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.