elm café.

I finally had a chance to go to elm café today after a downtown appointment! I also managed to skip lunch and I was on the bike. That means I was hungry upon arrival. Very hungry.





Luckily for me, Nate and his helper, Sarah, were just cleaning up after their super lunch rush. elm is a sandwich bar. You don't go there because you want your pizza sub toasted. You go there because you trust that Nate has combined several fresh and delicious ingredients for you to enjoy. The sandwiches change all the time, but no matter what they have that day you can be guaranteed that they're the best.

So this place is generally a takeaway sort of deal. It's teeny tiny but very clean, modern, and intimate. Not unlike a lot of hot foodie joints that are cropping up all over the lower east side in Manhattan. Generally I wouldn't have stayed and sat down, but things had slowed down after lunch and both of the two stools were available... so I perched.





Nate is featuring 49th Parallel beans at his place. I bought a pack of espresso to try at home.





There is a neat light at the window.





The counter.





I couldn't have my late lunch without a latté.





I love good coffee and a good coffee machine.





Nate's speedy hands whip up espresso shots.





Sweet nectar.





One of the aforementioned stools I was perched on.





Nate bustling behind the counter, greeting other customers (one of them happened to be my neighbour).





I love you, coffee machine and elm café.





And I can see you love me too.





Heart.





I believe I had smoked salmon, eggs, goat cheese and... grape tomatoes in my pressed sandwich?





Either way, it was gone in record time.





Before my departure I had a few chats with Nate and other customers in the little space. It really felt like I was just a guest in his kitchen, meeting other people in his extended community. That feeling of friends and warmth was definitely tangible. I'll be making elm a regular stop from now on to get my fix. Not just for fresh, amazing food. But also for the people and the local vibe.