Nice Cafe

Can you believe that we're almost through the first month of 2010? Crazy stuff, I tell you! For the last breakfast of January 2010, The Team had to scramble up a new location in a hurry, since the original choice for the week turned out to be closed on Mondays. With that, we bring you Nice Cafe, located just off of Main Street on 8th Avenue (154 East 8th Ave).

Now, I remember coming to Cafe Nice about 3 years ago, but I was hungover and it was with a large group of people, so my memories of it were extremely fuzzy. This time, my senses were clear and all I had was the rest of The Team with me, so that was a plus. Cafe Nice is a cozy, yet spacious little place with plain walls and a straightforward decor. The moment that we sat down, a server was upon us with mugs, a butler of coffee and a smile. She asked us what we'd like to drink, so Cam, Kimmy and I took coffees ($1.60 each with free refills), while Rozi stuck with a tea (also $1.60), due to a lack of soy milk for the coffee. Additionally, Kimmy went with a large orange juice ($2.75), which it turns out was actually large, unlike a lot of breakfast places that I've been to. So, with our drinks before us, we took to the menu, which was simple, straight-forward, but still fairly extensive. An array of eggs/bacon options, omelettes, bennys and hotcakes. The server returned a few minutes later and took our orders.Jesse - Pancakes. 3 pancakes, 2 eggs (scrambled), and 3 slices of bacon. ($7.10 / Total bill: $9.14)
Kimmy - Florentine Benny. Benny with spinach and feta cheese, served with hashbrowns. ($6.85 / $11.76)
Rozi - Large fruit salad & veggie omelette (minus the eggs and cheese, so yes, just the vegetables cooked up). A mixture of bananas, melons and the like, onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, served with toast and hashbrowns. ($4.95, $7.10 / $14.23)
Cam - Blackstone Benny. Benny with bacon and tomato, served with hashbrowns. ($6.85 / $8.87)

It was during the wait between ordering and receiving our food that Cam noticed one crucial flaw in Cafe Nice.

"I could really use a refill of coffee," he said. It dawned upon us that we hadn't received a refill since our initial pours. Perhaps they were just brewing more, since many new tables had been seated shortly after us, or maybe we really were stuck in a no-coffee nexus. Either way, the server's ESP must have been at full-power, since about a minute after Cam spoke those words, our server was around with fresh coffee. The girl had been reading our damn minds, and we had no choice in the matter. I had to remember to keep thinking about rainbows and kittens if this fact was true, to avoid embarrassment. She didn't seem to be picking up anything from me, so I concluded that it was mere coincidence that she had arrived with the coffee at that time.

Enough about the coffee and psychic servers, though. Within a matter of minutes, our plates arrived. Kimmy snapped the pictures and we dug in. If you haven't caught on yet, pancakes are my "thing", you could say. So yes, when I took the first bite of these good-sized pancakes, I was not disappointed in the slightest. Done to near-perfection, minus the third one, which was little burnt, they were thick and flavourful. The bacon and eggs were also done the way that I like them, not raw but not crispy, and had delightful flavours. Meanwhile, Rozi made the comment, "Now I realize that the thing that makes an omelette good, is the eggs and the cheese!" So, from that statement, I inferred that the mixture of veggies wasn't what she expected. Cam, as well, commented at the end, "I'm still hungry. Shredded hashbrowns aren't my thing." I think that Kimmy and I were the only ones without complaints this time.

In the end, we were (mostly) satisfied with Cafe Nice. If Cam wasn't such a glutton and Rozi actually ate the good parts of breakfast, it would receive an A+! I would still suggest it to most anyone if you're in the area. Good prices for good food and good service!

Stay sharp, kids
Jesse