In Good Taste

by Michael Cicero Restaurant critic

While expectations of shopping center eateries don't typically run high, Urbane Cafe, with its unexpectedly cultivated fare, is an exception to this rule.

The swift pace of the cafes self-serve environment made the crowd tolerable yet gave me just enough time to inspect the menu. Ordering provided a pleasant conundrum; there wasn't an unappealing item to choose from.

Both the Rosemary Chicken and the Cajun Chicken Sandwich were contenders, but so were the Gourmet Grilled Cheese, the Urban Cobb Salad and the unusual Protein Salad with garbanzo beans, mushrooms and corn/black bean salsa. Where I often find myself using a process of elimination, here that method was of no value, so I decided to sample something from each category: Red Potato-Leek Soup, a BBQ Chicken Sandwich and an Urban Cafe Salad.

The food is served on nifty over sized aluminum pie tins and there's plenty of it. The soup was hot and chunky and served with pillowy, fresh-baked bread. The salad, an inspired medley of chicken, avocado, pears and pecans on a bed of mixed greens sprinkled with goat cheese, was more than satisfying. Thankfully, Urbane Cafe goes beyond the standard dressing selections by offering balsamic vinaigrette and low-cal options. Dressings are also served on the side, a thoughtful touch considering more people prefer it that way anyhow.