And their asparagus with lemon and olive oil evoke the pictorial, cinematic landscape of northern Italy. You will lick your plate clean of every morsel. Jeffrey's owners originally conceived Cipollina as an upscale take-out branch of their popular restaurant, catering to outside dinner parties and sophisticated degustations. However, during the planning stages, they decided to augment the catering business with a sit-down menu of sandwiches, salads, pizzas, and soups. The resulting olive-colored cafe is stylish and casual, with tables set up near the storefront window that allow plenty of opportunities for viewing not only the passing traffic, but also the open kitchen behind the deli counter.
Lunchtimes are always crowded.
In fact, the cafe has proved to be so successful that its owners are now in the process of applying for a beer and wine license in order to expand food service during lunch and dinner. Freshly made, informal fare awaits the on-premises diner who longs for immediate gratification. My favorite sandwich is the smoked salmon bruschetta. Visualize a crispy slice of grilled bread blanketed with herby aioli, and surmounted by balsamic-dressed field greens. This basic architecture then buttresses a tall pile of cured, smoked salmon.