Business & Tech
Cafe 44 Opens for Breakfast, Lunch, in Princeton
The Leigh Avenue restaurant opened in March and offers traditional breakfasts along with gourmet salads, sandwiches, soups and smoothies.
A new restaurant has opened in Princeton, offering traditional breakfasts all day, plus lunch and an assortment of baked goods.
Located at 44 Leigh Avenue, Cafe 44 offers a main dining room with eight tables just steps away from a counter filled with fresh-baked muffins, scones and cupcakes.
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The adjoining dining room is filled with bookshelves and classic board games like Monopoly and includes two large sofas perfect for seating a large family.
The restaurant’s owner, Jennifer Jefferis of Princeton, has owned Tortuga’s Mexican Village across the street for the past 25 years. She also owns Tortuga’s Cantina in Trenton.
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Restaurant Manager Matthew Miller said Cafe 44 offers something new to Princeton.
“We wanted a café that was away from the hustle and bustle from downtown,” Mller said. “It’s easier to park here.”
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“When we first opened…(business) was good, but I didn’t quite advertise as much,” Miller said. “But now we’ve been really consistent – the weekends are packed.”
Breakfast features eggs, omelettes, pancakes, Belgian waffles, French toast, oatmeal and all the morning fixings.
Lunch is not an afterthought, and selections include gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads and smoothies.
The restaurant features baked goods from local caterer “Sweetmamas,” which shares a kitchen with Cafe 44 and bakes all of its goods on premises.
“We also put an emphasis on fresh food,” Miller said. “Almost everything here is homemade – we even make our own granola. My whole philosophy is support your local companies and local produce.”
Miller, who was once a coffee roaster, puts a special emphasis on the cafe's coffee and works with different roasters to come up with customer blends.
“I get fresh coffee daily…[coffee roasting] it’s my passion,” he said.
Sara Wolkenfeld discovered Cafe 44 because she lives nearby. She comes back for the coffee and the ambiance.
“It’s great when you can get great coffee in a nice place and then even free Wi-Fi,” Wolkenfeld said. “I’m very happy they’re here – I hope they stay in business.”
Miller’s says he hopes to add live music on Friday and Saturday nights, probably beginning in May.
