Market City Cafe

A few years ago, when I first started hanging out downtown, I met a long-time pen pal at a little shop called Cherry Corner. My pilot friend and I had a beautiful conversation while I ate the most delectable fruit tart. It was one of those occasions that help you hold a building and a restaurant fondly in your heart. After Cherry Corner closed, we were left with a building whose very emptiness felt like a wound. Therefore, it was a most promising sight when Market City’s signage quietly announced their arrival.

Market City is, plainly put, a soup, salad and sandwich shop. And yet there is nothing plain about Market City Café. They take ordinary sandwiches and elevate them from the mundane with a few simple ingredients. For example: The Martina and May, a grilled chicken sandwich with a slice of brie cheese and honey mustard mayo. Or a creamy chicken salad on a buttery croissant. Yes, you can find these in other shops, but at Market City Café there is something a bit different about it.

The crispy-soft baguette that holds the Martina & May sandwich and the creamy brie cheese gave the chicken sandwich a definite lift. The chicken salad sandwich was good, especially once I added the salt and pepper and got it warmed a bit. The chicken soup had a rich stock, nice, hearty chunks of vegetables and tender, flavorful pieces of chicken. It felt at once comforting and decadent. Market City Café makes their own chips as well, which are very good, much more flavorful and much less salty than traditional chips, although they are affected by the humidity a warm sandwich emits.

I am a bit of a nut about customer service. I believe that anyone that walks into an establishment should be made to feel welcome. Whenever you visit historic downtown areas of other cities, you usually get that feel that they are glad you are there because that means they will be open that much longer. Downtown areas usually have a very symbiotic relationship with their customers, especially in Macon where the goal is to grow the area. Simply put, every place should become as welcoming as home. My visits to Market City Café have made me feel at home—from the hostess who greeted me warmly and pointed out foods I might like if I chose to eat there to the waitress who gave me a thorough explanation of the foods I could order and whose recommendation was not only good, but also extremely satisfying.

It also wasn’t just our waiter who was extremely friendly, possibly in the hopes of getting good tips, but every other person on the staff had a ready smile, a warm greeting and an air of help that wouldn’t begrudge giving help to someone they were not already waiting on. The inside is a bit crowded, but it doesn’t hinder the charm of the place. There were also areas that were very quiet and intimate available, which makes this a great place for lunch with a group or a place to write while sipping a drink and eating something light. Now that back room is open up, the Café is a lot nicer.

The elephant in the room is how they opened. The first few times, the service – though friendly – was slow and forgetful. That’s certainly improved. Food came out within 10 –15 minutes of my order. The other thing was the sweet tea. We’re Southern and stubborn. We want it “just so”. In the beginning, their sweet tea was awful. It was brewed too strong and there wasn’t enough sugar in the restaurant to cover that up. But, to my utter delight, it was perfect this last trip out. Whatever sparked the change, kudos!

At this point, it’s hard to fault them. They’ve survived those opening jitters where the wrinkles must be ironed-out. And now, it’s what we’d hoped for: a quaint, quiet lunch spot. It’s also more now too. The market part seems ready to flourish next and that would be exciting. Market City Café is good and deserves a taste. Their prices are reasonable, service is friendly, but most of all, they are a worthy addition, not only to downtown, but also to the memory the building holds. Market City Café is on the corner of Cherry and Third Street downtown.

So You Read My Review What do You Think

Let me know what you think of this Restaurant, by posting a comment or sending a longer review to macon@11thhouronline.com. If your Good, you may make it to the paper edition!

Camarota’s of Philadelphia

The Philly Cheesesteak originated in Philadelphia at a place called Pat’s. It was one of those thrown together meals the owner made one day in hunger that became a fan favorite. It started out covered in tomato sauce, but soon customers lobbied for and received cheese as a cover. Pat’s is famous for the way you order. With (wit) or without (wit-out) onions, your choice of cheese, tomatoes and lettuce (if you want but if they have to guess they charge you 50 cents more), and you have to have your money ready when you get to the front. If you miss any one of these steps, you are more than welcomed to try again…after going to the back of the line. As for cheese, Whiz is the cheese of choice, although American and Provolone are accepted as authentic since they were the first cheeses used.

Camarota’s stance is not as hardcore, but their menu is almost as simple. Of course, I had to try my cheesesteak with the Cheese Whiz, peppers and onions. A friend had the chicken cheesesteak with American cheese, and I also tried the Roast Pork Italian sandwich.

There were two things that stood out in my experience with Camarota’s. The first was the quality of the food. All the food was tasty. The cheesesteak bread is soft and delectable, almost worth eating by itself. The steak is very thinly sliced and so tender, you almost don’t have to bite. With the Cheese Whiz added, it’s like there’s cheese in every part of the finely chopped steak sandwich. The hoagie is soft and chewy, but a good support for the juicyness that is the Roast Pork Italian.

Unlike the Cheese Whiz in my Philly Cheesesteak, the sharp provolone that topped my Roast Pork Italian did not flow through every part of my sandwich. The sandwich was stuffed with roast pork and Italian herbs. Marinara sauce soaked the sandwich, and sharp provolone, which has a Parmesan like taste but with better meltability, graced the top. It was delicioso. The Chicken Cheesteak was the most surprising. Flavourful, tender bits of chicken under rich, creamy American cheese and that same great bread was a treat indeed, and different from other chicken cheesesteak style sandwiches by its sheer girth and flavor. There was a lot of food on the plate. I left Camarota’s feeling fed for the day. When I go back, I want to try the cheesesteak with that sharp provolone. Something makes me think that will be mmm mmm delicious.

The second thing that stood out was the service. Though we got our food quickly, and it was definitely hot and fresh, the greeting at the door was lackluster at best. When it comes to customer service, our server really seemed as if she couldn’t be bothered. We Southerners (really anyone, but we more than others) like to feel as if we are important to the establishments we frequent. To owners who are from here, there is no excuse for bad customer service training. Yet I’ve found that people who are not from around here don’t really buy into that concept, sometimes to their detriment. With that understanding in mind, I was willing to not be so put off by the service since they were trying to greet at the door, but I can see how, should the lackluster greeting continue, it could be a detriment to this phenomenal steak shop.

Price wise, Camarota’s is very reasonable, considering how much food you get. Those with smaller appetites will be satisfied with the 6-inch sandwich, priced between $4.25 and $5.50, while those with hearty appetite may find their match in the 12-inch, priced between $6.25 and $7.50. Hoagies are priced comparably for the 6- and 12-inch variety while hoagies are priced closer to the 12-inch sandwiches.

So why should Middle Georgia have a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich shop? If Camarota’s answer holds up, it’s because it’s just plain good and for us Maconites, well worth the drive to Warner Robins. Camarota’s of Philadelphia is located at 2907 Watson Blvd, Suite C in the Kroger shopping center. They can be reached at 478-333-6662.

Food In Macon Georgia

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