ALIVE & WELL CAFE
There's a new cafe in Tumby Bay. It is situated in an old cottage, which sat vacant for a few months and has been beautifully restored into a completely charming eating place, inside and out. Outside are several tables built by reusing materials such as pallets. On the front veranda, there is a table for two (or one). Most tables in the front yard have umbrellas and there is a long table for larger groups. On each table is a circular piece of grass topped by flowers, salt and pepper, serviettes, and sugar.
At the time that I first started writing about Alive & Well, I was sitting in what was once the lounge (in Canada and the United States, it would be called the living room). The walls are white, the ceiling is high, giving the room a roomy feel, and the furnishings are simple but warm and welcoming. In the narrow hallway sits two antique classroom desks. What grabbed my heart was the federation fireplace, which got me running to the library after my lunch. I checked in several books and on-line and this was definitely a federation fireplace (my apologies for the absence of the photo). The federation era was also when this home is believed to be built. I asked one of the ladies who worked there when it was built and she said it was around 1922.
A beautiful group of ladies work here. Amy Clark is the owner of Alive & Well. Kat, Debs, Kristy, Somma, Leanne, Teagan, Ash, and Melinda join Amy in making Alive & Well not only a charming and warm environment, but keep customers nourished with not only delicious coffee and snacks, but nutritional and tasty breakfasts and lunches.
I have predominantly ordered Ice Coffees (complete with ice cream) but have also ordered their skinny flat whites. If you want snacks but don't want anything to be "too sweet", I say order the Bliss Balls or Raw Lemon Cheesecake. I have a major sweet tooth but loved that not one of the snacks made your teeth hurt from too much sugar.
The day that I first wanted to write about Alive & Well was the day I experienced one of their lunches. I had a quiche with a spinach salad mixed with walnuts. YUM! I hope that Amy will forgive me for not totally remembering what was the dressing was. It slips my mind right now.
On Sunday, March 20, 2016, Mike and Justin, both on guitars, provided live music. I put down my pen for a while and just listened. Mike performed the Sunday before with Kat, who adds to the warmth and good feeling, at the Farmer's market. Hopefully, sometime, there will be more music on a Sunday morning or any morning , and Kat will perform with her strong and beautiful voice. You never know what delights you will experience.
While you are at Alive & Well, don't forget to look into the room with the coffees and teas to take home as well as baskets, and tea cups and many other wonderful gifts for others as well as for yourself.
Alive & Well can be located on Spencer Street across from the Tumby Bay Uniting Church and Mitre 10. It is also only minutes from the waterfront.
Try it out! There's a reason that it is sometimes hard to find a place to sit. It's worth it.
