Had lunch last Friday with my co-worker Megan at the Central Cafe at 906 E. Manatee Ave. Located in an old brick building in a historical section of East Manatee Avenue, Central Cafe is quaint with a bit of an urban vibe. Pretty nice. It was very busy right at lunch hour. The crowd looked like it could be coming from the courthouse, hospital, Tropicana and Bealls Corp., all located within a couple of miles. The building is red brick with very high ceilings and was very loud with all the conversation. The acoustics are not the best for such a bustling crowd, which only causes everyone to talk louder to try and hear each other. A vicious cycle.
But let's get to the important part. The food. Mainly they serve sandwiches, burgers and pizza, and they have an extensive wine list for those who are interested. There was a generous choice of vegetarian options among the appetizers and salads, one roasted veggie sandwich, and pizzas. The first time I visited here several years ago, I had the Tomato Blue Soup, a tomato and blue cheese soup, that was delicious. This time I ordered the soup with the Central Florida Salad with the house vinaigrette dressing. Megan ordered a white pizza with pesto and spinach. Unfortunately the kitchen/server forgot about my soup and brought it out after I got my salad. The soup wasn't as good as the first time I'd had it here. There was a strong taste of celery to it this time which overpowered any hint of blue cheese, so it simply tasted like a tomato-celery soup. Not the combination I was looking forward to. The salad however was very good. It had mixed field greens with candied nuts (pecans in this case), tomatoes and mandarin orange slices. It also normally comes with bacon but it was no problem to ask to leave it off. I also ordered it with blue cheese crumbles from a list of extras that you may have added to your salad. The vinaigrette was a citrus-y, honey-dijon and was just right for this particular salad. I asked if there was any type of bread that came with the salad, but was told no, but that I would get a small crouton toast with my soup. There is a bruschetta on the menu that my mom ordered when I was here about 6 months ago. It was also very good topped with tomato, olive, pesto, cheeses, field greens and drizzled with a delicious balsamic reduction. And it is really enough for a meal in itself, although might be a good accompaniment to a small salad. On that past visit, I had the roasted vegetable sandwich with the string fries. It was very good and filling.
As for the pizza, Megan reported that it was not bad, but a little bland and that the spinach had left a strange aftertaste in her mouth. She thought maybe it hadn't been washed thoroughly enough.
I can certainly recommend Central Cafe for vegetarians if you are just looking for a light lunch in a unique location. The food is worth re-visiting, and it's a nice building and atmosphere, despite the decibel level during a busy lunch. If you hit it during a slower time it can be a very enjoyable interlude, and the server less apt to forget your soup.
Central Cafe in Bradenton: 3 1/2 out of 5 soybeans
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