Find peace during the holidays at Garden Cafe
Kathy Mader
A peaceful Christmas is actually an oxymoron of sorts. Joyous?
Yes. Exciting? Certainly.
But peaceful? Hmmmm ... .
Peace on earth? Absolutely. But peaceful Christmas preparation?
Never experienced it myself.
Running place to place, agonizing over those perfect gifts, biting
off way more than I can chew when I say, “Sure, I’ll wrap, bake and
decorate this weekend” -- not my personal definition of peaceful.
But if it exists anywhere, it exists at the Country Inn-Garden
Cafe in Costa Mesa.
Kim Simpson, owner and chef, has figured out the magic secret, and
her little garden hideaway is as peaceful a place as you will find
this Christmas. That doesn’t mean the Garden Cafe isn’t in the
Christmas spirit. The inside has several beautifully decorated trees
and small poinsettias at each table.
This little cafe also sells antiques and old-fashioned gifts.
Shopping and eating -- two of my very favorite things.
And because this restaurant is at the end of “antique row,” there
are various other antique shops to browse through on your way there
for that perfect present, including an antique book store.
As cute as the inside of the Garden Cafe is, it is the outside,
the actual garden, where the magic lies. Right off the madness of
17th Street, there is a garden that utterly shuts out the outside
world. Brightly colored tables and chairs sit on a weathered deck
next to an ever-changing garden, replete with a small waterfall.
Side note: the table for two right next to the waterfall is the
most romantic table in the house.
This is no secret garden, though. The word is out. The ladies (and
the hardiest of self-assured men) love this place. The Garden Cafe
has its regulars, which makes it that more fun to see someone you
know when you go.
You can see why. The food is simple, the atmosphere is
transporting, and it is as cute as all get out for the holidays.
The Garden Cafe is now a family affair, as brother Charles and his
wife, Annie, run the Back Stage Affair catering, and mom Mona Morgan
runs Sir Rogers Ltd., a sandwich shop that opens to the cafe.
Sir Rogers, most of you will remember, used to be next to Mi Casa,
but now serves as a quick way to grab a tasty sandwich or a
cappuccino and still have time to shop.
Some of the items on Sir Rogers’ menu are the same as the Garden
Cafe’s, but there is no table service. You simply order at the
counter and look at all the cool stuff while you wait.
I mentioned that the food is simple, but it is the kind we love.
The Garden Cafe serves breakfast and lunch. To give you the energy
needed for this season, the breakfast menu offers cinnamon roll
French toast ($5.99), corned beef hash with poached eggs ($5.95) and
some breakfast basics such as oatmeal and yogurt. The bacon and
cheese croissant ($3.29) is great. A variety of coffee drinks,
including all the popular lattes and mochas, is also available.
A safe haven in the middle of the day, the Garden Cafe offers
homemade soups, salads and sandwiches and some of the best darn iced
tea ever. From turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce ($6.29) and
country ham and Swiss on rye ($6.79) to hot pastrami or meatloaf, the
menu is sure to please. The tuna salad is very good too.
If you are not too hungry, go straight for the scones. The best
scones in town to go with the best iced tea in town. And I am not
even a scone fan. The desserts can range from a seasonal cobbler to a
bread pudding, it just depends on the day. But, oh, the scones!
The holidays are not the only time the Garden Cafe shines. This is
the ideal place for a wedding or baby shower or your mother’s
birthday party.
Last year, my family went here for Mother’s Day. The meal was
served in courses, including fruits and desserts, and no one went
away disappointed. Keep an eye out for Kim’s special events.
In the meantime, during this season of special events elsewhere,
try the Garden Cafe to get you in the mood to do your part for Peace
on Earth.
* KATHY MADER’s dining reviews appear every other Thursday.
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