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CAFÉ ON THE PARKAddress: 191 River St.Hours: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Phone: 423-803-6852
Located at the edge of Coolidge Park, Café on the Park is River Street’s newest addition that specializes in panini and “sammiches.”
Why the cute spelling?
“I didn’t want to be just another sandwich shop,” said café owner Ed Owens, who is leasing the eatery’s North Shore space inside Burlap & Board: Artisan Boutique.
The antique shop comprises 5,000 square feet and 40 vendors selling wares which include spinning wheels and handmade jewelry. The café is the shop’s only food vendor, but that isn’t all that sets it apart.
According to Ed, the distinction between Café on the Park and the average street-corner sandwich shop is in the details. For example, all the bread is sourced from Neidlov’s Breadworks, and all the meats are cooked in-house. Most of its sauces are scratch-made, including its garlic mayo, spicy mustard dressing and signature “smiling pickle” sauce, which Ed compared to Thousand Island dressing.
Moreover, all the restaurant’s salads — including cucumber, cabbage, carrot and raisin — are made fresh in the kitchen, Ed said.
But back to those “sammiches.” Popular cold cut sammies include the Italian served on a roll, pimiento and bacon served on multigrain bread, and egg salad served on white bread. And then, there are the panini.
“Did you know that the word ‘panini’ is actually plural for the word ‘panino?’” asked Ed, who has 39 years of restaurant experience. “That’s why we say ‘panini and sammiches’ in our name.”
Some of Café on the Park’s best-selling hot panini include its Reuben, spicy Cuban and portabella. The menu also boasts a build-your-own option, letting diners choose bread, meats, cheese, toppings and dressing.
And the restaurant’s dressings are not all that is homemade. The café’s sweet selection includes “cup-cookies” and “cup-brownies,” which, Ed explained, are similar to their traditionally shaped counterparts but baked in muffin trays.
“Those brownies are so good,” said Ed, describing them as chewy on the side, crunchy on the edges — the kinds of decadent details that one can truly taste.