You wouldn’t think that a handful of sandwiches and a medium-size bowl

Published 8:00 am Friday, November 19, 2010

You wouldn’t think that a handful of sandwiches and a medium-size bowl of soup could satisfy you, but Patty Pan Cafe begs to differ. This small and innocuous cafe on Madison Street sneaks up on you like a quiet hipster cafe in the nighttime. As a resident of Capitol Hill, I’m used to every breed of quirky restaurant out there that fills my belly with Cardiac Arrest-inducing nonsense. While Patty Pan won’t impress you with whole rib racks or a frothy fresh malt brew, they can deliver in other satisfying ways.Patty Pan’s menu rotates with the seasons, sweet maple-topped fare in the fall becomes a hearty potato-laced belly-warmer in the winter. And from the little I’d heard, Patty Pan’s locally roasted, organic espresso was what really drove people to its doors.That part of the meal didn’t disappoint. Hours after I had left Patty Pan’s doors, I was craving that hot stuff again, as if someone had slipped a nicotine pill into my brew. I don’t think it was drugs, but the creamy consistency of their espresso more than compensates for the slight gag reflex one normally enjoys when tasting the regular stuff .Any coffee you crave at midnight is worth a second try.Patty Pan’s food is best experienced in the early morning for breakfast, post-hangover. I opted for a plate of Harvest Sandwiches, two slices of gluten-free white bread flanking a whole mess of fruit. Seriously, I didn’t know you could put pumpkins in a sandwich let alone serve cranberries (before Thanksgiving?!) on the side. The most surprising part of my order was my waitress asking if I wanted my crusts cut off, what other cafe will happily do that for you? I asked if she does that for all her customers. She answered with a wink, saying “Just the special ones, honey.” I felt flattered until I heard the couple next to me being asked the same question as they ordered their sandwiches. I’m not so special after all. My sandwich, though, was like biting into a cornucopia of flavor. Completing the meal was a small bowl of corn chowder topped with a bit of maple syrup and a scone. Other than making me crave waffles, the corn tasted as if it was harvested that same morning. I’d never felt so much inappropriate love for a vegetable. The scone was much less impressive, too dry and flaky for my taste but much more forgivable with soup and coffee to wash it down.Devra, Patty Pan’s owner, describes herself as a “Quirky Gourmet” who deals in eatables sustainable. Her Patty Pan opened just over a month ago, serving to the refined greenheaded crowd. How classy could one possibly feel?Basking in my after-meal glow, I had a chance to take in how cute Patty Pan’s atmosphere was. Situated on a fairly busy piece of Madison, it’s the closest thing Americans have to capturing the class of street side French cafes. I felt super classy.Patty Pan Cafe, 2310 E. Madison Street, 323-0500, http://www.pattypangrill.com CAPITOL HILL