A cafe for all hours A cafe for all hours (April 30, 2004)

University Cafe boasts homey atmosphere

By Jennifer Aquino

University Cafe's ambiance is so inviting that the food is almost secondary.

The 10-year-old cafe that feels like an artist's loft is the kind of place where you could, quite literally, watch life pass by. Floor-to-ceiling French doors fill the airy restaurant with light, illuminating the rough, peach concrete walls and giving diners a window onto Palo Alto's University Avenue life.

Here you could wile away hours people gazing, reading a book or talking with a friend. Indeed it appears many people do just that. Stanford students in sweats and flip-flops tuck their noses into books, businessmen conduct power lunches and mothers meet while their children play.

Ambiance is such a draw that posted signs warn tables are for paying customers only. And mood is so important to owners Mary and John Turner that on weekends and during dinner hours laptops are forbidden in the main restaurant.

The cafe folds several concepts into a single establishment -- at all hours it's a juice and coffee bar; by night it's a romantic sit-down restaurant; and by day it's a cafe for breakfasts and power lunches. With so many different identities, it's no wonder that there is a bit of confusion on the part of both the owners and patron. At one time the cafe was known as University Coffee Cafe, but the owners changed the name because diners were flummoxed -- was it a cafe, a coffeehouse, a juice bar or a fine dining spot?

It is all these things. For the most part, the Turners pull them all off swimmingly. The breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch and dinner menus feature mostly American items and look nearly identical to one another. You'll find dinner dishes among lunch selections and vice versa. Lately, the Turners have focused on making the food as attractive as the ambiance. Dinner is the strongest of the three meals.

At night, lights are dimmed and candles lit, turning the sunny day spot into a romantic and cozy denizen, despite the high ceilings and open dining room.

Complimentary bread is served with a pureed tomato and carrot dip that is similar to a thick gazpacho. The spread, an alternative to butter, speaks to Mary's emphasis on healthy cuisine.

Another distinctive starter was the baked brie ($8), which looked like a slice of lemon pie, dusted with powdered sugar, covered in a dried fruit chutney and served with slices of toasted bread. Like a savory dessert, the sharp, creamy brie was sweetened by the chutney.

The grilled pork chop ($15) was a stand-out main course. The thick chop rested on an obscene stack of garlic mashed potatoes and sat in a maple-y whole mustard sherry sauce.

Breakfast and lunch is less formal and the menu more casual. Much of the menu for both meals is the same. Options range from simple cereals to salads to sandwiches to pasta. The cafe bills itself as a healthy haven, something that's more evident from its daytime offerings. For instance, fresh fruit and low-fat granola are breakfast options.

Sandwiches come with sparing use of mayonnaise and salads aren't drenched in dressing.

To some degree this works. For instance, Cafe Nicoise with seared tuna ($10), offered at lunch and dinner, is a salad featuring watercress, chunks of tomatoes, kalamata olives, seared tuna and eggs in a light vinaigrette. The high-grade tuna was fresh, light, translucent and perfectly seared.

The Brioche French toast ($8), four thick slices of egg bread that bore the essence of vanilla and cinnamon, was served with just syrup and a side of fruit tossed in yogurt. The French toast was perfectly grilled and so flavorful there was no need for butter. The fruit, a nice alternative to the greasier home fries, looked a bit wilted covered in yogurt, though it tasted fine.

Some dishes were a bit on the plain side. The crab melt ($9), a pink pile of crab meat topped with melted fontina and served open-face on a slice of toast, lacked zest, despite chunks of jalapenos. The same was true for the French dip sandwich ($9), roast beef and sauteed mushrooms stuffed inside a sweet French roll and served au jus. The sandwich was dry and the roast beef a bit chewy.

Despite a few misses, the variety of food offered and the ambiance is impressive. There are few places that traverse the hours from day to night with such aplomb. You are just as likely to see people sipping a cup of Joe in the early morning hours as you will see a late-night movie crowd clutching coffee and digging into dessert near closing time.

Coffee is roasted on-site twice a week and can be ordered to-go at the full-service espresso bar in the back. Whole-bean or ground coffee is available in a variety of blends, $7 per pound for regular, $9 per pound for decaf. Coffee of the day is the Red Sea Blend. There is also a dessert case with offerings from local vendors. The fresh apple tart ($4.60), with its fruit slices arranged like petals inside a vanilla custard-filled crust, was remarkably good.

The service on every occasion was as warm as the ambiance. At dinner our server brought us new silverware wrapped in paper napkins between each course. He took great pains to clear dishes promptly, fill water glasses and check in regularly.

It's this kind of inviting service in a homey setting that makes University Cafe worthy of your time.

Dining Notes

University Cafe
271 University Ave., Palo Alto, 322-5301

Hours: Breakfast, Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-11 a.m.;
Weekend breakfast, Sat. and Sun. 8 a.m.-noon;
Weekend brunch, Sat. and Sun. noon-4:30 p.m.,
Weekday lunch, Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Dinner Sun.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.

Atmosphere: Airy, bright and inviting, like an eclectic artist's loft.

Highlights: Grilled pork chop ($15), Cafe Nicoise with tuna ($10)

Price Range: Weekday breakfast: $2.25-$7.95; Weekday lunch: $3-$11;
Weekend breakfast: $1.75-$9; Weekend brunch: $5.50-$11;
Dinner: $7.50-$16; Desserts: $4.60

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