In a hole in the wall, there lived a Hobbit’s Cafe. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor not quite dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means real, down home comfort.
The Hobbit Cafe is nestled behind BlueFin, right off Richmond Ave after Kirby and if you blink, you’ll miss it. Just like the Shire, it is unassuming and charming. For fans of Tolkien’s works, it is thrilling. Creaky wood floors and a large sunny patio are essential components of hobbit comfort (or ought to be), and the menu delights in nods to characters from both The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
A barrage of images from movies and art from professional fans adorn the walls. There’s a model hobbit hole in the lobby and a great, rustic, kingly chair, suitable for a Ranger-who-would-be-king (or perhaps something comfortable from Tom Bombadil’s house on the Withywindle).
But you don’t have to be a hardcore fan of the Hobbit Cafe to enjoy it. The food here is definitely something to gush about (which prevents it from just being a nostalgia dream for Middle-Earth aficionados). The shrimp rolls are to die for, and the portabella fajitas are basically grocery shopping because of the portion size. They even do fish tacos so right, they’re worth order to pick up and take home and eat in your bed. I’ve never done that, though…
All in all, it’s probably more fun to go with a fan. They can tell you about all the stuff that turns this café from just a place with delectable food to something more than novelty. It’s a loving homage to an epic story that started with some simple people who just love food.
No comments yet.