Café on the Common
677 Main Street, corner of Moody Street and Main
Waltham, MA
781-647-2456
Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday - Sunday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Some guys will do anything for a really good cup of coffee. Like open their own café that would serve a brew that embodies their own definition of “good”.
When Stephen Kimberk’s first forays into downtown Waltham for his morning jolt of caffeine ended with disappointment, he attempted to lure well-known franchises to occupy a prime space at the corner of Main and Moody in Waltham. After they demurred, and another developer started to build a café there then abandoned the job mid-perk, Kimberk’s own ambition came to a rolling boil. An architect and building restorer by profession, his office just happens to be on the second floor of the building. He decided that his coffee commute would be a one minute walk down one flight of stairs.
The result is his spacious slightly retro Café on the Common. With its polished granite floors, high ceilings, art deco lighting fixtures, and wooden wainscoting, all in muted shades of dove gray, the establishment has a decidedly 1920s look to it. Informal, certainly, but thrown together nonchalantly, no, The brown and gray granite round tabletops on the claw foot pedestals match the mocha and gray wicker chairs. Once settled, the hungry or thirsty pilgrim can witness the bustle and traffic outside through plate glass windows on the front and side walls.
A large table strewn with the daily papers just inside the front door is practically a “C’mon in and take a load off” shout to the first-time visitor. During pt at large’s lunch visit, one fellow finished reading three sections of the Boston Globe plus the sports section of the Boston Herald. There’s no sense of urgency inside this little island of tranquility. That in and of itself is a reason to visit this little time-warp of a place.
One patron I chatted up praised the homemade soups - “Fabulous!” - and salads - “ “They’re up to the second fresh, made on the spot with all the stuff I love. If I’ve got to let it sit when I get to my office two blocks away, it still tastes fresh an hour later!”
Ahh, yes, I did go there with a friend who knows Waltham and recognized a good oasis when she sees one, The sandwiches are served on “Iggy’s Bread of the World.” The selection of Iggy’s croissants, sticky buns, and bagels looked appealing. The soup of the day ($4.25) was Swiss chard with potato and lentil, the quiche of the day ($3.50) Broccoli, both made on the premises.
The sandwich menu includes sandwiches ($6.25) of turkey, ham, or chicken with choice of toppings, spreads, and cheeses. Rollups feature wraps of white, whole wheat, pesto, tomato, and spinach. A Caesar wrap goes for $5.25, a chicken wrap $6.25, a veggie wrap $6.25. pt’s choice today was a chicken panini, with provolone tomato, mesclin, and pesto spread. The panini’s outside, bearing the browned geometric marks of the griddle press, was crunchy while the inside coalesced into one warm. moist, taste sensation. I just love a good panini. That one qualifies. My lunch companion had chicken salad on a chewy French roll, which she declared was “tasty, fresh.”
Being a fussy guy, Mr. Kimberk wasn’t going to settle for his coffee. After trying several suppliers, the man with the yen for a good cuppa java settled on Dean’s Beans, a socially conscious, organic fair-trade coffee roasting company. Good choice.
All it takes to make pt at large happy is coffee with full body, emitting that utterly swoony just-brewed aroma, with a little light cream and one sugar. The Moka Sumatra medium body blend was just that. The Birdwatchers Blend and the Ring of Fire Blend are the two ends of the power spectrum, you can probably figure out which one you’d want when you need a Herculean jolt. The café’s coffee choices include fresh ground java in mild, medium, and dark roast blends and standard espresso, latte, and cappuccino.
So there you have it. The place is worth the trip for coffee, tea (many choices), and light fare to slake thirsts and appetites.
Recently, Mr. Kimberk got a hankering for a really good ice cream - and didn’t feel like walking too far to find it. Yep, you guessed it. Coming next week, right next door to Café on the Common, Sebastian’s Home Made Ice Cream and Real Fruit Sorbet.
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