In keeping with my new plan to stop being such a crankypants about everything, here’s something that deserves a hearty shout-out. I joined a friend of mine for lunch last week at the Caffeine Cafe, a great little eatery at 501 E. 4rd St., Bethlehem. Their menu includes sandwiches, wraps, soups, pastry and other goodies.

The owner, Dave Smith, takes great care of his customers and you feel welcomed as soon as you set foot in the door. It reminds me a lot of the Paris cafes my husband and I loved to visit. Caffeine Cafe has a wonderful relaxed atmosphere, you feel completely removed from the stress of the day. They even have free wireless access! Do yourself a favor and head over for your morning cup ‘o joe or a quick lunch. You won’t be disappointed.

I’ve been working through a food dilemma with the owner during my last few visits. On my very first visit, I hadn’t been able to decide on what to order off the menu. So I asked him to tell me what he liked on the menu. (When in doubt, always ask restaurant staff what they eat, since they’ve probably sampled everything). He said stuff he throws together for himself isn’t actually on the menu. I asked him to describe a typical sandwich he makes. It sounded great, so that’s what I ordered.

I promptly forgot what was in the sandwich by the next time I lunched there, so I had to ask him again "Can you make that sandwich I like?" He’s not 100% sure we’re in agreement on what I want, so I explain its contents as best I can remember, and he makes it up perfectly, just as good as the last time.

Fast-forward to my recent visit. Again, I walk up to the counter and ask for "the sandwich I always order, and by the way, I forgot what’s in it again. Yes, I’m a very dumb person."

He looks at me like always and I know what’s coming next. "Care to take a stab at what’s in it?"

"OK, to the best of my knowledge, it has turkey, some kind of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a fantastic cranberry sauce thing. It’s not a sauce, you know, it’s like a sauce, but not a sauce. Know what I mean?"

He suggests to me the sandwich he’s made in the past, and I finally use my brain and write down what’s in it so I can remember the next time. What I’d rather see happen is that the sandwich go up on the menu board so I can just say "Give me the Number 5."

While Dave’s gathering ingredients, we hit a little snag. He informs me that he just ran out of cranberry mustard (I knew it wasn’t a sauce!) and would I care for the raspberry instead? I’m all about the raspberry and so that’s what I ordered.

When I took my first bite, I realized I liked the raspberry mustard even better than the cranberry. And I don’t quite remember this cheese being the cheese of sandwiches past. It is deadly good. With that, he had just improved upon what I thought was already the perfect sandwich. This, my friends, is the perfect sandwich:

Sliced turkey
Thick slice of Brie cheese
Leafy lettuce and tomato
Raspberry mustard
On rye toast
Pickle on the side

I kidded with him about adding it to the menu and giving it a name, so people (OK, just me) can order it easier. I suggested he name the sandwich in my honor. I’m sure he was kidding when he said he would, but I would bet that if you walked in and asked for "The Kathy Frederick," he’d know what to make you. If you order it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. No doubt you’ll love the cafe no matter what you order. Bon appetit!

See how I don’t hate everything?

FYI, Caffeine Cafe is open 8-2, Mondays, 8-5 Tues through Friday, 10-5 Saturday, closed Sunday.

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