Café 458

Gaby and I both loved the concept behind Cafe 458. During the week, Café 458 provides nutritious meals to homeless men and women. On the weekends, Café 458 is staffed with volunteers, and the same space is used to serve up brunch to paying customers. All the proceeds, including tips, support Samaritan House of Atlanta’s services.

Located at 458 Edgewood Avenue, next to the Samaritan Shelter, Café 458 is in a transitional neighborhood, but one that’s up-and-coming; the Thumbs Up Diner and Javaology are both close by. The décor was simple with small cafeteria-style tables and chairs, yellow walls, and a few pictures.

The menu was full of old-fashioned comfort food. Gaby ordered the veggie hash. She said it was “very good” and had a “nice flavor.” I ordered scrambled eggs and hash-browns, and we both ordered biscuits. My eggs were hot and nicely cooked, but the hashbrowns were cool and underdone. I would not recommend the biscuits; they were cold, heavy, and barely edible. Overall, don’t expect 5-star dining, but do expect to leave with a full stomach and feeling good because you’ve supported an important cause in your own community.

Here’s a rundown of the rest of our brunch rating criteria:
OJ? Didn’t ask about fresh-squeezed, but didn’t see it on the menu.
Coffee? Average taste, bottomless (but I had to ask for a refill, and it arrived cold).
Loud? Amenable to conversation… was a little too quiet when we arrived at 10:30 or so, but got lively after 11:30 AM with the after-church crowd.
Service? The all-volunteer staff was super-friendly and helpful.
Parking? Limited parallel parking; but staff at Café 458 said it would be okay to park in the Thumbs Up Diner lot. We experienced aggressive panhandling when we parked, but Gaby has been here before and not experienced any.
Restrooms? Needs some work/repair, and a really good cleaning.
Bring kids? Yes, if you want to teach them about homelessness, no, if you want a kid-friendly place with a children’s menu and toys.
Reservations? No, but there was no wait when we got there.
Bonus?You can sign up to be a volunteer for Café 458 while you’re there.

Rating: 2 Out of 3 Pancakes. What a great cause! However, there is room for improvement in some areas.

Sun In My Belly

Located at 2161 College Avenue, 3 blocks from the East Lake MARTA station, Sun In My Belly is a newer Kirkwood restaurant that serves up a sophisticated and light menu that includes items for breakfast and lunch. Parking is available on a small gravel lot behind the restaurant or on neighborhood streets. With large windows facing the railroad tracks, you get lots of natural light and an interesting view as the trains go by. The open floor plan, hardwood floors, and outdoor seating provide a lot of space and a comfortable environment. However, the open arrangement can get a little noisy when the restaurant is full. We arrived before 11:30 a.m., and did not have to wait, but it got crowded a little later. If you end up waiting for a table, find a spot on the couches where you can grab a newspaper to read.

The restaurant is kid-friendly with highchairs and a short children’s menu available. The tables are covered with brown paper, which is great for aspiring child-artists and cuts down on cleaning costs, but the crab-shack-look of the tables clashes with the sophisticated feel of the restaurant.

I tend to lean toward the lunch side of brunch, so I ordered a Venus salad and a side of the pesto orzo. I appreciated that the dressing was served on the side (something they always do), but was disappointed to find some wilted lettuce in the mixed greens. The pesto orzo with pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes was fantastic. Stacey ordered a traditional breakfast of scrambled eggs, hashed potatoes, and a buttermilk biscuit. The hashed potatoes had a nice flavor and the biscuit had a rich buttery taste. However, the eggs needed to be warmed up. The coffee was good and they kept the refills coming. Unfortunately for me, there were no free refills on diet coke since it’s served out of the can. Also the orange juice is not freshly squeezed. However, they do make their own delicious homemade granola and you can buy some to take home.

The service was great. Our waitress was very attentive and kept the table tidy and the coffee cup full. She also double-checked our order to make sure she had it correct. At the end of the meal, she even offered a “to-go” diet coke. Knowing my addiction, this was especially nice.

A couple of bonuses: If you are interested in live jazz, they offer a jazz brunch the first Sunday of every month. In addition, if you need to do some gift shopping, you can pick up soaps, scented candles, and stationary in the store at the back of the restaurant. If you love the food, Sun in My Belly is also a catering company. You can buy baked goods from their bakery and deli meats and sandwiches from the deli, or special order meals for your next party.

Rating: 2 Out of 3 Pancakes