rev:text
| - You know this place. It doesn't matter if you've been here before or not, as soon as you walk through the doors of Nova Cafe in Millvale, you know where you are. It is familiar, but not too familiar, but not too not familiar. It is, in the best sense of that word, a deli.
I love sandwiches. The sheer variety that comes with the word is breathtaking so, it follows, that I love delis. There is a balance to be struck with a good deli. Accessible, but not chain. Clean, but not spotless. Inexpensive but not cheap. Well lit, but not an operating theater. Lots of options, but not too many. welcoming, but not the kind of place you would spend your whole day in. This balance is extremely rare, especially with the influx of artisan eateries popping up on every corner. (Sidenote: I throw no shade at artisan eateries. Food service is a rich tapestry with room for all varietals.)
Nova Cafe strikes this mythical balance. I could eat every meal from here, and not only because they have both breakfast and dinner service. The food is of fantastic quality and they hit the high notes beautifully. They don't skimp on the meat when you order a sandwich. There is no filler. Each sandwich comes with a pickle spear and a bag of chips. I like to pair the whole deal with a small container of pasta salad, you know, the kind that's red for some reason and has both olives AND cucumbers in it? I told you, you knew this place.
On my first visit, I tried out their Chicken Tortilini soup. Despite it being swelteringly hot that day, the soup was a wonderful decision. I also went with the club sandwich and the aformentioned reddish pasta salad, assuming these items were a baseline for whatever else they had to offer.
I returned the next day.
The staff is friendly, the service remarkably fast and the food, as mentioned, tremendous. Nova Cafe is there in Millvale, just waiting for your return.
|