Café 1505 in Mequon’s East Towne Square wears many hats, serving up many solutions for satisfying hunger and thirst: a sit-down full-service café (open weekdays for breakfast and lunch, and weekend brunch); an expansive deli and bakery; even a bar serving bottled beer and wines on tap.
For a modest cafe, 1505 operates on a much larger scale than a cozy eatery with a take-out deli component. Even with a recent expansion to take over a vacant space across the hall to increase its deli and seating capacity, it still retains an intimate atmosphere (even when bustling at times, during peak hours). Upon a closer look at the many prepared items on display—from salads and sandwiches to layer cakes, cookies, pastries and even more baked treats—one can’t help but think, “How and where are they making all this food?”
Turns out they don’t make all of it. They partner with several Milwaukee businesses at the top of their games, enabling customers to sample some of the highest-quality food and beverages produced across the state, including Simma’s cakes, Fiddleheads bread, City Market pies and scones, Troubadour cookies, Valentine coffee and Rishi Tea. And that’s before even opening a menu, where more than a dozen local food producers are featured. They call it the “100 Mile Menu,” reflecting Café 1505’s ultimate goal of sourcing the majority of its ingredients within 100 miles.
Broccoli almond was one of two daily soup features ($3.95, cup; $4.95, bowl). Although cream-based, it was quite light in body—a refreshing flip from the usual partner to a broccoli base: cheese. Instead, small bites of chopped almonds lent a faint richness to the otherwise smooth broccoli purée. It would (and did) pair well with one of the many salad offerings—mine being the wild Alaskan salmon Cobb ($14.95). Grilled wild Alaskan salmon was chopped and served chilled atop baby greens, with the expected Cobb accouterments: avocado, tomato, hardboiled egg, bacon and cheese—in this case, Gorgonzola. The greens and all accompaniments tasted fresh. The lemon-Dijon dressing (one of several homemade varieties) helped pull it all together and my plate was clean by the end.
The handmade veggie burger ($10.95) is listed in two different locations (with slightly different preparations) on the menu, so I took the hint and ordered the gourmet version. It’s an impressive rendition, made up of a slew of good stuff: black and pinto beans, barley, quinoa, green onion, wild rice and fontina cheese, to name a few. It’s served on a multi-grain roll and topped with roasted red pepper, hummus and avocado. The burger and toppings were delicious.
Overall, nothing groundbreaking happened, but that doesn’t appear to be the aim. Instead, food is simply prepared with quality ingredients and consistency. Service has also been steady as well as friendly during my visits. If that is Café 1505’s target, then they are nailing it.
Café 1505
1505 W. Mequon Road, Mequon
262-241-7076
$$
Handicapped accessible: Yes
