Statesman

Issue date: 12/3/08 Section: A&E

Media Credit: Tyler Sweeney Sara's Table at the Chester Creek Cafe.

When looking for some good, home-cooked food, Sara's Table at the Chester Creek Café might just be the place to go. Enjoy a variety of food choices, a good cup of coffee and see where the locals go.

Nicely located on the corner of 19th Avenue and 8th Street, Sara's is a good location that is only a short walk away from UMD or a quick jaunt up the hill.

As my dining partner and I sat down for our dinner, I took in the scenery. Customers were gathered around heavy, wooden tables in cozy conversation and the table lamps created an intimate setting in the evening. Other people were just hanging out near the entrance on the over-sized stuffed chairs and couch, waiting for a table.

Menu options ranged far and wide from the good, old-fashioned, juicy cheeseburger to a Middle Eastern platter with samples of traditional Middle Eastern foods, like pita bread, feta cheese, kalamata olives, falafel, hummus, pepperoncinis, tabbouleh and tzatziki sauce.

This evening, I opted for a falafel sandwich, but was really secretly pining for the sweet potato fries, which come with most meals. Fried up just right and covered in a little bit of salt and brown sugar, these are fries that shouldn't be missed.

Now, maybe this is just my inner child's wildest fantasy to be able to have sugar for breakfast, but if you're stopping into Sara's for a mid-morning brunch, the specialty buttermilk pancakes are to die for. Stuffed with two items of your choice, my favorite is chocolate chips and walnuts drizzled with homemade apple beer syrup.

If a sugar high isn't your thing, try the Huevos Rancheros: two eggs cooked over medium with red sauce, black beans and cheddar jack cheese.

Sara's also offers pies and other goodies from the esteemed Positively 3rd Street Bakery (which I don't recommend going without) and beverages from rich coffees and teas to soft drinks to great selections of wines and beers.

The service is on par and the prices, albeit a little spendy, are worth the amount of food and total dining experience. Students: save up for a good and greasy Saturday morning breakfast to cure those night-before blues or stop by for a nice place to study, read a book or take in a little local flavor.

Sara's Table is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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