High-falutin’ dinners are being served at the
”
high-falutin’
”
Cafe Aromas, whose owners recently began the third phase of
their restaurant operation to dish up the full dining
experience.
High-falutin’ dinners are being served at the “high-falutin'” Cafe Aromas, whose owners recently began the third phase of their restaurant operation to dish up the full dining experience.
“People have been waiting a long time for us to open for dinner,” said co-owner Caryl Simpson. “They’ve been driving by and slowing down, looking in to see if we were serving. It’s been a madhouse.”
Cheerful and colorful, Cafe Aromas began the breakfast phase last summer, gradually moved to lunches and is now serving full meals, and offers a tasty variety of “high-falutin'” sauces to complement their main dishes.
“We have a smoked salmon appetizer in a mustard lime sauce that’s absolutely delicious,” said coffee bar manager Heather Simpson-Bluhm.
Each table is set with a special blend of California extra virgin olive oil and cheese mix to be dipped with homemade breads baked daily on the premises. Outside is a herb garden for a fresh appeal and flavor. Wine and a variety of microbrews on tap are also available. Co-owner Tom Reed said he’ll be experimenting with a number of imported beers as well.
“We want to make sure we’re giving the customer what they want,” he said.
Diners have more than a dozen dinner selections of pasta and seafood to choose from, including a vegetarian dish, the Portabella Mushroom Stack. For meat lovers, the cafe features rib-eye steak cooked three different ways.
“We serve it with a garlic compound butter or with sauteed wild mushrooms, and we also have one topped with a mix of lemon and basil, gorgonzola cheese, white corn and avocado,” Simpson-Bluhm said.
Morning commuters will find a full coffee bar with fresh pastries. They can also call ahead and have breakfast to go if they don’t have time to sit down to enjoy the homemade biscuits and gravy or French toast.
Besides deli sandwiches, the lunch menu consists of hot sandwiches, including a Garlic Festival pepper steak sandwich.
“It’s real down home cooking,” Simpson-Bluhm said.
Aromas Cafe is open every day except Monday. From Tuesday to Thursday it opens at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast and at 8 a.m. Saturdays. Dinner is served from 5 to 8:30 p.m. weekdays, 9:30 p.m. weekends. Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a limited menu geared toward family-style meals such as spaghetti and meatballs.
“Whatever we decide to cook that day is what we’ll serve for everyone,” Simpson-Bluhm said.
The cafe also offers take-out service.
“Many people may not feel like cooking after work, but they want a good meal all they have to do is call up their order and then they can pick it up on their way home,” Simpson-Bluhm said. “We also do catering.”
Seating for dinner is limited; reservations are recommended. For more information, call (831) 726-1212.
