I’m so happy to see Café 59 open on Porter Avenue. The place is within walking distance of my house, and serves up quality wraps and salads at a reasonable price. They also have all sort of coffee and tea creations, including espresso, iced coffees, cappuccino, latte, mocha, chai, ice coffee, flavor shots, etc. Pick out your favorite mug, walk up to the coffee station, serve yourself and then head back for free in-house refills. The place is small, or quaint rather. The owners opened it up a bit more, and created a pleasantly stripped down version of their former spot on Allen Street – a friend of mine calls it “the Indie version”.
Café 59’s General Manager, Rachel Jaworski, tempted me with the award winning soups, the pastries, the miso and balsamic dressings (all prepared from scratch daily), but it was the Mediterranean wrap special that eventually spoke to me. Watching her prepare the wrap was a lesson in preparing a feast of flavors all rolled into one easy to eat sandwich. “The wraps are really big,” she explained. “We get our directions not to skimp on anything, and to make the best wrap that we can. It’s like a NY deli portion.”
It’s true. The wrap that was served up was a work of art. Now normally a wrap of this size consists of a good amount of filler (lettuce). And when you bite into it there’s a lot of doughy bread, and the ingredients are not evenly spread throughout. Not in this case. Rachel’s wrap was loaded with humus and exploding with perfectly positioned morsels. The olives and the feta shined, without becoming overpowering. Each bite contained a medley of flavors, and the wrap was fresh and light. There was not one disappointing aspect of my lunch.
To top it off, I ate outside on the patio, which I learned is somewhat dog friendly. Not that the dogs are allowed on the patio, though there is plenty of grassy areas for them to be stationed nearby. Plus, the staff puts out water bowls and sells gourmet dog biscuits. I was kicking myself that I didn’t bring my pooch around.
You can eat one of the satisfying wraps in-house, on the patio, or take it to go. Seating is limited, but the service is quick and efficient meaning that they can turn over the tables fairly quickly.
The only thing that I felt was missing at this location was a pressed juice or smoothie (instead of a Snapple or can of pop/soft drink). Maybe I’m just hooked on the pressed juices these days – I am always keeping an eye out for eateries that serve them. If you’re going to serve up wholesome, healthy food, then the drink options should reflect the rest of the offerings.
Café 59 on Porter | 388 Porter Avenue | Buffalo, New York | Mon-Fri 7am-3pm | Build your own sandwich/salads