June 25, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Burns Lake, Dining
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It’s the little places that your remember most. A moment in time, the small stall on the side of the road with the best cherries, the little orchard farm with great pie. That’s the part of a vacation that you smile about when you remember it.
And so I smile when I think of the little trip my boyfriend and I took to the Burns Lake Alternative Arts Festival. It was a little overcast and rainy, but we hit Highway 16 to start the 1 ½ hour trip to Burns Lake. Once we got there we enjoyed student-created jokes, songs, videos, and dances until there was a break for lunch.
Being the sandwich-addicted people that we are, we set out to find a Subway and get back to the performances but unfortunately for us, the Town of Burns Lake does not have much in the way of fast food. Still on the hunt, we asked a local woman for directions and she told us the tragic truth of the matter: there was no Subway. She then directed us Redfern’s Coffee House which she said would have sandwiches and other foods that would be fast.
When we walked into the little café the first thing we noticed was that it was crowed. There were people everywhere; standing, sitting, waiting. We looked at the menu, written on a blackboard on the wall, and realized why: the food. There was every kind of bread, wrap, sandwich, meat, ice cream, smoothie, tea, and condiment that a person could create in their mind. I had an open-face roast beef bagel sandwich, and my boyfriend ordered the biggest sandwich he could get, with the works.
When we sat down, we had a minute to look around and saw that homemade purses, hats, scarves, and mittens lined the walls, as well as huge blackboards that explained the menu and the specials. It was comfortable, and unique.
The staff was completely accommodating to all our requests and we felt like we belonged there, and not just like we were visiting. By the atmosphere in the little café, you could tell that it was a special place to the community. As Visitor Counsellor in Vanderhoof, whenever people come in, that are heading in the Burns Lake direction, I always suggest they stop for lunch at Redfern’s Coffee House hoping they will have as great an experience as I did.