Cafe on Broadway

Freshly made fare from organic spring mix salads to peanut butter brownies

Recent efforts to revitalize downtown Siloam Springs have enlivened area businesses and residents. As beneficiaries of a Walton Family Trust donation, a steering community has created a 5-7 year plan based off the urban and traffic design of downtown Bentonville.

Carolyn Robinson, owner of Cafe on Broadway, is a member of the steering committee and is excited about the growing opportunities in the area.

Cafe on Broadway

LOCATION: 123 N. Broadway St., Siloam Springs

PHONE: (479) 549-3556

WEBSITE: thecafeonbroadway.c…

NICE TO KNOW: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon-Thur, 7 a.m.-midnight Fri-Sat, 5:30 p.m.-midnight Sunday. Full cafe, coffeehouse and bookstore. Local, healthy dining choices and fresh-roasted coffee beans by Onyx. Daily specials, paninis, soups, salads, handcrafted pastries. Indoor and outdoor seating. Wi-Fi and to-go available.

"A lot of people don't realize that we have a bike trail from one end of the town to another. There are also several restaurants, and unique gift shops and parks," she said.

Cafe on Broadway was one of the first locally operated restaurants in downtown. Carolyn and her husband Rick opened the cafe in March 2006.

"At the time, downtown Siloam Springs was mainly offices, lawyers, dentists, stock brokers," Carolyn Robinson said.

In fact, the cafe's location was an office building when the Robinsons bought it. Rick Robinson did much of the renovations himself to convert it into the restaurant and cafe.

The cafe atmosphere features a series of smaller rooms and one long room that has high ceilings and bookshelves. The shelves of books are available for browsing or buying.

"I wanted this side to feel like a library that you could laugh, talk and eat," Robinson said.

In the smaller, intimate rooms, pen-and-ink artwork by general manager Josh Ray hangs on the walls. The images are formed by miniature, handwritten hymns and are available for purchase.

"We have such talented young adults [working for us] -- we really feel that is why we are successful," Robinson said.

In regards to working at the cafe, that creativity is embraced and that individuality generates a more personable experience for the staff and the customers. The specials are inspired by the staff, and several of them become regular features.

"Everything is homemade -- designed by our people over time," Robinson said.

The cafe uses local ingredients wherever possible and carries Stonemill Bread and Oynx Coffee. Fellow Siloam Springs restaurant Fratelli's Pizzeria makes the flatbread for one of their reoccurring specials.

The Cafe started as a small place with sandwiches and salads, but demand grew and their offerings increased to satisfy the requests of their customers.

At the suggestion of one of their employees, they started serving coffee and pastries, which grew to include espresso drinks, such as traditional Italian-style cappuccino.

Although the menu and atmosphere have changed over the years, the simple philosophy for success remains the same.

"We feel like if we buy the best ingredients and have the best staff, the product that we offer will take care of itself," Robinson said.

The coffee menu includes drip coffee, French press and cafe au lait. Espresso drinks range from white mocha to macchaito. There is also Ghiradelli hot chocolate, chai lattes, hot tea, Italian sodas, fruit smoothies and frozen espresso drinks.

The food menu includes made-to-order breakfast, lunch and dinner options. There are sandwiches, salads, soups and sweets.

Grilled paninis and deli sandwiches are served with a choice of chips, fruit, coleslaw or potato salad. Paninis include the walnut chicken salad melt with pepperjack cheese, a BLT with cilantro ranch, a Monte Cristo with raspberry jam, or the Veggie with pesto and provolone.

Salads are made with organic spring mix and served with a croissant and housemade dressing. Fresh and flavorful selections include a familiar varieties, such as the Chef or Southwest salad, and more exotic creations including Mandarin Cashew, Washington Apple, Strawberry Fields, and Cran-Walnut. The Blue salad has fresh blueberries, blue cheese and an orange vinaigrette. The Apricot Almond features dried apricots, sliced almonds, a scoop of walnut chicken salad and a sesame-ginger dressing.

The breakfast menu includes freshly made quiche, a breakfast panini, toast or baked oatmeal with almonds, craisins and apricots.

The pastry case adds to those selections and has sweet temptations including scones, cookies, muffins and brownies.

The Cafe opens at 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. It is open to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and midnight Friday through Sunday. There is indoor and outdoor seating, as well as Wi-Fi and takeout available.

NAN Dining Guide Cover on 07/18/2014

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