Warren W.
Yelp
I often forget that Cake exists. For one, as a carless non-driver, getting to Chestnut Hill is akin to a quick trip to Mars for me. When my late friend Dee was alive, this was a place she often wanted us to frequent. Dee was a vegetarian who thought onions and garlic did not agree with her. Whenever we went out to eat, as we were perusing the menu, she would lean over, point to an item and whisper, "Do you think this has onions or garlic in it?!" I cooked for Dee often enough to know that her gastric woes were brought on by eating too much too fast rather than ingesting alliums, so unless the menu offering said something obvious, like 'onion rings,' I would assure her she'd be fine ordering-and, of course, she always was.
So why Cake?
I am not a lover or even a liker of traditional American breakfast and brunch food. The protein in eggs does not agree with me, pancakes bore me, waffles are best if they're in potato form as fries and anything with gravy of any color on it makes me want to get up and run. I haven't gone back to Cake for the food after my first visit; I return for the atmosphere. It's heavenly.
Cake is in an atrium that was once a greenhouse for florists in the Chestnut Hill area. It's very Victorian in appearance and reminds me of The Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park only on a much smaller scale. It's airy, charming, light filled and bright, decorated with palms and a large working fountain. The splash, gurgle and whoosh of the water is soothing and calming as one sits in the sun, waiting for sustenance and caffeine. While Cake is just off Chestnut Hill's main cobbled street, it feels light years away from the big metropolis it is so close to and decades removed from the 21st century.
There is nothing on the menu I'd go out of my way to recommend. That doesn't mean the food is dreary or bad. It's simply very average food. Let it be known that I'd rather break my fast with a masala dosa or a plate of Vietnamese crispy garlic cat fish, so please take that into consideration as you read. Nothing to be found that's innovative or eye brow raising on the breakfast, brunch or lunch menus-scrambles, French toast, scones, frittata, quiche, a breakfast burrito, things with lox, salads, grilled cheese and a few types of burgers and standard sandwiches. Typical fare though fresh, prettily presented and portioned generously so you will not leave disgruntled or hungry. The service is efficient and friendly. I think the plants and the healing negative ions in the air from the fountain keep everyone-staff and diners-in fine spirits. I could be content and fulfilled any time, sitting in this atrium for hours, drinking pots of tea, picking at scones and having a long, delightfully hazy, uncontrolled mental zone. It's a restaurant, though, not a stay all day, faffing around online coffee shop and tables must be turned over in a timely fashion to make money, thus I have never worn out my welcome here. I have, however, frequently fantasized about getting "accidentally" locked in and spending the night under a palm, listening to the fountain, getting dozy and dreamy as I watched moonlight streaming in through the soaring atrium windows.
Cake is also a bakery which makes custom cakes to order from 6 to 10 inches. Cake does not take reservations and there is often an hour wait on weekends so plan accordingly. If your week's been harried, if you feel a need to escape the city but lack time and money, Cake is a great, graceful and affordable getaway to temporarily fix what is ailing you,