Arizona Daily Star Review
Tucson's Coffee House serves epic sandwiches
By Valerie Vinyard [email protected]
Jun 5, 2008
Photo credit: James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star
The Coffee House is so much more than, well, a coffeehouse.
The comfortable Tucson restaurant sells reasonably priced sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries. The variety of coffee and tea drinks isn't something to scoff at, either.
James McDermott, 29, and Sara Mills, 28, opened The Coffee House in June 2006. They took over the space formerly occupied by the Chocolate Iguana.
On Monday, the partners are opening a second location at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. It will offer smoothies and bagels, among other items.
The inside of the Tanque Verde Road restaurant is like a typical coffeehouse, with glass-enclosed pastry shelves, local artwork for sale and comfy seating.
Other hi-top and regular tables and chairs can seat diners, and there is a smattering of board games for the playing and Wi-Fi for the using.
A different artist's work hangs on the walls every month. The Coffee House holds an open house the first Friday of each month to showcase the artist and remains open until 9 p.m. All of the money from art sales goes directly to the artist.
It should be a rule: You must eat dessert here.
To be sure you don't break the rule, eat dessert first, while you're waiting for the healthier foods you ordered to come out.
The simple and succulent Rice Krispies treat ($1.35) made us feel like kids again. The square was almost as high as it was wide (and it was pretty wide), with fluffy marshmallow snuggled between Krispies that really did snap, crackle and pop.
A large day-old brownie cost $1 instead of its usual $2.95, but its still-fresh chocolaty flavor will have us saving the extra $1.95 every time.
If you don't like brownies, all of The Coffee House's discount pastries cost $1. They go fast, though, so get there early.
The Coffee House's bread comes from La Baguette Bakery, and its tortillas for burritos and wraps come from La Mesa Tortillas. Most everything else, including the pastries and the soups, is house-made.
As is the hummus plate ($5.75). A giant scoop of roasted red pepper hummus was surrounded by tomato, cucumbers, celery, carrot sticks, olives and pita triangles. It's enough for a meal for one but a nice starter for two or more.
Every one of the five food groups is represented in one sandwich with The Homer ($6.95). The Coffee House's signature sandwich came piled high with smoked turkey, havarti cheese, green chiles, green apples and lemon-cilantro mayonnaise. The crunchy apples, soft cheese and smoky lean turkey were a chorus of textures and tastes. We opted for an airy baguette instead of the dark multigrain bread that normally accompanies the sandwich.
The Roast Beast ($6.95) sandwich also satisfied. It arrived with slivers of juicy beef covered in a modest amount of horseradish mayo and heavy on the leafy green lettuce.
We washed down the Beast and its accompanying homemade pasta salad with, what else, a Coffee Café Mocha Frappe ($3.15): a sweet, dessertlike coffee drink, blended with ice with homemade whipped cream on top. The frappe was sucked down long before the meal was over.
By Valerie Vinyard [email protected]
Jun 5, 2008
Photo credit: James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star
The Coffee House is so much more than, well, a coffeehouse.
The comfortable Tucson restaurant sells reasonably priced sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries. The variety of coffee and tea drinks isn't something to scoff at, either.
James McDermott, 29, and Sara Mills, 28, opened The Coffee House in June 2006. They took over the space formerly occupied by the Chocolate Iguana.
On Monday, the partners are opening a second location at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. It will offer smoothies and bagels, among other items.
The inside of the Tanque Verde Road restaurant is like a typical coffeehouse, with glass-enclosed pastry shelves, local artwork for sale and comfy seating.
Other hi-top and regular tables and chairs can seat diners, and there is a smattering of board games for the playing and Wi-Fi for the using.
A different artist's work hangs on the walls every month. The Coffee House holds an open house the first Friday of each month to showcase the artist and remains open until 9 p.m. All of the money from art sales goes directly to the artist.
It should be a rule: You must eat dessert here.
To be sure you don't break the rule, eat dessert first, while you're waiting for the healthier foods you ordered to come out.
The simple and succulent Rice Krispies treat ($1.35) made us feel like kids again. The square was almost as high as it was wide (and it was pretty wide), with fluffy marshmallow snuggled between Krispies that really did snap, crackle and pop.
A large day-old brownie cost $1 instead of its usual $2.95, but its still-fresh chocolaty flavor will have us saving the extra $1.95 every time.
If you don't like brownies, all of The Coffee House's discount pastries cost $1. They go fast, though, so get there early.
The Coffee House's bread comes from La Baguette Bakery, and its tortillas for burritos and wraps come from La Mesa Tortillas. Most everything else, including the pastries and the soups, is house-made.
As is the hummus plate ($5.75). A giant scoop of roasted red pepper hummus was surrounded by tomato, cucumbers, celery, carrot sticks, olives and pita triangles. It's enough for a meal for one but a nice starter for two or more.
Every one of the five food groups is represented in one sandwich with The Homer ($6.95). The Coffee House's signature sandwich came piled high with smoked turkey, havarti cheese, green chiles, green apples and lemon-cilantro mayonnaise. The crunchy apples, soft cheese and smoky lean turkey were a chorus of textures and tastes. We opted for an airy baguette instead of the dark multigrain bread that normally accompanies the sandwich.
The Roast Beast ($6.95) sandwich also satisfied. It arrived with slivers of juicy beef covered in a modest amount of horseradish mayo and heavy on the leafy green lettuce.
We washed down the Beast and its accompanying homemade pasta salad with, what else, a Coffee Café Mocha Frappe ($3.15): a sweet, dessertlike coffee drink, blended with ice with homemade whipped cream on top. The frappe was sucked down long before the meal was over.
7125 E. Tanque Verde Road
• Hours: 6 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
• More info: 751-1500.
The Bill
Hummus plate: $5.75.
The Homer: $6.95.
Roast Beast: $6.95.
Brownie: $1.
Rice Krispies treat: $1.35.
Coffee Cafe Mocha Frappe: $3.15.
Large iced tea: $1.90.
Total, before tax and tip: $27.05.
• Hours: 6 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
• More info: 751-1500.
The Bill
Hummus plate: $5.75.
The Homer: $6.95.
Roast Beast: $6.95.
Brownie: $1.
Rice Krispies treat: $1.35.
Coffee Cafe Mocha Frappe: $3.15.
Large iced tea: $1.90.
Total, before tax and tip: $27.05.