Rebecca H.
Yelp
This place is absolutely incredible. We came here for lunch during the week after it was recommended to me by a colleague. It's inside a mall-like structure that also contains a bookstore, a clothing store, and a really unique store selling cacti and other foliage.
It's a counter-order type of place and there are a TON of choices on the menu. There's baked stuff, breads, coffees, breakfast pastries, breakfast sandwiches, regular-lunch sandwiches, soups, salads, EVERYTHING. Much to my liking, they also have a drink menu.
We stood awkwardly taking up space in the queue area, mulling over the menu-items written in chalk above the cash register. I ultimately decided on the Apple Cranberry Mule with vodka, apple cider, cranberry juice, ginger beer, and topped off with a handful of craisins. COB ordered her standard bloody mary.
Now for the food, the online menu is literally so small it requires a microscope to read so excuse me if I get some shit wrong on here. Only over my dead body would I pass up an order of the olive & herb toast with whipped feta, oo, and herbs. I planned on ordering one of their breakfast specials: the veggie breakfast sandwich. Unfortunately, they were not still serving breakfast at the apparently inappropriate time of like 11, so I had to think fast and switch up my order. It wasn't difficult, as the devil on my shoulder had been whispering "grilled cheese" since we entered the place. Tina surprised me actually with her order of the vegetarian sandwich. We were handed a number and scooted into the dining room to choose a table.
The dining room is a topic of conversation in of itself. Firstly, it's huge. It's very rustic with wooden chairs and tables of different styles and heights. We were able to snag a booth against the window with striking views of downtown Worcester.
Our drinks were brought over to us. Mine was fantastic. It was sweet and refreshing without being overwhelming. That sucker didn't last 20 min on the table. Tina's bloody was very spicy and she was still wrestling with it at the end of our meal.
The olive and herb toast was incredible. Olive-flavor was very adequately represented. The feta was whipped to the consistency of a light cloud. The olive oil drizzle enhanced the seasoning.
We decided to split our sandwiches. The vegetarian is a wonderfully fresh sandwich with a nice, thick layer of spring mix greens, oven roasted red peppers, eggplant, goat cheese, and a layer of goat cheese with a schmear of white bean spread on rustic, whole-grain bread. I'm usually not losing my shit over eggplant but it was nice here, not too overwhelming. The goat cheese and white bean spread added another dimension to the ingredients of the sandwich. This is a great choice on the menu.
The grilled cheese is on the crispiest, crunchiest bread I've ever had the pleasure of ripping into with my chompers. They grilled that shit to absolute perfection. The cheddar is plentiful and gooey but the flavor is not very prominent. It's more of a texture than a strong component of the sandwich. The real star of the show was the apple mash or whatever that word I can't see on the menu is. It was not overwhelmingly sweet and I actually enjoyed it in a grilled cheese more than I would think. The bread was a raisin bread and the whole hodgepodge of flavor was really unusual.
I would also like to add that ordering and paying for the food first is great. I love getting that shitty part of the meal over with.
The food here was fantastic. I will absolutely be back to sample some of their coffees, pastries, and more of the food.