Cheswick coffeehouse doubles as lunch spot
Cheswick's newest eatery along Pittsburgh Street is a small storefront that's had a lot of occupants. One Lunch Buncher remembers taking her kids to the location to shop for shoes a couple decades ago, when it was Tony Williams Shoes. The location also has been home to a floral shop and tanning salon.
Although the place is small, there still is enough room for a comfy living room-type area with a leather sofa and -- as best as we could determine -- a barber's chair! Because the storefront is all glass, there is plenty of light. The trendy thing to do is get comfortable with a cup of java and get out your laptop.
Owner Tracy Hohman hopes to turn the establishment into a place where kids can get together, sip on a smoothie and do some studying.
That said, there only are a couple small two-seater tables. We were happy to grab one and get down to business.
The Egg and Ham Sandwich ($3.75) is dandy. We had ours on a bagel with grilled ham and scrambled egg.
The big, juicy Cheeseburger ($4.25) really hit the spot.
The Steak and Cheese ($4.25) features shaved steak, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato and onions on bread that is grilled like a pannini.
We were hoping to have our Chicken Salad Sandwich ($3.75) on a croissant, but when we discovered they were out, we settled for a bagel -- which turned out to be just as good, if not better. Having recently ordered a chicken-salad sandwich from a local fast food-type place, we were delighted with the big chunks of white chicken and the fact that just the right amount of mayo is used to hold it together -- unlike the fast-food place, whose chicken salad was dripping with mayonnaise and contained hardly any chicken.
We loved the creamy, icy texture of the Smoothies ($3.45 for small, $4.05 for large), which can be infused with strawberry, mango madness, orange creamsicle and vanilla. A rounded lid leaves room for the whipped cream on top.
We also ordered Biscotti ($1.75) and Muffins ($1.95). Too bad we are not big coffee drinkers, because the biscotti would have been good for dunking.
Java Latte was a bit hectic the day we visited, but we think it was an exception rather than the rule. The food was not fancy, but it was of decent quality.
Hohman says she's found a way to serve truckers traveling busy Freeport Road in the mornings. Some have bought gift cards, and as they head toward town, they call ahead for their coffee. Then, while they're stuck in traffic, servers run out and deliver the coffee without the truckers having to wheel into a parking space.
Wow. Be careful.
Even for those of us without 18-wheelers, parking in front of the shop can be a problem, but there is plenty just around the corner on Highland Avenue.
Compiled by Rebecca Killian, Sis Reola and guests. Meals are paid for by the Valley News Dispatch and are unrelated to advertising. Additional Information:
Java Latte
Address: 1415 Pittsburgh St., Cheswick
Phone: 724-275-7500
Hours: 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
Credit cards: All major cards are accepted
Smoking: Not permitted
Handicapped accessible: Yes
Prices: Sandwiches, $3-$4.25; beverages, $1.25-$4.55
