Warren Tower Cafe widens menu to equal view
By SCOTT CHERRY - 11/5/2009
Most restaurant owners would covet the view the folks get at the Warren Tower Cafe in the Warren Clinic building.
Floor-to-ceiling windows look high over the tree-filled landscape to the east across Yale Avenue at 66th Street. It is particularly pretty this time of year when the leaves are changing to fall colors.
The cafe, which is open to the public, was established almost two years ago to accommodate employees of St. Francis Health System.
"St. Francis moved its whole finance department into this building, about 600 in all, to make room in the hospital for more medical stuff, but there wasn't anything to eat here," said cafe manager Karen Binter.
Binter said the food-and-nutrition division of the hospital contacted Hot Stuff Foods about providing the food items.
"Hot Stuff built out the restaurant space, and in return we use their products," Binter said.
"The Hot Stuff products are very good, but since most of the people in this building are women and patients, we decided we had to expand beyond burgers, burritos and fries."
That decision led to more salad options, a soup of the day and daily entree specials.
"It still is pretty much grab-and-go since most of the people here have 30 minutes for lunch," Binter said, "but we make a big effort to keep everything fresh and flavorful."
Breakfast choices include cinnamon rolls, breakfast sandwiches, scrambled eggs, Daylight doughnuts and Panera Bread bagels, the latter two delivered fresh every morning.
We sampled a couple of the lunch items — a Baja beef burrito ($5.49), oriental chicken salad ($3.29) and a piece of cheesecake ($1.49).
We gussied up the big burrito with rice, black beans, sour cream and guacamole, and it made a flavorful lunch.
The salad was even tastier with a mix of greens, red peppers, chow mein noodles and slivered almonds with an Asian dressing. The rich cheesecake sat on a graham cracker crust.
Among the other lunch choices are sub sandwiches, hamburgers, a fish sandwich, a spicy chicken sandwich, pizza and chicken bites that come in such flavors as Buffalo sauce, honey barbecue and oriental.
Diners may dress up their sandwiches at a condiment station that includes pickles, tomatoes, shredded cheese, onions and green peppers.
Sides such as fries and onion rings are made to order, and a cooler holds such items as yogurt, salads, puddings, fruit, chicken salad with veggies, drinks and cheesecake.
The soup of the day when we were there was chicken corn chowder with bacon ($2.59). Sandwiches are $1.69 to $3.69 and subs and burritos $3.79 to $6.99 depending on size and whether ordered in combination with a 20-ounce drink that comes with one refill.
Bread for the sub and sandwich station, as well as cookies, are baked daily.
"The most popular items have been our daily specials," Binter said. "We change the specials all the time."
Our oriental salad was a daily special. Among the selections coming up for the remainder of November are chicken quesadillas, three-way chili with garlic bread, chicken-fried steak, turkey and dressing, California turkey club sandwich on sourdough bread, a patty melt with fries, and a taco salad.
The cafe also has a coffee station where frozen drinks and a full line of specialty coffee drinks made with Starbucks products is offered 6:45-10 a.m.
The cafe has a light and bright setting with rust and yellow walls and wood floors.
Tables are covered in vinyl cloths and decorated with fall-themed items.
The cafe, which accepts all major credit cards, is open 6:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Monday-Friday.
To get there, it's easiest to turn west at the stoplight at 66th Street on Yale Avenue, then enter the parking lot on the north side.
Enter the west side of the building, walk past the elevators and turn to the right to locate the cafe.
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WARREN TOWER CAFE
6600 S. Yale Ave.
488-6651
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