I really don't understand the negative reviews for 17th Street Cafe, but I guess tastes vary. I've eaten here a bunch of times and have always had a good experience. The first time, my parents were visiting from Philadelphia and the owner of the restaurant came over and had a nice long conversation with us about the Maxime Talbot Penguins-Flyers trade. Most of the times that I have eaten here I've had a very pleasant jolly enthusiastic waitress, which has further enhanced my dining experience.
The bread is good, the food is good, and while I've never had any room for dessert, the table next to us last time said that the dessert was good. Between my dining companions and myself, we've had at least one dish from each section of the menu and they have all been tasty. And the asiago pillows are delicious.
My one complaint is that 17th Street Cafe does not give you a choice of the side dish. Last time I mistakenly ordered the greens and beans as an appetizer and after I'd eaten them and the waitress had come back to take our main course order, I found out that my meal had the same dish as a side dish and I was told that I could not swap for another side dish. The greens and beans were delicious, but one was enough.