The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/46670
LOCAL EATS Local Eats features area restaurants, and food articles and recipes by area residents. To contribute a recipe, e-mail editor@otownscene.com Norwich cafe adds class to coffee as well as creative dishes, local art & a bar scene The sun is barely up and the coffee is already on. Strolling along Broad Street in Norwich, one's senses can easily be con- sumed by the fresh aroma of Seattle's Best brewing inside one of the most unique cafes in Chenango County. It's not your average coffee shop, leaning more toward the French idea of cafe as bar and restaurant. The Cafe Connection opened in 2006, and has been at its current location for four years. Its motto is "coffee by day, wine by night." And in addition to beverages, the cafe offers wraps, gourmet salads, steaks and locally sourced specials throughout the opening hours. There are lunch, dinner and dessert menus. A wine and beer menu is available until late on weekends, when local musicians add to the dynamic atmosphere of the Cafe Connection. The cafe has warm orange walls, artistically designed chalkboard menus, locally hand- crafted furniture and artwork by area artists, who are invited to showcase their work on a 45-day rotation basis. Chefs Joe Bates and Lyle Bartlett offer a range of creative platters such as portobello mushroom stuffed with butternut squash hash and topped with Vermont extra-sharp cheddar cheese. The chefs say they try to mix in as many locally grown products into the dishes as possible, evident in sides such as baked sweet potatoes, garlic mash and the cafe's in-house potato chips. The food is standard American fare with panache – a BLT wrap with chipotle mayo, a real crab salad and melted Gruyere cheese panini, pan-seared scallops with lemon beurre blanc sauce. Continued on Page 11 THE CAFE CONNECTION | 28 S. Broad St., Norwich | open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 4:30 t 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 4:30 to 11 p.m. | (607) 334-2233 10 O-Town Scene Nov. 3, 2011