Café Bon-Ami

Located on a nondescript section of Park Avenue, Café Bon-Ami has served as a quick place to go to get home-baked pastries and a great cup of coffee on a Saturday morning. On warm days the café opens a patio on the front that connects to the small indoor dining area. The cases at the café are stocked with a selection of home baked goods, many stored in the dishes in which they were baked. On this visit we got a pair of muffins. The morning glory muffin was healthy and moist with the taste of raisins and warm cinnamon. The corn muffin was toothy with coarse cornmeal and handfuls of cranberries. Both were bigger than fists and more than filling.

The café is a coffee junky’s dream. They have just about every conceivable brewing contraption, and patrons often come in with particular brewing requests. There’s even a vintage siphon on a shelf behind the counter. A chalkboard at the café lists their signature drinks, many of them espresso-based. I opted for a latté, and it satisfied with great espresso flavor and soothing plumes of foam.

The owner of Bon-Ami was amicable and you could tell he was proud of his café. It’s an excellent little neighborhood coffee house. If I lived within walking distance in Stadium or Forest Hills, there’s no doubt that I’d make Bon-Ami a good friend.