I'm Hungry! Lunchtime at the Health Sciences

Photo by Jonathan Smith The X Caffe brings a bit of "downtown" uptown with its colorful glass mosaic tables, sparkling pastry counter, rich draperies, and a broad selection of hot and cold coffee drinks.

This summer, the Garden Cafe in the Presbyterian Hospital building closed for renovations and what is promised to be a completely different dining venue. Since that time, hungry university and hospital employees have been able to find a modified cafeteria located on the second floor of PH near the corridor to Harkness. But soon that temporary food outlet will disappear and once again the Garden Cafe will be a hub of lunchtime activity--only don't expect to find the dark, dreary setting of before.

The "new and improved" Garden Cafe will offer--in addition to a more pleasant, air-conditioned atmosphere--food from Burger King and Crossroads Cuisine, which the Marriott Corporation operates. Burger King will offer hamburgers, chicken and fish sandwiches, pizza, salads, apple pie, and breakfast items. Crossroads Cuisine will give another option, presenting a menu of rotisserie-broiled chicken, side dishes, pasta, and ready-made sandwiches and salads.

Expanded seating of 275, with a separate dining area for physicians that replaces the Doctors' Dining Room, will be open to staff, patients, and visitors year-round. And it's possible that in the future, a patio with seating will be added. Dave Tomkins, of the CPMC materials management office, says: "Once demolition and ventilation are complete, the construction will move along very quickly. So, watch for the opening sometime around the end of September."

Another new food option, for those who want to get outside, is the X Caffe in the Audubon Building. Brothers Zead and Abdul-Rahman Ramadan, who grew up in Washington Heights, opened their espresso bar/pastry shop in May. The brothers want their cafe to be enjoyed by all in their neighborhood. In fact, their father once owned a Dominican/Cuban bakery called La Mano de Oro a block away from the X Caffe at 164th Street and Broadway.

Originally, the Ramadan brothers had planned for an Italian-style espresso bar. Once customers started practically begging them to offer lunch items, the brothers added a menu that quickly became very popular with the CPMC lunch crowd. In addition to traditional Middle Eastern fare, such as hummus and babaganough, the X Caffe serves sandwiches and salads. Zead says their biggest hits have been the tuna salad served on a Portuguese muffin, the goat cheese and sun-dried tomato sandwich, and the lemon-herb grilled chicken sandwich. And of course, the cafe offers an array of hot and cold coffee drinks and indulgent desserts.

The X Caffe, located at 3952 Broadway (next to Barnes & Noble), is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Delivery orders are available by calling 543-1999.