First Impressions: Safari Cup
300 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd.326-0019
www.safaricup.com
1/2
By Deborah Lockridge
Finding myself downtown at lunchtime, a rare occurrence, I decided to try Safari Cup Coffee.
There was no one at the counter when I wandered in near the end of the lunch hour, looking around curiously. Then a woman, I believe one of the owners, appeared from the back and answered my questions about where to order. A man showed up behind the counter to take my order. He couldn't answer my question about what was on the vegetarian sub, so I decided to try a chicken salad sub instead. I also ordered a cup of Tanzanian Peaberry drip coffee (one of the two available that day along with the house blend), and at the last minute added a piece of chocolate cake after seeing the display of baked goods in the case next to the counter. (Total $12.30.)
I took my coffee, which came in a Starbucks-esque disposable cup, and sat down. While I waited for them to bring my order to the table, I looked some more at the menu. Overall, it's fairly basic. There are subs such as tuna salad, Black Forest ham, pepper turkey and roast beef; regular sandwiches such as ham and cheese, cheese and tomato, tuna salad or turkey salad; a soup of the day, such as chicken and wild rice, cheesy chicken tortilla, chili, and cream of potato with bacon; sausage or mushroom quiche; and a selection of salads, including tuna salad, turkey salad, chunky chicken salad, and tropical fruit salad. The Serengeti salad offers lettuce, mandarin oranges, bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, pecans and feta; with the addition of some grilled chicken strips and cashews, it becomes the Safari Salad. There's a black olive pasta salad, with pitted black olives, imported Spanish artichokes, feta and chickpeas. The crunchy coleslaw sounds like a different take on a Southern favorite, with almonds, crunch pasta and champagne vinaigrette.
The coffee was very strong and very hot. It had to cool down for a while before I could taste it well enough to enjoy the "winy acidity and deep richness" advertised on the menu. Next time, I'd love to take home a half pound of beans of of the Ethiopian coffees offered, such as the Yirgacheffe ("A Lemony taste, giving a distinctive bite that combines with a rich, floral finish") or the Harar ("winey and blueberry undertones, good body and high acidity.")
When my lunch arrived, the man apologized for it being on regular bread rather than a sub roll, as expected. I was too hungry to care, although since the chicken salad sandwich is about a buck-fifty cheaper on the menu than the sub, I wonder if I got my money's worth. In hindsight, I think I would have preferred the sandwich platter, which comes with a side salad (Serengeti, coleslaw or fruit), plus sliced pickles and olives, along with the chips.
It was nevertheless a generous sized sandwich, on multi-grain bread. Chunks of chicken were enfolded in a creamy dressing with hints of lemon and almonds. It was simple and subtle, without the grapes, raisins, pecans and other ingredients you often find in chicken salad, with some fresh leaf lettuce and tomatoes to add moisture. (Unfortunately, it gave me awful indigestion later in the day.) It was served with kettle-cooked potato chips.
The chocolate cake was rich and chocolatey, but had that unfortunate texture that cakes seem to get when they've been sitting, pre-cut, in a refrigerator or refrigerated display case.
Safari Cup also offers a breakfast menu, with both sweet and savory croissants, bagels, biscuits, doughnuts, muffins and cinnamon rolls, plus a hot breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, has browns and croissant. There are several platters that appear to be aimed at the take-out crowd, with eight to 10 minimum per order.
And, of course, there's the coffee and tea, plus coffee- and fruit-based smoothies.
Overall, I'd say it's a good place to go downtown to enjoy food and drinks made from high-quality ingredients, but the food, and especially the service, were not worth a special trip from the 'burbs.
Owners Dave & Sharon McLaughlin were both born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and combine their Zimbabwean birth and upbringing as well as their Irish heritage to give Safari Cup its unique personality. They only sell coffee from Africa, according to their website. Check out the "About Us" section and click on "Beanmaster Cupping Class" for some interesting articles Dave has written about coffee.
Published July 2006