Café Olé

Simple surroundings for this sensational Spanish inspired sandwich shop in Hell's Kitchen. Set on 54th Street, near the corner of 10th Avenue, Café Ole has quietly impressed the local residents for fifteen years without so much as a peep from the press. It's a café of calm sensibility with fresh vegetarian-ish offerings, all presented with panache.

Ana Abitbol, the shop's owner, is the heart at the center of the undiscovered gem. We've all heard the story:

[DEEP BREATH] 
A fascinating woman living in Spain marries at 17 and comes to America, works as a hand-loom knitter, tires of the mind-numbing work, hungers for more, approaches the board of the building she lives in and sets up shop downstairs in the commercial space with a fantastic Spanish/Medeterianian/Moroccan café.

Okay, maybe we haven't all heard it. Suffice it to say it has tones of a tweaked "West Side Story" story, with less gang warfare, yet packing a culinary punch.

Dishes like a crisp couscous salad brimming with carrots and zucchini and stuffed with raisins sing to even the simplest of palettes. You’ll also find creative sandwich creations like an avocado, pepper, and sprout combo, a full-flavored chicken salad, and a brie and granny-smith apple 'explosion of awesome' (admittedly my own title).

If lunch isn't your thing, you can always stop in for a rich cup of coffee or espresso. This is local living at its best. Sunlight streams in through the large glass front, and a tiny tin table or two dots the air-conditioned interior. It's a simple way to stop and take stock, purchased for little more than a song.

PRICE RANGE:
$5 - $10

INFO:
453 West 54th Street

(212) 246-9737