The Library is the perfect place to drink.
And though it’s not technically part of the university, their location is collegiate — on the corner of Campus Drive and Randall Avenue.
I went with two of my friends to check out the cafe and bar during happy hour, on a Friday, when $3.25 Long Islands were flowin’.
The restaurant is small enough for you to see the whole place from the front door — and it’s the definition of cozy. Books line the stone walls, there’s a fireplace base to a table and it’s lit well enough to curl up with a book.
You order right at the bar and I asked what their most popular eats are. We order their top three — Loaded French Fries, ‘The Best Turkey Sandwich Ever’ and a Buffalo chicken wrap.
We tore apart the fries which are covered in cheese, Door County bacon, chives, all served with a side of ranch. The fries were crispy, which I appreciate. Sometimes when you cover something in cheese you have to sacrifice a crispy fry and that’s just a terrible loss. While the cheese was gooey enough to pull apart, it didn’t compromise the crisp.
My friend ordered a mint latte, only because the barista told us they make their mint syrup in-house. Très chic. It was sweet, but their locally roasted, “bicycle delivered” coffee was nice and strong.
When our food came out, we were immediately reminded we had ordered cajun fries as our sides. They do not go easy on the spices and the payoff is so good. Fair warning, while you’re eating them you will be inside a cajun bubble.
Their turkey sandwich is served on sourdough (a.k.a. bread of the gods). It’s simple — thick turkey slices, bacon, cheese and mayo, all tossed together on sourdough slices. Very crunchy.
Their Buffalo Wrap is served with ranch and a heaping pile of french fries. The tortilla lands on an open grill to give it the burned criss-crosses that make me drool. If you are not utilizing the tastiness of a carefully scorched tortilla, start today. I will literally eat a lightly burned tortilla with butter and be perfectly happy about it. The chicken was well done and the Buffalo sauce was a spicy complement to the cajun fries.
Come 5 p.m., the whole place was crowded with people and Long Islands. Can’t wait to go back when it’s not snowing and I can sit on their outdoor patio *sunglasses emoji*.
