WATERLOO’S CAFÉ 22 IS A WELCOMING OASIS,
Café 22 was a welcoming oasis on a blustery Tuesday in mid-April. Having arrived early for a lunch date with my husband and eldest son, I took advantage of the opportunity to sit and appreciate my surroundings.
The restaurant provides counter service so customers seat themselves. Although it was 1:30 in the afternoon, late for a typical lunch, the place was full and I sat at the only available table.
Split between two rooms, one half of the café is for seating, while the other half includes the service counter, and a few more tables by the window. Both rooms are charming and cozy.
There is plenty to admire from the tasteful lighting fixtures to the whimsical birds hanging from the ceiling near the window. There is an electric fireplace to provide warmth, and several shelves and breakfronts display a variety of books and accent pieces. It feels like a beautiful sitting room in an elegant home. And if you’re fortunate to sit by the large windows you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of King Street in uptown Waterloo.
Once we were all assembled we ordered our lunches at the counter. There is a large menu on the wall which describes the salads, wraps, made-to-order sandwiches, and “True Italian Paninis” available. You can also choose hot items which on this day were quiche, lasagna and two varieties of soup.
Our son chose to create his own sandwich and asked for ham, Swiss cheese, avocado, spinach and pesto mayo on a ciabatta bun ($8.50), along with an iced coffee ($2.70). My husband ordered the Chicken Barley soup ($5.50) and Cuban Panini ($8.50), and I chose the side Spinach Salad ($6.50) and Uptown Panini ($8.50).
There were three servers available behind the counter, including the owner. All were happy to answer any questions and make recommendations.
A large beverage dispenser with water containing slices of lemon was conveniently located at the end of the counter which was a nice touch. I had ordered a soft drink ($1.80) which was delivered along with a glass of ice at the same time as my son’s iced coffee arrived at the table.
When our lunches were delivered we were provided with cutlery neatly wrapped in a napkin. Their luncheon serving plates are heavy white porcelain which nicely matched the décor, and my husband’s soup was in an attractive mini soup tureen.
My Uptown panini contained grilled chicken, oven roasted tomato, aged cheddar, arugula and mayo. The large slices of ciabatta bread were perfectly toasted and the fillings were nicely warmed to blend the flavours.
My spinach salad was simple, but tasty. Baby spinach tossed with plenty of sliced fresh strawberries, toasted walnuts, mild goat’s cheese and a sweet dressing.
My husband’s Cuban panini contained ham, Italian salami, pickles, Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard. Again, it was grilled just enough to keep the bread tender and the fillings well combined. But the soup was the star of the show. The generous bowl filled with chicken, barley, and vegetables was excellent.
Food doesn’t last long around my son and his sandwich disappeared in a timely manner. Like the paninis, the bread was fresh and there were plenty of fillings. All sandwiches are served with a quartered dill pickle.
My son especially liked the iced coffee and Café 22 offers a wide selection of hot beverages, along with cold drinks.
There are numerous beautiful looking desserts displayed at the counter. I picked a slice of the Banana Chocolate Cake ($5), my husband ordered the Butter Tart ($3.80) and my son chose the Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart ($3.80).
Although they were good, none were great. All were made by a bakery in Toronto, but there are also house-made treats and next time I will chose one of those.
Café 22 takes simple ingredients and deftly combines them for an appealing lunch in a truly lovely setting.