culture@dailylobo.com
The attempt to revitalize Central Avenue east of Downtown has brought a number of terrific restaurants to the Edo area, and A & B’s Lunchbox is no exception. Owners Alicia and Ben Webb opened the cafe in June, replacing the Daily Grind, just a few doors down from the Artichoke Cafe.
The restaurant proper is tiny, but the property as a whole is a cute, rambling building with secluded dining areas and a great patio in the complex of small businesses just off the street.
Colorful paintings cover the counter where orders are taken. The menu is simple, but everything is made with great attention to detail and high-quality ingredients. Customers order at the counter and the food is promptly made to order.
The open service area was filled with friendly, bustling employees and orders were completed quickly. But what about the food?
The Panino Cubano was a hit. Turkey and ham are piled high on a baguette and topped with mustard, melted Swiss cheese and the traditional dill pickle. The side of fruit included fresh pear, orange, watermelon and grapes. Much of the produce at A & B’s comes from Vida Verde Farms, a small organic farm in the North Valley.
The BLT Salad was huge. Romaine lettuce topped with tomatoes and a generous pile of crispy bacon. No limp, floppy bacon was allowed to ruin the texture. An exceptional balsamic vinaigrette tied the salad together nicely and was delicious on the crunchy baguette slices that came with the salad.
The Webbs have fresh baguettes delivered six days a week, along with a nice selection of desserts, all from Le Paris Bakery.
All of the sandwiches and salads are available in full and half sizes and are served with a selection of sides. A & B’s offers cottage cheese, fresh fruit or chips.
The menu is standard fare, but the star of the meal was the Chile Pocket. This savory pastry is something special.
The flaky, buttery pastry is deceptively light; it hides a hearty mass of potatoes, chile and cheese. The Chile Pockets are available in vegetarian green chile, green chile and bacon, or red chile and carne adovada. The red chile was tasty and very mild, binding together the potatoes and carne adovada nicely. This filling and portable meal seems like a better hand-held food than a burrito.
Since this is a cafe, it is a requirement that the coffee be good as well. A & B’s serves Allegro locally roasted coffee and offers a full selection of coffee and espresso staples, as well as Mayan hot chocolate.
The restaurant offers daily specials in addition to the standard menu. These range anywhere from a specialty salad or coconut milk pancakes to curries or bacon-filled waffles. The variety seems to ensure that customers can find something new and delicious no matter how often they visit.
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A & B’s Lunchbox
414 Central Ave. S.E.
Monday through Saturday
7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sundays 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
ablunchbox.com.
