University Cafe: Busiest Cafe in Palo Alto
Located downtown Palo Alto on University Avenue
, University Cafe bustles with activity. Businessmen, kids, elderly seniors-people all around Palo Alto gather around this center of communication and socialization.
From the outside, the University Cafe appears more as a magnificent building than as an ordinary to-go cafe like Starbucks. Tables and chairs set up outside the cafe are occupied with people and their conversations.The giant peach-colored stone architecture sets the foundation of the cafe, with unique designs embellishing the grand cafe.
A thin red carpet extends from the entrance of the cafe toward the back, where the kitchen and bathrooms are located. The front desk lines sideways on the right hand side, dividing the interior into halves. Tables and chairs are evenly spaced from one another and are set in the front half of the cafe, continuing outside on the street. Intricate carvings on the stone and exotic plants surround the Mediterranean atmosphere. A beam of light is presented by an opening in the roof covered with glass, which allows the warm sunshine to spread across the restaurant.
Unfortunately, it is hard to communicate with people in the cafe because of the high noise levels. It can be quite annoying when trying to have a nice conversation with company, but some people like the busy, bustling atmosphere for it gives them a sense of excitement.
Most of the waiters are very amiable and welcoming. Because of the busy hour, a short wait should be expected. Menus were given out and orders were taken relatively efficiently, considering the numerous amount of customers the cafe is serving at all at once. The entrees took around fifteen minutes to get the table, which looked delicious.
The menu was wonderful and relatively easy to understand. It offered a range of foods- from soups and salads ($6-$8) as appetizers to mac and cheese, burritos, and steaks ($9-$16) as full course meals. A wide variety of drinks include milkshakes and fountain drinks.
However, instead of indicating the price in dollars ($) by the food item, only a number was printed between the parentheses. Furthermore, the dessert menu didn't even have a price by the item, which is a shame because it creates unnecessary confusion and frustration among customers.
The tomato soup (small $4, large $6) was delicious. Served with fresh sourdough bread and butter, the soup's perfect blend into a thick, smooth and velvety texture melts in your mouth and slips down your throat effortlessly. Topped with parsley, cheese, and bits of bacon as finishing touches of presentation, the bright orange tomato soup should be given kudos for its tangy, sweet and sour taste. The sourdough bread has a soft, spongy interior but baked to a perfect crunchy exterior. The bread is especially tasty dipped in the warm tomato soup, which softens the exterior and satiates your appetite.
University Cafe seems to fill many of their dishes with salad. As boring as salad may sound, their Citris Field Greens ($8) is an unique combination of salad, nuts, fruit, and cheese that won't let you down. It is served with sourdough bread and butter as well, like the tomato soup. The salad is composed beautifully, like a piece of artwork. The salad leaves laid the basis of the dish, topped with light dressing evenly spread among them. Circumscribing the greens are fresh, cleanly cut mandarin orange slices and grapefruit. On top, the finishing touch of bits of cottage cheese and sugar coated walnuts establish the finishing touches of the exotic dish.
The Chicken Fajita Wrap ($11) was a bit messy to handle, but is delicious. The familiar Mexican synthesis of chicken, salsa, guacamole, rice, chili, and green and red peppers combined with mushrooms wrapped in a classic tortilla yields a wonderful sensation of Mexican-American viands. The big fajita wrap is cut into two halves, and served with salad. Unfortunately, the grease and oil from the fajita soak through the wrap, which makes it a messy job to eat. Despite the difficulty of handing the fajita, the dish is still savory.
University Cafe's Mac and Cheese ($10) is probably one of the best entrees on the menu. Not only does it taste wonderful, but it is also presented nicely. The mac and cheese is served in an adorable white cup standing on the original plate with salad. Cream sauce, bread crumbs baked golden-brown, fresh parsley, and tiny bacon bits top the delicious penne pasta shells. Though it was creative to put the mac and cheese into the small cup, the pasta was crammed a bit too much in the small amount of space. When trying to mix the cream sauce and other toppings with the pasta, overflowing often occurs which can be tedious. All in all, the mac and cheese is phenomenal and each bite should be savored.
Whether one is seeking for a full-on meal or for a light morning coffee, University Cafe in downtown Palo Alto is definitely the way to go.
University Cafe: Busiest Cafe in Palo Alto
By: Grace Fang
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