The Culinary Works

 Café Bernardo Midtown has been one of my favorite places to eat for years.  It is also one of the places I most often recommend.   It’s the kind of place you can eat at multiple times a week and still feel good about your diet.   The reasons are many and seem so simple, but despite my simple desires, many, or most eateries just fail to live up to them consistently.  

Chef Shannan Berg has been at the helm of the Mid Town Bernardo ’s since 1997 and her unfailing dedication to what makes this place great shows in every experience I have had there.   So what is it that makes Cafe Bernardo so special?

For starters, the café is casual.   I can wear shorts and flip-flops, eat inside or out and drink an iced tea, wine or a cocktail, whatever I choose.   However, j ust because I want to be casual  doesn’t mean I don’t want great food!  

Caf é Bernardo is well known for it’s breakfast and on weekends they extend the breakfast service into the early afternoon.   My personal favorite is the French toast, or the pancakes, or waffles, or Eggs Bernardo, Huevos Ranchero, Breakfast Burrito, truly, it’s all very good.   They even have homemade granola and oatmeal.   

Their lunch and dinner menu is chock full of fabulous salads and homemade soups that change every day.   The burgers are also very tasty, the grilled chicken sandwich is a great balance of texture and flavor, the artisan and seasonal pizzas and calzones are great, as are my many other favorites.   If you are feeling hungry or want something more substantial you can choose from a daily special, or a dinner plate, the chicken or Salmon plate is a popular favorite.   The food is always consistently tasty and I love that I can see the chef’s at work, preparing my food.

One of the factors which sets them apart is their focus and dedication to using seasonal and high quality products.   The menu changes with the seasons and the vegetable sides and salads are always appropriate to what is available, which tells me it’s fresh and local.   This dedication to using the best products locally available ensures the finished meal is going to taste it’s best.  

Another factor is their commitment to making everything from scratch.   The potatoes for the fries are hand cut every day, the salad dressings and salsa verde are house made, the stock that goes into the house made soup and sauces is house made right there in the kitchen, they get pasta and bread from the Paragary’s Bakery around the block.  

So not only did I get to eat outside while people watching in my flip flops, but the food was great, just as great as it was last time and the time before that!   And because it’s not stuffy it’s not overpriced.   I enjoy eating there because the food is fresh, house made, seasonally appropriate, tastes great every time and it doesn’t break the bank.  

It’s no secret in Mid Town and thus Café Bernardo is always busy.   Don’t be surprised if there is a line out the door during a weekday lunch.   To avoid the crowd, you might want to try visiting for a late lunch or early dinner.   The city also built more parking next door, making it a good deal more convenient.  

Our applause and appreciation go out to Chef Shannon and her team for their hard work and dedication to consistently producing food that makes us happy to return time and time again.  

Go check it out.   Maybe I will see you there!