The decor, always a strong suit at Donna Crivello and Alan Hirsch's coffee bars, felt cold and uninviting inside the rehabbed warehouse that used to house a Bibelot bookstore. But when I returned a few days later for lunch, I had a completely different impression. With light streaming through a double-high expanse of windowpanes, the space seemed much warmer, colors brighter. I couldn't believe that the trim, modern chairs were deep purple, not charcoal gray, and the bar stools weren't brown, but burnt pumpkin. The food was better, too, although the menu was much less ambitious.
Lunch is limited to salads, soups, sandwiches and pizza.
Entrees were a problem at dinner, especially the penne with Sicilian tomato sauce, which was missing capers, artichoke hearts and spicy peppers, along with the Italian sausage we requested. All we could taste were tangy olives. Roasted vegetables are one of Donna's trademarks, and we tried them here in all their caramelized goodness with grilled, marinated chicken breasts that tasted unmarinated and dry. We liked that the roasted veggie burger was served on a focaccia roll with sun-dried tomato mayo, but its mushy texture was unappealing. A good vegetarian alternative is the portobello mushroom and herbed goat cheese focaccia sandwich we tried at lunch.