[Saints News] Hales Tales Review - The Night Owl Cafe

[borhoi]

 

Hales Tales Review: The Night Owl Cafe

 

By Haley Niamh Connor

 

 

   I'm a proud night-owl. I have been since my sophomore year of college. I tend to operate on about four or five hours of sleep most days, and because of that, I am usually awake far into the night and early morning. It's when I'm most productive. I like the quiet. It helps me focus on writing these reviews for you.

 

   If the exposition there confused you, you probably didn't read the headline. Today I'm reviewing the Night Owl Cafe! I visited around 2:45 am this past Thursday and I'll start off by saying the spot is unique in what it offers. Unlike the majority of LS's daytime and late-night spots alike, the Night Owl doesn't serve alcohol. In the words of Rhea 'Red' Moraine, the cafe's owner, "We're specifically a cafe that specializes in sandwiches, subs, and a variety of hand-crafted baked goods from time tested recipes." That was a verbatim quote, by the way. 'Red', as she's called by her friends, is very well-spoken and I had a lovely time chatting her up during my visit.

   Onto the atmosphere! The interior of the cafe is nothing special. A small bar sits in front of the entry doors flanked to its right by an accommodating number of tables and chairs for the cafe's patrons. There's a stage as well. Rhea didn't say whether or not live music, comedy, or whatever else a stage may be used for is on the agenda, but it's nice to know the potential is there. The music was grand for the spot's appeal, which is the late-night vibe. Lo-fi hip hop is great for cultivating that vibe and I think it added to the ambiance of the room quite well. Though there was nothing particularly impressive about Night Owl's atmosphere, there was nothing grating or glaringly wrong about it either. It was average, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that.

 

   I ordered the 'Peta Pita Bread'. Right, it's called that. The menu is a bit of an oddity. Featuring 'Meeks Meeks Muffins', 'Holly Dolly Cupcakes', and 'Unicorn Cookies'. This would be confusing to most of LS's denizens. It wasn't for me because upon my arrival in LS so many months ago, I worked at the Vanilla Unicorn as a dancer for a few weeks. The owner of the Night Owl did as well, and presumably still does (though the club has been largely inactive recently). The 'Peta Pita bread', for example, is named for Peta Fitzhugh, the former leaseholder of the Unicorn. The 'Holly Dolly cupcakes' are named for Holly Hatch, the other former leaseholder. 'Unicorn Cookies' are self-explanatory when all of this is taken into account. I'm not particularly sure how I feel about this naming style. I didn't spend a long time working the Vanilla Unicorn, but I did become familiar with quite a few of the other dancers as well as management. The names of the selections on the menu weren't endearing to me. To be perfectly honest I found them to be a wee bit cringe-inducing. This is a nitpick though. Regardless of what the menu called it, 'Peta Pita Bread' was good. It was well toasted and I could tell it was made from scratch in the cafe. The authenticity of actual homemade dishes is something that's always lovely when you find it, and I don't think the Night Owl is cutting any corners there.

   The spot hasn't opened very often. I was actually quite surprised when Rhea told me the spot's been around for three weeks but only opened a handful of times. I have noticed an ad campaign by the cafe looking to hire more staff so hopefully, they're able to get off the ground soon.

 

All in all, the Night Owl Cafe is what it advertises: "Your late-night stop for eats, treats, and casual meets!" There's nothing particularly unique or special about it, but there's also nothing wrong with it. The food is good, the staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is certainly not bad. I'd recommend checking the cafe out if you're hungry sometime during the late-night and early morning hours.

 

 

As always, this review was not bought and paid for. Hales Tales, and Saints News at large refuse any offers of payment via money, goods, or services in return for coverage. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this piece are genuine, and Hales Tales will continue to review with a commitment to objectivity and honesty.

 

 

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Edited August 2, 2019 by borhoi