combinations contained by hearty, wholesome bread. Some are locally inspired creations, like the Duluth, which comes with brie and blue cheese spread and tomatoes. The hazel brown fills the desires of the Nutella addicts with cream cheese, hazelnut butter and chocolate. My usual favorite is the Northern Lights, which comes with cream cheese, olives, a spice spread and roasted pecans, or the Sweet Root with carrots, coriander and raisins.

If you enjoy cream cheese as much as Santropol seems to, there is the option for Le Farfelu, a sophisticated bread basket with several choices of bread, crackers and other crispy things with your choice of cream cheese (plain, pesto, sun-dried tomato and garlic, blue cheese or Hungarian) or brie and blue cheese spread, veggie-pate or hummus for $8. It’s a bit of a carb load for one, but makes a nice thing to share over tea for two or more. They’ve since phased out my favorite part of the bread selection, delicious honey-sesame bread sticks that I’ve been unable to find elsewhere. The world can be so cruel.

Santropol roasts their own beans and has been my go-to place to pick up beans for home. Their coffee beans can be purchased by the pound, a real bargain for 100% organic, fair trade coffee at only $10. My personal favorite is the Mokala, a medium roast with a rich chocolate aroma, but I also like the Montrealaise, a somewhat mellower breakfast brew. Check out their Roaster’s Site for more information. A cup of filtered coffee only costs $1.25, so stop in and check it out.

For a sweet treat, milkshakes come in many varieties courtesy of flavored syrups for $4.50, sundaes and tartufo are available, but your best bet is probably a $5 slice of the cake of the day, carrot cake or cheesecake. Santropol is an ideal place to hang out for a while without feeling crowded or stuffy. It’s not even necessary to bring your own book, as a wide selection are available inside.