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| - Is it a coffee shop? A diner? An event venue? Common Ground, open in Middleton since January, is all three - and more. I visited three times in the last week or so, trying to sample a little bit of their multifaceted personality. The spacious main floor includes a large dining area with lots of character: dark wood floors and paneling, a distinctive coffered ceiling with naked incandescent bulbs, cozy tables and chairs, a few booths, a stage for entertainment, and a bar area. Order at the counter, maybe pick up a baked good for breakfast? and let them bring your food items to your table. Bus your own table after the meal.
First, I met a friend there for lunch, and we each chose the soup-of-the-day (clam chowder). It was creamy and delicious. Water is self-served from two attractive icy urns on opposite ends of the counter. Silverware, napkins and condiments are located by the urns.
I returned that same evening with my wife. We go out every few weeks with a friend of ours and decided to give Common Ground's dinner fare a try. Their non-breakfast menu is largely sandwiches and burgers but they also have a nice selection of appetizers (cheese board, hummus plate, etc.). The Rachel (a turkey Ruben) was delicious but on the small side. The burger and patti-melt were yummy and perfectly made. The regular and sweet-potato fries were cooked to perfection and lightly salted. I was glad to see Common Ground's portions stay on the modest end of the spectrum. Too many restaurants temp patrons with unnecessarily enormous portion sizes.
I ventured back a few days later for an early morning cup of coffee and bagel and brought some reading material and my laptop for an extended reading and study session. Common ground is a comfortable and inviting space for a relaxing morning meeting with friends or a solo session with a book or electronic device. Coffee includes one free refill, and the bakery will tempt you with a muffin, scone or roll. The obvious availability of board games throughout the space practically demands that you stay for awhile. The performance area on the raised stage has tiled black/white pattern suggestive of a chessboard. Sure enough, on the window sill are gigantic chess pieces should you want to play a jumbo-sized game. During my first visit, a father and son were engaged in an epic match - and having a great time walking around the board as they pushed pawns and attacked the opposing king.
The upstairs is a spacious meeting area with its own bar. It was unused when I went up to peek, but it appears to be part yoga studio, meeting room, kids' play area and supplemental dining room.
Common Ground's ambiance is accented by music playing throughout, courtesy of some wall mounted Sonos speakers. On my three visits, the music was always contemporary folk and alt-singer/songwriter - perfect for my tastes. The volume was just right - audible but never distracting. And the wifi is wicked fast.
I have two small complaints: at some point after their January opening, they had changed their hours, but not their signs. I arrived for my breakfast visit at 6:45 am, 15 minutes after their advertised weekday opening time of 6:30, but the doors were locked. After a few minutes of loitering and looking through the windows, the woman who was opening came to the door and informed me that the owners had changed the hours, but not the signs. I hung around and waited 15 minutes, and she had the doors opened promptly at 7. Regrettably, they had no bagels on the menu that day, but the coffee was fresh and delicious, and I had a chance to sample their breakfast menu instead. The fried egg and sausage sandwich was scrumptious!
PS: for those who like to sit and study or read, CG should consider adding a bottomless option to their coffee menu. Currently, they offer 12oz and 16oz options with one free refill (the 16oz costs $2.25 plus tax). why not just offer a bottomless mug for $4.00? Loiterers like me would opt for it every time!
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