Literary lunches

Raising our cup of latte to the bookstores that serve food

by Margaret LeRoux

Sturbridge Bistro 497 Main Street, Sturbridge (508) 347-3320 Wed.-Sun. 5:30-9 p.m. Major credit cards Wine and beer Handicap accessible

Borders Cafe
476 Boston Turnpike Road, Shrewsbury
845-8665
Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m.,Sun. 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Major credit cards
No alcohol
Handicap accessible

Barnes & Noble Cafe
289 North Main Street, Leominster
(978) 537-6009
Mon.-Sun. 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
Major credit cards
No alcohol
Handicap accessible

The Restaurant at Tatnuck Bookseller
335 Chandler Street, Worcester
756-7644
Mon.-Thurs. 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m.-midnight, Sat. 9 a.m.-midnight, Sun. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Major credit cards
Wine and beer
Handicap accessible

To the person who first thought of putting a cafe in a bookstore, I raise my cup of latte in gratitude. What a perfect combination for people who love to eat as much as they love to read. If it's just a cup of coffee and a scone, or a full dinner, a meal somehow tastes better when the surroundings include stacks of books.

There are three such bookstore cafes in the Worcester area. Their main venture, as Tatnuck Bookseller proclaims, is to "feed your head," but I wanted to know how well they feed your appetite, too. Each, it turns out, has a distinct character, and there is quite a difference in the breadth of their menus. They are all rather pricey, but if you're frugal, you'd be at the library, right?

Borders Cafe, tucked inside the new Borders Bookstore on Route 9 in Shrewsbury, is a hangout for aspiring writers and teachers. At least those were our fellow diners on a recent afternoon. The teacher was correcting papers, the writer gazed off into space and sipped tea. At another table a business meeting was in progress. A friend who works from home tells me she regularly schedules breakfast meetings at Borders Cafe so she can eat their cinnamon rolls and muffins.

Borders Cafe has a limited menu, which includes sandwiches like chicken salad and roast beef (both $4.95), soups, and an array of drinks including cappuccino, latte, tea, cocoa, fruit juices, and Italian sodas. There are also daily specials -- I chose torta ($4.95), a hefty wedge of brioche filled with sliced eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. And my companions selected an individual cheese pizza ($2.75), and a spinach and feta cheese calzone ($4.95), overflowing with spinach and feta. We placed our orders at the counter and carried our trays to one of several well-spaced tables. Borders offers an assortment of magazines as well as a selection of board games.

The Italian sodas have a distinct freshness; the raspberry, for example really does taste like fresh fruit, and the vanilla is both sweet and fresh. I sampled chai tea for the first time; steamed with milk, honey, and spices, it's sweet and soothing on a cold afternoon. We shared a slice of chocolate torte ($3.99) -- a rich, dark confection -- sampled a freshly baked chocolate-peanut butter chip cookie (55 cents) and the chocolate covered peppermint cookie (99 cents) that was recommended by one of the wait staff. It was very good -- a giant version of my favorite Girl Scout cookie. Our bill totaled $24.89.

Next on our book tour was the other big bookstore chain, Barnes & Noble, which has a cafe in its new Leominster store where a colorful mural of literary greats adorns the ceiling. We were amused by the placement of the famous authors: John Steinbeck shares a table with William Faulkner and T.S. Eliot -- wouldn't you love to eavesdrop on that conversation?

The set-up is almost identical to Borders, but the menu varies slightly. No sandwiches here, but there is homemade soup. We tried a rich chicken noodle ($2.95), thick with chunks of chicken, carrots, and celery. There are bagels, pastries, muffins, and scones. I had a toasted fontina cheese bagel ($2.25). We shared a lemon square ($2.25) -- tart and creamy on a buttery shortbread crust; an oatmeal cookie ($1.25), thick with raisins; and a decadent cashew-caramel bar ($2.75). The coffee advantage here is Starbucks, for those who like their latte ($2.75) rich and strong. Italian sodas are offered, along with fruit juices and tea. Our bill totaled $16.75.

The restaurant at Tatnuck Bookseller is where the serious eaters go; it offers a full menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

There's an extensive selection of appetizers, salads, soups, and entrees. My companion and I each tried a cup of soup, the restaurant's signature, spicy West African peanut soup ($2.99), and the special of the day, butternut crabmeat bisque ($3.50). They were delicious, the former had a touch of curry, while the bisque was creamy and rich with generous lumps of crabmeat.

I ordered one of the salad specials, spinach and artichokes with fresh mozzarella ($5.99). Our waitress informed me the kitchen was out of artichokes, so I substituted olives and feta for an extra $1.50. When my salad arrived, it had both artichokes and olives, along with feta and mozzarella -- quite a hearty dish in the end. My companion enjoyed a quesadilla with caramelized onions, cheese and fresh basil ($5.99).The onions gave it bite, and the basil added flavor. Our bill came to $24.38 not including tip.

My literary excursions gave me food for thought. I recommend a book or a magazine as a good companion for a meal.