| Doublelattemama: @Debs1 oh, i hate that! either a hot shower or lots of hot coffee/tea are in order! about 2 minutes ago |
![]() | Aznchica2002: I think it's time for me to get some coffee and bagel or something before I get another food craving haha. Breakfast time! about 4 hours ago |
![]() | AmyPredsfan: @NashvilleDebbi Sinus Infection? Sip on some very hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate. The hot steam will clear your sinus up. about 5 hours ago |
![]() | shaunosullivan: @magichat but more to the point will Duran taste good in my coffee or will I need the second one? about 5 hours ago |
![]() | CaitDupre: I can't tell if I'm actually drinking soap or if the coffee mug I washed just smells like our soap... about 7 hours ago |
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Treat yourself to a Sid De-lic-ious or a Modest Mouse at Roast. |
| By Molly Snyder Edler OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer E-mail author | Author bio More articles by Molly Snyder Edler |
| Published Aug. 14, 2007 at 5:23 a.m. |
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When Ryan Mason opened Roast Coffee Company almost four years ago, he focused on providing quality beverages in a dynamic space that appeals to students as well as the post-college crowd. His goal was to eventually offer food, and at the end of last year, he quietly unveiled a sandwich, wrap and salad menu.
"We're on the second round of our menu," says Mason, 28. "We got it out in December and then took the winter and spring to bounce it off customers, get input from the employees, and tweak it to what it is now."
In all aspects of his cafe, it seems that Mason's approach is to master before moving on to the next thing. Hence, his new menu is simple, featuring a dozen wraps, salads and sandwiches, most of which are named after bands.
For example, the Jane's Addiction is a cilantro hummus wrap stuffed with red onions, cucumbers and field greens; The Green Day is piled with bacon, veggies, cheddar cheese and homemade chipotle mayo spread. Two salads are aptly named Modest Mouse and The Roots.
On a recent visit, we sampled three of his creations -- the Daft club, FatBoy Slim and Drive-By Trucker -- and found them well constructed, flavorful and incredibly fresh.
The Drive-By Trucker ($5.95) is a smoked turkey and cheddar cheese wrap with red onions, green peppers, field greens and a delicious, creamy basil pesto sauce. The turkey and cheese slices are generously stacked, but not over piled. The pesto sauce is an amazing complement to the turkey.
The FatBoy Slim ($4.95) is a veggie sandwich, complete with provolone cheese, dill mayo, onion, cucumber, tomato and greens. Because of the FatBoy's freshness and perfect portion size, my dining mate -- who is a talented chef herself -- said, "I would be hard pressed to recreate this at home."
Finally, the Daft Club ($6.45) was the high point of our order. With smoked ham, bacon, Swiss, veggies and Dijon sauce on thick and soft ciabatta bread, it just about blew us away. Again, the key word with this sammy is freshness.
The wraps and sandwiches are served in a cool metal basket with classic potato chips on the side. (They tasted like Lay's.) We also sampled the Orange-Cicle ($3.25), a blended drink made with orange juice, white chocolate and ice that claims to be a hangover cure. We weren't hungover, so can't comment on its elixir-like qualities, but it sure tasted good.
Roast is clean, artistically painted (the bathrooms rock) and currently features the art of iconic Milwaukee painter Mike Frederickson.
The service was prompt and friendly, so much so that we spent hours at the cafe, eating, drinking and taking advantage of the free wireless. Technically, Roast offers one hour of free wireless Internet, but Mason gave us unlimited usage.
Mason says he is happy with the new menu, and hopes to take it a step further in the near future with breakfast sandwiches. We would also like to see hot sandwiches on the menu.
"My goal with the food is that it's straightforward, served in under two minutes and really good," says Mason.
Done.
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3 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review. |
Posted by Milly on Sept. 7, 2007 at 4:45 p.m. (report)
I had a terrible experience there today. The owner completely ignored my friend and I, and when we nicely asked for his help a second time, he copped an attitude. I will not return to this place, which is too bad since I spend a lot of time and money working in Internet cafes.
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Posted by kaytbanksmith on Aug. 18, 2007 at 11:34 a.m. (report)
You've come a long way baby! Glad to hear about the new menu, can't wait to try it out... see you soon! love, the best (former) roommate EVA!
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Posted by Andre on Aug. 14, 2007 at 12:48 p.m. (report)
This place has consistently great coffee. Food's pretty good too.
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