Flyover Flavor

                But, I'm happy to say, Café Andiamo proved me wrong. Located in an old building across from the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office, this little eatery broke with the Lincoln theme. The small space has white and black tiles on the floor and exposed brick walls. Chalkboard menus line the walls and small plants add a homey touch.

                Café Andiamo offers an Italian-inspired menu. I say inspired because most of the items were American – turkey sandwich, scrambled eggs, barbeque chicken pizza – but there were some focaccia sandwiches and an Italian breakfast casserole that at least sounded Italian even if it wasn’t authentic. This shop also has a long list of coffee drinks. A friendly barista explained that the coffee is roasted locally and the espresso used there is a single-varietal Burundi. I ordered a double shot to experience the espresso uncut with milk. I also ordered a breakfast sandwich.

                The espresso was prepared well with no bitterness or sharpness, but it was boring. I was expecting some kind of interesting fruitiness, maybe some citrus flavor or a spicy finish. Something! Anything! But I got nothing except basic coffee flavor. I’m not sure what the explanation for that is. Typically African coffees pack serious fruit or wine flavor, but I didn’t get anything from this coffee. Either the barista misinformed me or the way it was roasted sapped anything interesting from the flavor. A friend ordered a latte, which was better. The milk had great texture and the latte art was decent.

                My sandwich was a bigger hit. While it isn't difficult to scramble eggs, top with American cheese and crispy bacon and place them all between two pieces of wheat toast, some places definitely achieve better flavor and texture than others. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful. The bacon was thick and crispy – I can’t stand limp bacon! My only complaint was that the toast was a bit dry and a little too thick. It overpowered the other flavors, but only slightly.

                The menu also featured an interesting dish I haven’t seen elsewhere: a breakfast salad. One of my more adventurous/weight conscious traveling companions ordered it, so I got to take a look. The dish is exactly as it sounds: a large bowl full of mixed greens with a vinaigrette dressing and veggies topped with a fried egg. It was… different. Not something I would want to order, but certainly a healthy choice.

                While my sandwich and drink could have improved in a few ways, this meal was excellent fuel for playing the tourist. A trip to Springfield is incomplete without a pit stop at Café Andiamo.

Service - Prompt, friendly and helpful.

Food - Nice flavor and quality, though a little dry. Good portion size.

Drinks - Prepared well, but not very interesting flavor.

Atmosphere - Clean space with an interesting layout.

Overall score - 7 out of 10