Cheap Eats: Simon's Coffee House

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It's noon and Simon's Coffee House is bustling with traffic. Owner Simon Kirby, dressed in casual business attire, personally greets each guest, and politely asks him or her to leave a name and the number of people with their party.  Within ten minutes, he has successfully seated the line that sometimes reaches out the front door, while a friendly member of the waitstaff quickly takes menu orders...

This is par for the course at Simon's, where Simon and wife Michelle are quick to jump in and lend a hand when the crowd beckons.  The popular deli and eatery put a whole new spin on "coffee house."  In the late '80s, this meant a cup of coffee and a donut.  By the early '90s it was oat bran muffins and non-fat lattes.  Now Cell Rejuvenators have become the new latte, and oat bran has been replaced by spinach wraps.

Decor: There's ample seating in the newly renovated coffee house, which now features two juice bars, a wine bar, and a cafe' with regular and pub style tables and high-backed wrought iron chairs swirled in the shape of demitasse cups.  The cheerful yellow table tops feature black sketches of cups and saucers, and the well lit cafe' is welcoming.

Food: The menu includes and eclectic mix of traditional fare like eggs benedict, fresh danish, and roast beef sandwiches; but is mainly known for it's vast assortment of healthy options, including a specialty raw food menu and vegan and vegetarian cuisine like the Mediterranean Tofu Scramble and Garden Veggie Wraps with swiss cheese and dill sauce.  Fresh quiche, pastries, breads and deli meats are available at the counter for take out, as well healthy drinks.

The flavorful Peanut & Parsnip soup ($3.25 a cup) makes for a wonderfully unique starter, light and creamy, though may be a tad salty for some tongues.  The black bean soup ($3.25 a cup) is thick and hearty and can be served loaded with diced tomatoes, sour cream and/or onions by request.

The lunch menu alone is a challege in that it's easy to give up and say, "I'll take one of everything".  The hot pressed paninis are made without oil or butter and yet have a wonderful and warm taste and texture.  Arrive with a friend or business associate, and consider each ordering something different, and swapping halves.  The London ($8.25) is made with Boar's Head roast beef, cheddar, horseradish, mayo and mustard, sliced tomatoes and onions and is surprisingly light in the stomach, in spite of the meat base, as is the Sante Fe panini ($8.25) with turkey, bacon, cheddar, mayo and BBQ sauce.  Both lunches are seasoned perfectly, and do not require extra anythings like mustard, dipping sauce or salt & pepper, and even the sides are healthy. Instead of potato chips, there are crispy vegetable chips lightly dusted with sea salt.

Beverage: A Cell Rejuvenator ($4.25) made of freshly juiced celery, apple, parsely and cucumber is refreshing, not too sweet, and can be enhanced with lutein rich spinach or an enegizing shot of wheatgrass ($2.25 per 1 oz. shot).  For sweeter palates a smoothie (which can also double as a meal replacement shake) like the creamy Arnold Protein Shake is perfect, made with almond milk, whey powder, bananas and a choice of peanut or almond butter ($4.25). There's even an apothecary-like side counter for purchases of organic green tea, noni and goji juice, and magma powder (for a daily dose of greens).

The Newest Buzz: Now, Simon's is open for dinner, tempting customers with after 4pm specials like duck summer rolls, gnocci, and tofu ceviche (ranges $6-$12), and the new beer and wine bar makes deciding what to drink that much harder. But the menu pricing is moderate enough to warrent visiting several times a week.

Oh, and yes, along with everything else, Simon's Coffee House does serve coffee by the cup.

Simon's Coffee House
5900 S. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34231
941-922-2500

Hours: Monday - Satursday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. (Closed Sundays). 

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