By Erin Eisenrich

Warm colors, comforting sounds, and fresh smells are sure to entice your senses as you cross the threshold into The Village Café. Situated in Downtown Bryan away from the mainstream hustle and bustle of College Station life is a place that provides more than excellent food. It offers community. Owner, Kylie Beard, says that what makes her smile most is when people run into friends at the café. And it is just the place to do that.

Choose from a variety of fresh sandwiches, soups, and salads off a menu that is 80-90% organic and almost completely supplied by local growers. Whole wheat bread made from scratch is dense and grainy, proffering a bold and full flavor. The organic chicken salad has a full, buttery taste that will keep you wondering what the secret ingredients are. Add a Harvest Salad for the ½ Sandwich and Salad (or soup) option. It is delightfully fresh with apples and grapes tossed among field greens, bleu cheese, and a mild vinaigrette.

An array of other salads and soups are available, and the Eggplant Panini is notably popular. Try the Honey Bee Sandwich for an unconventional twist on a longtime favorite. Bananas, peanut butter, and honey are a perfect compliment with the homemade bread making this one delectable treat. Check out what’s brewing with “What’s The Buzz” coffee, locally roasted and is some of the best in the B/CS area. Standard drip coffee, cappuccinos, and lattes are available as well as a variety of specialty drinks that are just perfect as colder days approach.

The restaurant space is shared with the Art 979 Gallery, which boasts dramatic, colorful works displayed throughout the restaurant. Invigorating murals are splashed across the back walls, setting a pleasant backdrop for the large, comfy chairs that give off a coffee shop vibe. Worn wooden floors vibrate underfoot as employees move about and joyful conversation rises up as patrons steam in and out of the restaurant.

Service is friendly, attentive, and sincere. Check out their calendar on Facebook for live music and don’t miss the salsa dancing on Wednesday nights; the free lessons before hand are such a perk. Enjoy this local hotspot for tasty bites, stimulating entertainment, socializing, or just studying and resting.

www.brazosvillagecafe.com

Cheers,
Erin
The B/CS Foodist

Do you ever find yourself wishing you could make what you want, just how you want it at the price you want it? Now you can. Spoons Yogurt offers a product that is “made by the customer for the customer,” as General Manager and Aggie grad, Logan Prewett, described it.

Choose from a varying selection of twelve yogurts as a base, add toppings to your hearts content, and then pay by the weight. You get exactly the amount to satisfy your craving.

Spoons offers twelve of its twenty or so flavored yogurts each day. Options range from Pineapple Tart, a silky dream that really taste like fresh pineapple, to Peanut Butter and Cake Batter. Cookies and Cream is understandably popular with its bold flavor and satisfyingly sweet finish. Top it off with some peanut butter chips to make it just right.

The Cappuccino flavor is overwhelming at first, but don’t give up on it too quickly. Take a few more bites and discover a truly decadent treat. It’s fat free but is every bit as delicious as coffee ice cream. Pumpkin Pie yogurt offers all the ambrosial joys of a favorite holiday treat but this frozen variation is perfect for the local weather. Refreshing and light, Pistachio is an excellent choice with its slightly sweet flavor that is pleasantly well balanced.

Over 35 toppings and several great sauces will make your yogurt selection complete. A variety of fresh fruits go well with almost any flavor as well as the plentiful selection of cereals, nuts, and candies. The Original Tart yogurt and sweet berries pair nicely with a caramel or chocolate sauce. Blueberry yogurt and white chocolate chips are also a great compliment. Simply mix and match and go wild until you find your perfect combination.

The atmosphere at Spoons is contemporary and upbeat with comfortable translucent orange chairs, blue tiled accent walls and trendy, enjoyable music emanating at a noticeable but not overwhelming volume. A portion of the white walls display the talent of local artists that will be rotated occasionally. The restaurant has been open less that two weeks so busy hours are still sporadic and unpredictable. Spoons Yogurt takes pride in their community involvement through the profit shares it holds weekly. Spoons is conveniently located between Firehouse Subs and Muldoon’s Coffee House on Texas.

Spoonsyogurt.com

Cheers,

Erin Eisenrich

The B/CS Foodist

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