Smilin' at Satsuma

Last week, my friend Dani and I were about to embark upon a day filled with running some necessary-but-evil errands, but I thought it would be good to start out on a high note with breakfast at Satsuma Cafe. Ever since the Bywater eatery opened its second location on Maple Street, I'd been dying to give it a go, and thank goodness, there were no regrets.

We floated in around 10:30 am and the place was still bustling. The owners took full advantage of the high-ceilings and large floor space, creating a bright, cheery atmosphere, complete with an open kitchen in the back. We placed our order at the counter and chose a table near one of the floor-to-ceiling windows to watch the world pass by.

The first to arrive were two frothy cappuccinos, brewed from a Coffee Roasters of New Orleans blend. Before we slurped up half the cup, our breakfast arrived.

Dani ordered the Satsuma Breakfast Plate that was a simple dish of scrambled eggs, three slices of thick bacon, wheat toast, fresh fruit (apple slices, grapes and blueberries) and a small cup of tasty black beans. I couldn't resist trying their Bagel Plate that came with an "everything" bagel, herbed shmear, house-cured lox, capers, thinly-sliced red onions, a thick slice of tomato, fresh sprouts and sliced cucumber. Light, satisfying and delicious, Dani and I had no difficulties scarfing every crumb.

I want to add here a little about the service. Although we ordered at the counter, the folks in Satsuma were so nice and so incredibly helpful, I just couldn't stop smiling. At one point, when Dani and I got up to check out the pastry, we thought we'd be polite and bring our plates up to the counter. All of a sudden, there were three people around us, taking our plates, insisting that busing our own table was out of the question! It was almost comical, but wonderful nonetheless.

We couldn't leave without a little something sweet, so we went back up to the counter and selected two, ginormous, vegan chocolate chip cookies. Dani got another cappuccino, but I was already bouncing off the walls, so I opted for a Watermelon Lemonade that turned out to be heavy with the flavor of cucumber. The cookies tasted strongly of peanut butter, which was used in place of butter to make it vegan, I imagine, but they were still quite moist and delectable.

Satsuma is a most welcome addition to my incredible neighborhood.