Purple Onion Cafe: Find Goodness Inside its Layers

Overview: When walking into the you are struck with the elegant and simple splendor of this charming café that specializes in sandwiches and noshes. Chef and owner Steve Angelo has created a beautiful haven for the afternoon repast. The food is a twist on classic lunchtime options. For example, the potato salad is spiked with the tang of blue cheese and the lemonade is blood orange.

Décor: Bright and airy, the Purple Onion is filled with small touches that add to its overall ambiance. The walls are painted a dove grey, which creates a bright aspect. Large windows allow the full effect of natural lighting to enter the shop. Hammered metal lighting fixtures on the walls continue to bring more light and high ceiling fans circulate the air. The wood counters and shelving greet the patron, which create a warming affect balancing the other elements to blend the modern with the charm of an old world café. There is a bit of ying and yang with granite tabletops and large slab tile floors bringing the outside indoors. A private sidewalk patio lined with flowers and fragrant plants along a brick wall provides and excellent place for outside dining.

Drinks: Simple beverages are offered like Voss Still H2O ($4.00); Voss Sparkling Water ($4.00); Figi ($3.00); Bottled Water ($2.00); Dry Soda ($2.00); Blood Orange Lemon Aid ($3.00); Iced Tea ($3.00); Italian Sodas($3.00) in a cornucopia of flavors, Bottled Coke ($3.00); and Canned Coke ($3.00) regular and diet. There is a full coffee bar where one can get an espresso or a flavored coffee.

Appetizers: A delicious offering of fine greenery awaits customers with a variety of proteins and perfectly balanced dressings to be added. Those seeking a healthful lunch will be delighted with items like the Café Salad ($12.95), roasted chicken, dried apricots and cranberries, toasted pistachios, blue cheese, organic greens topped with honey Dijon mustard dressing; the Nicoise ($13.50) featuring Ahi tuna seared rare, hard-cooked eggs, fingerling  potato, olives, asparagus, goat cheese, organic greens with tarragon dressing; or the Chicken Taco Salad ($12.95) which comes with marinated chicken blistered corn, carrot, radish, tomato, cabbage, cilantro, goat cheese crisp tortilla  strips and spicy crema dressing. Each green offering provides a tasty and flavorful treat while decidedly looking out for the figure, such as the Spa Deluxe ($11.95) with sliced chicken, carrot radish, blistered corn, tomato, goat cheese and organic greens with house dressing; the Thai Chicken Salad ($11.90) highlighting roasted chicken, carrots, daikon, cabbage, toasted ramen, sliced almonds with Thai basil dressing; and the Steak and Spinach Salad ($12.95) staring a flank steak, carrots, radish, blistered corn, goat cheese, crouton and organic baby spinach with tarragon dressing.

Entrees: Everyone loves some type of a sandwich. The Purple Onion has added elegance to the ease and simplicity of a transportable meal. The Blue Steak Baguette ($10.50) made with flank steak, blue cheese, cabbage salad with horseradish mayo on a toasted baguette; and the Meatloaf Press ($11.50) house-made beef-and-pork loaf topped with provolone cheese and onion confit dressed with tomato mayo on a creaked wheat sourdough bread are some fine examples. There are also classic sandwich combinations with European twists such as the Roasted Turkey Reuben ($10.50) with turkey, cabbage salad, Swiss cheese topped with spicy sauce on grilled New York Rye; the Tuna Melt ($9.95) featuring albacore and melted provolone cheese on cracked wheat sourdough; or an Egg Salad ($9.25) fresh egg salad with tarragon, tomato and greens on whole grain. Other sandwich arrangements are a bend on the exotic which add superb flavor to the palate like Thai Turkey Basil ($10.95) with roasted turkey, brie, fresh basil, Thai mayo and sliced cucumber on toasted baguette; Prosciutto Press ($9.95) prosciutto de Parma with fresh mozzarella, slow roasted tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil pressed in flat bread; Roasted Vegetable Press ($9.50) fresh seasonal roasted vegetables with balsamic vinegar and white bean spread pressed on a flat bread; Fresh Roasted Turkey ($9.95) roasted turkey with provolone cheese, tomato, mayo and Dijon mustard on ciabatta bread; and Rosemary Ham ($9.95) Italian ham with Swiss cheese, tomato, greens, mayo and Dijon mustard on ciabatta bread.

Sides: Each accompaniment is a tasty addition to your salad or sandwich selection. Items like Fresh Fruit Salad ($4.75 and $6.75); Tomato Basil Soup ($6.25) made with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, organic vegetables stock and fresh cream ($4.25 and $6.25) served with a baguette; or a Cold Case Salad ($4.75 and $6.25) which is a variety of house salads like blue cheese potato salad made daily add the right touch. A Baguette and Butter ($2.75);  Ham Quiche ($7.95) gruyere, eggs, and ham served with tossed green; or Spinach Quiche ($7.95) spinach, eggs and herbs served tossed greens provide a Parisian style lunch.

Dessert: Every afternoon meal should be finished with a sweet noche, and the morsels one can obtain at the Purple Onion do not disappoint. Lisa’s Brownie ($2.75); Lemon bar ($2.50); Apricot Bars ($3.00); Seven Layer Bar ($2.50) are just a start. There is a wide selection of cookies that one can enjoy like Chocolate Chunk Cookie ($1.75) Chocolate Biscotti ($.75); Oreo Short Bread ($1.50); Peanut Butter Cookie ($1.50); Ranger cookie ($1.25); Raspberry Short Bread ($2.75); Skinny Chipper ($1.50) a chocolate chip cookie with ½ the fat; Tea Cookie ($.75); as well as Crumb Cake ($3.00).

Service: The service is cafeteria-style where you order at the counter and a waitperson delivers the meal to your table. The counter staff is pleasant, professional and patient. They quickly answer your questions with a smile. The wait staff makes sure that you are content with your selection and often check to see if you wish to expand on your order with some of the café’s specialties.

Signature Dish: The Mediterranean Chicken Sandwich with its tender and juicy roasted chicken, fresh mozzarella, tomato mayo and fresh basil pressed in flat bread.

• Purple Onion
• 26 East Main St., Los Gatos
• Chef: Steve Angelo
• Cost: $15-$25