Just over three months ago, in an article entitled ‘Requiem for a Café‘, I wrote that my home away from home for four years – the Café on Main – closed the doors on its downtown location. [1]
In a way, I became homeless on Thursday June 30, 2011, and this feeling of homelessness continued week after week, month after month. It was, for me (and with apologies to William Shakespeare), the summer of my discontent.
I tried to find a suitable substitute… a café or bistro that would give me that same sense of belonging – of cozy comfort.
Yesterday morning, Tuesday October 4, 2011, I walked once again (and for the first time) through those familiar doors and into ‘Ambrosia‘ (website currently under construction), the new café and restaurant which now occupies the space of the former Café on Main.
I walked in with no small measure of trepidation. I longed so much for that ‘coming home’ feeling that I was afraid I was setting myself up for disappointment. Would I enjoy the atmosphere? Would the new place be welcoming? Would the owners and staff be friendly? Would I like them? Would they like me? How would they react to my wanting to re-establish ‘my office’ in their establishment? Would they adopt an ‘eat it and beat it’ attitude? Would I be able to linger over a newspaper or would they come over every five minutes and ask, “Would that be all?” [2]
My worrying was all for naught. Ambrosia is not only a warm and inviting place, I felt at home the moment I sat down.
Owner Keith Macklem came to me and introduced himself. We chatted about his vision for Ambrosia and what he hoped to achieve – high quality food and service in a comfortable urban atmosphere. Sitting at my table, I sent text messages to several friends letting them know about the new place and within 20 minutes, two of them arrived and joined me. The three of us (one a chef) looked over the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. We admired the renovations and décor [3], all of which was done by Keith and co-owner Gus Diakoloukas, who also came over and introduced himself to me.
The restaurant manager, Brittnee, was charming, friendly, quick, efficient and, in short, a pure joy.
I came and went and returned again throughout the day much as I did when I frequented the Café on Main. I paid particular attention to the other customers, all of whom seemed pleased and satisfied. Many patrons came over from the Courthouse and nearby City Hall. They seemed both happy and relieved that a new café and restaurant opened so close to their place of work.
All in all, it was a good day for me. It appears I have a new office and, I am hoping, a new home away from home.
I feel that they are well on their way to living up to the words on the front window – A Utopian Experience.
Why am I so confident? Well, one of the positive signs for me was that during my time there yesterday, I pulled out a notepad and wrote a blog article.
This one, in fact.
_________________________________________________________________
[1] The Fonthill location of the Cafe on Main still operates and does a brisk business.
[2] To me, this is part of a sentence… the full sentence being, “Would that be all.. before we ask you to leave?”
[3] I was very happy that they kept the ‘exposed brick’ along the east wall of the cafe.
