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Below the sidewalk, on the island’s beloved little corner of Broad and Federal streets, a new café has opened its doors. I walk in to the sound of Thee Sacred Souls’ Will I See You Again? coming through the speakers. The space is familiar, but different. Café 22 opened its doors for business earlier this winter, after the closing of the Corner Table Café (which held the space for years). The new interior is mint green, light teal, and aqua — it’s beachy, clean, and modern. The space remains nostalgic but fresh, with all new food and drink options for customers, new and returning, to try out.
Island chef Jonas Baker partnered with Michael Ferreri of ACK Coffee Roasters and Tea, and they’ve been enthusiastically bringing their vision to life. The cold case for sandwiches, salads, and drinks will be familiar — customers can grab a fish sandwich or a crisp salad prepared fresh from the kitchen, without the wait. The coffee bar keeps some classic favorites like the Vietnamese coffee, brown sugar latte, lavender and raspberry matchas, but has some new drinks using their variety of homemade syrups, including white chocolate and toasted marshmallow. Tea lovers must look no further — the café boasts a whole new tea menu, featuring some exotic teas such as jasmine-citrus blue-sea mint, and some international options like Yunnan tea, a sweet black tea from the Yunnan province of China, and Assam TGFOP, a jammy Indian black tea. I was excited to see that the café had mugs so customers could get their drinks to have at the Café, in case they weren’t in a hurry.
For pastries, customers can enjoy their fresh baked donuts, muffins, and cookies by the coffee counter, and some holy grail breakfast favorites like chia pudding from the cold case.
At the counter one early spring day, I chatted with the friendly barista, and asked for a drink recommendation. He told me that 22 brews all their own chai, so I decided to give it a try — a dirty chai with oat milk, topped with some cinnamon. I found the chai to be full-bodied, unsweetened, and not overpowering. I am a fan of spicier, stronger chais, but for coffee drinkers who might not want to be punched in the face with spice first thing in the morning, this is a perfect drink.
I sat in the corner of the room between some green and teal striped pillows, and opened my laptop.The café was buzzing with people — middle school kids doing their homework over iced chais, an older gentleman reading the Globe and munching on a sandwich, some local musicians huddled together over a notebook, a woman and her daughter sharing a quiet meal, all of us sheltered from the cold and wind.
I’ve always loved this location. There is something special and intimate about the ants-eye view from the window, all the dogs nosing at the glass, the slap of Hermès sandals in the summertime, the merry clamber of children holding their parents’ hands, the thick smell of coffee in the air, the quiet music in the background.
Café 22 is open daily from 7 am to 5 pm; cafe22nantucket.com.
