If there's one thing this city has in spades, it's decent places to grab a coffee. The Palette Cafe…read moreis no exception.
Tucked away inside a corner near the front of the FIA, the Palette Cafe has all the makings of an all-around quality coffee spot, featuring a small, but well-rounded brunch menu, solid coffee drinks, free WI-FI, a comfortable atmosphere, and even adult beverages to boot (they serve wine).
Years ago, this was a standard-issue, Starbucks-licensed coffee kiosk with some seating, designed to keep patrons of the FIint Institute of Arts happy if they wanted a coffee or a cookie in between checking out art installations. That has changed.
Eventually, it came into its own and became the Palette Cafe (the name is obviously a wink to its location within the FIA, wink wink), a full-service coffee shop with a host of food, coffee drinks and more with expanded hours, its own WI-FI connection, events held on-site, and more. Today, it holds its own in a city dripping with places to get a cup of coffee.
They serve coffee from the Mighty Good Coffee Company out of Ann Arbor and true to its name, it is mighty good (long gone are the days of serving Starbucks). The Cafe Americano is my go-to drink, smooth and bold at the same time with no acidic aftertaste. Weak, it is not, but it isn't overtly strong and bitter, either. It's just right. Now, that's a good cup of coffee.
As for the food, there are a couple of clear winners on their brunch/lunch menu. The caprese flatbread is my favorite on their new "sandwich board" menu. It isn't slapped together in a rush or made with less than fresh ingredients. It was better than I expected it to be. The flavor, texture and presentation were all there. I had no complaints. I'd say it was at least comparable, and in some cases, much better than the caprese flatbreads that I've had elsewhere. They have a quality Mediterranean Veggie sandwich, too, piled high with appropriate fresh vegetables on artisanal bread, an optimal choice for a vegetarian like myself. My husband had a Tuscan Chicken sandwich once and gave it the thumbs up.
My husband and I split the hummus appetizer, which was a decent size for two people. I liked the texture and taste of the hummus, creamy without being oily. Oily hummus is a no no, so naturally, I was relieved that it wasn't a disappointment. It was actually quite good and made for a great shareable appetizer. I would order it again. The soup of the day is always made fresh in-house daily, so remember to check that out. The soups rotate frequently, which means what you had last weekend might not be back on the menu for awhile, but it's best to check back regularly for updates.
They have a nice variety of fresh baked treats to satisfy a sweet tooth, but my favorite are the sugar cookies, so soft and moist. I'm sad to admit this, but they are far and away superior to any sugar cookies that I've personally ever baked at home. I know, I should be embarrassed about acknowledging that, but who cares?
Oh, and I did mention they serve wine, right? Yes, they do! There's nothing wrong with that in my book.
Their WI-FI connection is decent, but it largely depends on just exactly where you're seated. Some tables get a better connection than others, so if your connection seems weak, just switch to the gallery's WI-FI and it will probably be fine. I've had to do that a couple of times and it's usually no problem, although I can see where it could be pretty frustrating.
They're often open late, usually in tandem with ongoing events at the FIA. They have a "palette punch card" which entitles the bearer to a free beverage after ten purchases and FIA members always get 10% off their bill (20% on certain FIA member appreciation days).
