REVIEW- Cadence

Cadence
6407 Bowness Road NW

The Burger
This past Sunday, I stopped by Cadence for the first time, and managed to maneuver my way through about a hundred cyclists (the place was overrun with them, as I'm guessing is often the case on weekends) to a table. The atmosphere is a real mix between classic diner (vinyl chairs and shiny, chrome-trimmed tables) and coffee house (orders are placed at the counter, and java is the sole intent of many who enter), and as such, I was not too sure what to expect from their burgers. Diners, on one hand, traditionally have some of the best burgers, while coffee houses... not so much. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. A thick and juicy patty, accompanied by a melty slice of real cheddar cheese and expertly-done bacon (just the right amount of crispy). Whole leaf lettuce and a good* slice of tomato added to the burger nicely, but its strongest feature was the bun.

*You will learn, as more of my reviews are posted, that the tomato is a total deal breaker for me; if it's ripe, red, juicy and flavourful, it can add greatly to the burger, but if it's green and hard, the burger is surely doomed.

Whole wheat and almost certainly freshly baked that day, with nuts and seeds that added a wonderful texture, this was one of the better hamburger buns I've had. And bun quality should not be underestimated. All in all, a very good burger I would certainly order again, although perhaps not on my very next visit, as they had some grilled sandwiches and wraps which looked mighty tasty! 8.5

"Home Fries"
These were in no way french fries, but instead were hashbrown-like, large potato chunks not unlike those served at the many Nellie's breakfast places around Calgary. They were better than Nellie's (which isn't difficult, as I find Nellie's hashbrowns to be their weak point), and added nicely to the meal as a whole.

Coffee
Cadence reps their coffee as being "superfine". It was. The Oso Negro dark roast (grown organically in Nelson, BC) I had was one of the best (2! free refills!) cups of coffee I have had in a long time - highly recommended.

Price
Reasonable, considering the diner-like atmosphere and set-up. $$