Address and phone:
3191 E. Valencia Road, Suite 111, 294-4995
Specialty:
Espresso, pastries, sandwiches and salads
Hours:
6 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays
What was ordered:
Italian Chicken Wrap ($6.25), Terrific Tuna with Artichoke Panini ($6.25), House Blend coffee ($1.35) and bottled water ($1.25) for a
total of $16.32 including tax, well within our Cheap Eats goal of a meal for
two for under $20.
Comments:
Unless you count the
Starbucks on Irvington Road west of I-19, CaffeNation is the only South Side espresso joint for miles around. But I don't count Starbucks, especially when compared to this personable,
locally owned place.
More than a few people have probably never migrated past the Baggin's that
anchors the south end of this industrial-ish shopping center. CaffeNation is
just north of the much bigger Baggin's.
Aside from an ample selection of espresso, coffee, tea and breakfast
goodies, you'll encounter lunch fare that's a lot healthier than that
offered by most purveyors.
You won't find any beef here, and the only pork to be had is the bacon that
accompanies some of the sandwiches and wraps. The rest of the menu is fowl,
fish and vegetable.
The Terrific Tuna with Artichoke Panini came off as an upscale tuna melt.
The artichoke and sun-dried tomato within the well-grilled panini were
understated and almost indistinguishable. That was just fine as far as we
were concerned, as those supporting elements added depth without detracting
from the panini's tuna and American cheese.
Wraps are something of an enigma to my palate. I have yet to eat one that
really sang to me, but the Italian Chicken Wrap came pretty close. As with
the panini, the artichoke and pesto in the wrap were delicately gauged so as
not to obscure or upstage the diced chicken and provolone.
The side items were excellent. The marinated artichoke salad had nice hints
of fresh garlic and olives, and the provolone tomato salad was deliciously
spartan, with only basil and a mild balsamic vinaigrette added to the
julienned provolone and sliced tomatoes.
Show me a place that puts time, care and quality into its side salads, and
I'll show you a place worth patronizing.
Throw in good house coffee - notably better than Starbucks - and the fact
that your food comes on hard plates with silverware instead of foam and
plastic, and CaffeNation is well worth the extra time you might spend
finding it for the first time.
Service:
You order at the counter, and
staff bring your order to the table.
Bar:
no
Vegetarian options:
Several,
including the Mediterranean Wrap ($5.95) and Great Grilled Eggplant & Red Pepper
Sandwich ($5.95)
Currency:
Cash and credit
Takeout:
Yes, and delivery
Children's menu:
No
Web site: caffenation.com
Most recent health inspection:
An "Excellent" rating May 2. No critical violations were reported.
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