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The Marketplace Café Coffee, Sandwiches, Soups, Salads, live music, hang out MENU An Anne & Steve review       We found out in the early stages that The Marketplace Café of Sheffield in South County was planning to open another location in one of the renovated retail spaces in the Beacon Cinema project. This seemed like a really "Good Idea" since "Good Stuff" is their motto and who doesn’t like good stuff?
The Marketplace Café décor has comforting color coordination throughout with clean well-crafted angels separating the various spaces. Natural wooden touches are everywhere with funky stylish assorted lampshades floating above in the high ceilings. The beautiful metal sculpture on the wall of a tree with naked branches seems to evoke and symbolize simultaneously the well known tree of life paintings of the nearby Shaker Village people of yore and the stark winters we all need a warm place to huddle up in during our harsh winters up here in the Berkshires. The friendly, helpful and the more-than-capable staff really make you feel at home. So yes, it was worth the wait for the opening but don’t worry, the food came very quickly making this an easy choice for a really nice place to go and relax before or after a movie or theatrical performance.
The Marketplace Café |
Well it’s
taken some time and the Beacon is doing quite well by all appearances so now that they are finally open was it worth the
wait? Better late than never as they say or is it more slow and steady wins the race? Well, either way it is good stuff
and a nice addition to the North Street scene. It’s not a place to have dinner just a comfortable down home yet sleek and
well appointed quality espresso coffeehouse with many sandwich choices. Good Food Made in The Berkshires is another motto
of theirs and in addition to their fresh soups of the day blackboard menu their only options for the gluten free folks out
there to eat are the three very interestingly named salads ($7.95) and while The Naked Granny doesn’t exactly whet the
appetite it’s funny and apropos.
We went
there on a crisp winter day and you can see survival written right there on the blackboard "Hot Soups and Chili" (four
different kinds) and "Hot Coffee and Tea" so come and hang out with your friends or break out the computer (they have free Wi-Fi) and be creative
on your own in public. This is simply a place to relax. The good idea here is Starbucks comfort with real food choices and
live music coming soon. There are a bevy of beverages from good for you natural sodas to Nantucket Nectars keeping it
healthy and local. Steve had an organic chunky ginger, ginger ale that was delightful, thirst quenching and for him
bettering all his former favorite ginger ales. Anne ordered the unique house made iced green tea and lemonade half and
half combo a really nice choice as well.
After
serious deliberation Anne finally decided on the Meat Everett burrito sans burrito or the Naked Meat burrito and they
willingly submitted to her request. Although it was good she probably should have gone for the Jerry Garcia on principle
alone which is a burrito jammin’ with egg, chorizo, jalapeńo jack and fresh salsa & guacamole one part Mexican and one part
groovy. Steve had the Blackboard Fireside Special Sandwich on ciabatta bread which was absolutely friggin’ delicious.
A Rueben-like sandwich made with corned beef, sauerkraut, baked beans and melted cheddar and dipping it into their Hocus
Pocus Magic Sauce meant for the burrito took it over the top. The sandwich is served with a fresh large kosher dill pickle
spear as well. Wraps and Panini’s abound.