Georgia’s Cafe: French in the Wrong Way

From a far Georgia’s Cafe appears to be a symbol of the new Broadway in the 80s and 90s. Its full service kitchen and waiter service tables signals the new type of cafe scene propping up in replace of the New York classic delis. The Columbia region always had its outdoor dining and so did the heart of the Upper West Side in the 60s and 70s. But poor old Broadway in the 80s and 90s throughout most of the 1990s was missing out (caution: don’t get confused between street references versus date references as I just did). That’s not to say that here and there there were restaurants without door seating (French Roast and the now deceased Time Cafe always did) but they remained full restaurants, they weren’t sit-and-have-a-cup-of-coffee places. Georgia’s Cafe is just that, you can sit for hours, undisturbed, and enjoy a decent (emphasis on decent) coffee.

Outside Facade View of Georgia's Cafe

When Georgia’s opened a few years back I really wanted it to succeed. I am one who fell in love with the cafe culture while studying abroad in Paris and was excited to see it migrate to the Upper West Side finally. As good as Starbucks “can” be, I would much rather be at a place where I am served coffee in a real cup, maybe have something to eat, and be able to work without interruption.

But as much as Georgia’s attempts to fulfill this void, it falls short. Arguably its biggest offense, and what makes it the least French, is that most of its food is premade. Now I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to be told you cannot get something without cheese because it has already been made, especially when you are on a diet. Second is the fact that these premade sandwiches cost more than the ones offered at Starbucks (and frankly I don’t really see a difference since they are both made not to order). Thirdly, though their coffee is decent (and by decent I mean acceptable but not sought after) their wine list is a joke. I dream of the day that a cafe can hold its own with both the morning and afternoon crowd, Georgia’s can’t.

Lastly, and here is what the title refers to, their service is utterly frustrating to deal with. Yes it is really nice to be left alone while reading or working, but not while trying to actually pay and leave. Their staff needs to be a lot more attentive of the needs of the diner. When I am looking up and around while holding my wallet that probably means I’m ready to go. This last comment also was inspired by the simple fact that I had to ask for water as well.

The first time I was there was at breakfast time, a time when Georgia’s provides nothing for the dieter except an extremely over priced fruit plate. But as I research now for this review I’ve noticed no fruit plate on the menu so perhaps they’ve removed their only dietetic option. The second and third time I visited I had lunch. The first time I ordered the special penne with tomato and mozzarella, as is (I wasn’t dieting then) and found it enjoyable. They didn’t over do the dish and kept it simple. The most recent visit however was when I discovered that their sandwiches were all premade (I tried to order the grilled chicken breast without feta cheese and was turned down). Thus I had to settle for the $13 Caesar salad with balsamic vinegar on the side. The salad was certainly an entree size if not too big (neither my friend nor I could finish our meals).

All in all it is a leg up from reading at a Starbucks but if I was looking to eat lunch while working I would choose Edgar’s Cafe instead.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 2 straws (The special pasta was alright but they need to work on their sandwich options).

Price: $$$traws, Expensive price ($20 will cover the average lunch but $30 and over will have to cover an average dinner).

Atmosphere: Pleasant and cute. This part they have down. It is easy to work or read without getting distracted here. In the winter it’s soothing to walk in out of the cold and find a table with a warm cup of coffee while in the summer they have outdoor seating with enough space to enjoy an ice coffee.

Overall: 2 straws (The atmosphere does not make up for the frustrating staff and disappointing food. Georgia’s I challenge you to do better: increase your wine selection by adding more exotic (South African wines are really excellent these days, as our South American wines from Chile or Argentina) and local choices (since Vineyard closed we need a good place to get NY wines), make your sandwiches as they are ordered and increase your salad options (make some originals), greatly increase your tapas menu and avoid the boring typical choices (a cheese plate with parmesan, manchego, and brie, can you get more typical than that?), and after you do all that perhaps you can give Cleopatra’s Needle a run for their money with a better (and younger) evening scene.)

The Details:

Website: N/A

Location: 2418 Broadway (corner of 89th).

Phone: (212) 362-2000

Reservation: I have never needed one. But I have been there when it is full. Perhaps call ahead of time if you are going during peak dining hours.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Weekdays: 7:30am- 9:30pm

Weekends: 8:00am- 9:30pm

Near + Now: Pandora meets Urban Spoon

Now living in an iPhone culture we have many apps to choose from when trying to find a place to eat. Some of my all time favorites include Urban Spoon, Around Me, and of course Open Table’s app. But recently there is a new player to the field of restaurant sleuthing in the urban jungle and that is Near+Now. From what I can tell this app has a fairly extensive database of restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and cafes. But what makes it a step above the rest is its ranking system. It operates just like Pandora does; the more you rank, the better it becomes at offering recommendations.

Near + Now home page

Popover Cafe on Near+now

The interface utilizes all that the iPhone has to offer providing for each listing a link to view it on a map, call or visit the website, and view reviews.

Even more interesting is the company behind it, SORTUV, whose goal is to pandora-ize search engines. Here they are in their own words:

We build search technologies that make it possible to discover information that is difficult to describe.

Words like cool, modern, hip, romantic, retro and timeless mean different things to different people. So until computers can read your mind, Keywords don’t always work.

With Sortuv technologies you discover places, events, products, people, ideas and experiences that matter to you by comparing and connecting them to things you already know and like.

-From their “About Us” section.

I don’t know much about their other operations but this app has greatly help me find new restaurants in my own neighborhood as well as avoid getting restaurants I hate as options.

Edgar 2: The Sequel

Let me start by saying I grew up with Cafe Edgar. It was (and is) just off of Broadway on 84th street heading toward West End. Though visitors to New York rave about Cafe Lalo (I think mostly because it was in You’ve Got Mail) this place in my mind had the best cheese cake. Dimly lit and boasting its literary theme, Cafe Edgar never appeared to attract the tourist crowed but rather the locals (to a kid from the neighborhood that’s how it looked). So that being said, I have not been back since high school so I do not know how the original may have or have not changed. But this review is not about the original which I plan on getting reacquainted with soon. This review is about the surprising sequel of a cafe to appear on Amsterdam Avenue between 91st and 92nd street.

As mentioned in an earlier review and what soon will take focus for many of my posts to come, I am now on a strict diet and thus could not ideally indulge the way I would have liked when visiting this café. But note this as well, that the café experience is not necessarily about the food, though it can’t hurt to have a good menu. It is more about the environment, the attitude of the staff, and the accessibility for independent activities (i.e. outlets for comps, wifi, or simply comfortable chairs). Also this café features waiter service, an expectation when patronizing a café in Europe but a rarity on the Upper West Side. For this reason I am linking this review to our restaurant review section and not our café section, it is my opinion that an establishment with a full menu and service is essentially a restaurant despite its name.

That all being established lets dig into Edgar. The menu is fairly interesting, and by interesting I mean nothing familiar to fall back on. The salad and sandwich options are all infused with an abundance of ingredients (I reminded of my posts on the gloriousness of simplicity in pizza) perhaps suggesting the higher price range of all their culinary options. Though the salad I ordered I had changed to accommodate my diet (dressing on the side and no cheese) the ingredients were all fresh and the combination (well the healthy parts of it at least) worked swimmingly. Also I should note that the staff was very accommodating to my dietary needs and provided me with plain balsamic vinegar in replace of the vinaigrette.

Beverage wise they fit the European café profile much better. Though I am convinced my iced, skimmed latte was served with whole milk (I could easily be wrong but my stomach said otherwise, that or their espresso is strong stuff) it was an excellent iced latte complete with foam and a dusting of chocolate powder (which should I have known I would have asked to be left off, but in the end was a pleasant surprise). Their selection of specialty espresso beverages was near a page long and consisted of some familiar items as well as some unfamiliar items such as espresso tranquillo (calm) and espresso corretto (add a shot of a liquor). These aren’t necessarily new to a café, in fact just the opposite, but it is nice to see the language and the care given to the creation and presentation of it (that or I’ve been spending too much time in Starbucks).

Last but never least with a café is the atmosphere and staff. As it still has its roots as a café I came with the full intention of staying and reading once finished. The staff is in no hurry to turn tables and is near encouraging for long relaxed stays. In that sense it is extremely European, when you do want the check you will have to call them over for it. But I don’t see this as a problem; this is how a café should be.

Overall I will say this; I have finally found a place close by to replace my Starbucks trips.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 2 straws (I was not impressed by the menu and its combinations. Furthermore my meal was overpriced, even for New York. But I am aware that I did not try the dishes as they were imagined and I do plan on going back to do just that).

Beverages: 3 straws (Again here the espresso selection is significant and the latte I ordered was strong and bold in its flavors, but it wasn’t anything extraordinary).

Price: $$traws, Expensive price ($20 will only cover one beverage and a main course. The menu selections are mostly over $10 and their drinks are comparable, if not more expensive, than Starbucks).

Atmosphere: As mentioned above this place fits the bill for the café scene. It has the indoor/outdoor feel as the interior is decorated to remind you of the aged piazzas of the Italian Renaissance cities. The seating too fits the outdoor café persona but ironically they do not actually have outdoor seating, just the quaint, metallic, and uncomfortable icons of the European café. The staff is very amiable and almost too eager to meet your requests.

Overall: 3 straws (I am going to give it that extra straw because the atmosphere really does go that distance and for what it is designed for it does well. As a restaurant I would bypass its culinary options but as a café for a lengthy period of time it is perfect. No extraordinary experience but an excellent neighborhood choice for revisiting.

The Details:

Website: N/A

Location: 650 Amsterdam Ave (between 91^st and 92^nd street).

Phone: (212) 595-6261

Reservation: No need, I went during lunch time and it was half to mostly empty.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Sunday- Thursday: 8:00am- 12:00am

Friday & Saturday: 8:00am- 1:00am

Mama Java

Mama Java is a local neighborhood cafe in Phoenix, located at 36th and Indian School. Started in 2004 by Lisa and Patrick McKay, the cafe has quickly become a neighborhood favorite. It offers a combination that attracts artists, musicians, post spin-class athletes, and your average 9-5 business person. Mama Java has a more laid back feeling to it, which I believe contributes to the attractiveness of the cafe. The location is great, there is always ample parking, and there are outdoor tables as well as indoor tables and couches. There is also free WI-FI and electrical plugs along the walls, making it an easy place to work and relax.

On week nights and weekends, there is often music and performers on a stage located the side of the coffee house, set against a background of local artists’ artwork. Mama Java also sells crafts from local artists, making it a complete and necessary stop if you want to know what is happening on the local Phoenix artist scene. There is also a bookshelf full of older and worn books, some are travel books, some are classics, and some are just completely random, but the music, along with the books, makes it a place that can be used from sunrise to sunset.

The food choices at Mama Java aren’t extensive, but there is something for everyone, be it a bagel, cookie, or breakfast egg sandwich. It’s a basic sort of Whispers type meal (for those of you who don’t know Whispers, it is the place where the Coffee Straws team met and fell in love with food, coffee, discussions, and “libing”) but the main event is the coffee. Their coffee runs strong, so when ordering, know that when you get a 16 oz, you will be getting more than your fair share of espresso. The brewed coffee, like the espresso, is strong, and both are great drinks to have in the morning, hot or cold. They also have a wide selection of teas and Italian sodas, one of my favorite drinks.

All in all, the baristas are always ready and willing to talk, and want to get to know you and your order. It’s a place where you can walk in and they’ll know what “the usual” is. Just for that, it’s well worth the 3 dollar coffee.

The Run-Down:

What I usually get:

Drink: Sugar-free vanilla, iced non-fat latte

Eat: Nothing

Stay or To Go: To go, always on the run!

Mood when going: Great to have someone remember who I am, is a lot of chatting with customers, though, so getting a coffee can be an “experience”

The Ranking (for an explanation, see “Ranking Key”):

Food: 2 Straws (your basic breakfast foods — bagels, etc.)

Coffee: 3 Straws (a great dose of ‘go get ‘em caffeine’)

Price: $traw: Average ($3.50 for a Latte).

Atmosphere: Casual and welcoming (we feel as though it maintains a very community oriented environment).

Overall: 2.5 Straws (The coffee is excellent, though the selection of food is simple and mainly breakfast-y, making it more of a morning only place)

The Details:

Website: http://www.mamajavascoffeehouse.com

Location: 3619 East Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018

Phone: 602.840.JAVA

Reservation: No need.

Dress: Casual.