The Broadway Café: Great Food and a Student Discount
The Broadway Café opened its doors this past December on the day of the Victorian stroll. It is located on 357 Broadway St., directly across from the atrium.
The café is a part of the Student Incentive Program. With a student ID card, you are given a 10 percent discount. The menu items range from $5 to $9. It feels good to know there are a lot of great local businesses that support this program for HVCC, RPI, and Sage students.
For a student living in historic downtown it’s always exciting to see a new business spring up downtown. Whenever I see or hear of a newly opened local business, it becomes tempting to check out what the place has to offer.
I walk into the big glass doors of the café to be greeted with a smile by Christine Carpinello, owner and operator of the Broadway Café. One of the things that makes local businesses shine is the intimacy of the community with business owners, lending a certain communal pride to Troy.
The menu is extensive and visually appealing. Carpinello told me it was designed by “No Name,” a graphic design business also located in Downtown Troy on 5th St.
Glancing around the café, the pride of Historic Downtown Troy is apparent, from the pictures of Troy monuments hanging up, to the names of menu items, such as the Downtown Burger and the Troy Classic.
The menu seems to be based on a lot of American cuisine, but also includes homemade recipes and additions that give the food a truly unique taste.
This aspect shines in their specialty sandwiches, like the “Stack High Reuben,” made with their in house cooked corned beef with melted Swiss cheese, their own homemade kraut and Russian dressing with balsamic vinaigrette.
They consistently have specials that are entirely their own. I ordered “The Caprese,” a grilled Panini sandwich with fresh mozzarella, layered with basil and tomato, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette on a ciabatta roll.
I took a seat near one of the huge windows with a nice view of Broadway and the hills of the RPI campus. The food came quick and was presented very nicely. The Panini looked great, and was served with a side of their homemade potato chips, instead of the normal bagged chips you see at other cafés and restaurants.
The chips were cooked to the perfect crisp and were the best homemade potato chips I had ever had. I take my first bite out of the Panini and my first thought is, “Fresh. Everything tastes so fresh, from the vegetables to the ciabatta roll.”
There seemed to be just the right amount of cheese to compliment the plump tomatoes and tasty basil. The dressing was good, as well, not overpowering the rest of the sandwich.
Overall, the food was great, the service was great, and it’s a nice looking café and another great dining choice in the downtown district.
With the Broadway Café supporting the Student Incentive Program, students have another great place to eat for cheaper.
The Broadway Café is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. In the future, they will also be open on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, contact them at (518) 273-2233.