ive points for thouroughness to the brains behind Soma, the latest bid for home-spun culinary supremacy: If there’s a full-on restaurant that can be harvested from a humble café, best to suck every last ounce of culinary nectar out of it.


In attempts to capitalize on free word association among all desperate and culinary-challenged mothers out there (eg. "So Ma, what’s for dinner?"), Owner Jonathan Kerridge has re-branded the café with a menu full of hearty Canadian dishes, leaning toward the healthy side (no burgers and fries here).

It's interesting that into this flimsy fabric is woven a simple, understated lesson about the interdependent nature of nature. Previously known as a coffee bar, Soma now has a vibrant colour palette of a top-flight wine bar and bistro. Kerridge has aggressively changed the menu, and the aesthetics are more wine-bar modern, with a funky retro vibe. Actually, the new Soma is a lot like the old Soma except with a lamb shank substituting for a bran muffin.

Located in the big green house (green = healthy) on East 8th Ave, soft lighting and low ceilings now make this a cozy place for enjoying a bottle of red or a bowl of soup. Kerridge deserves credit for new visual flourishes, yet the restaurant mostly works because of the new menu.