After browsing through the store at Gallery 37 Center for the Arts where works by apprentice artists are displayed for sale and a wall of windows allows you a glimpse into their work space, the Gallery Cafe is the perfect place to kick back and ingest a little more. A great addition to the many programs and training opportunities of the Gallery 37 mission, the cafe opened in the fall of 2004 with the aim of providing quality food from local bakeries, as well as offering students in the Culinary Job Training Program experience in food preparation and with an understanding of natural and organic products.

Your money will be well spent (and well received, with all proceeds benefiting Gallery 37's programming) on an affordable lunch special: a croissant sandwich and small soup for only $4.25. The cafe also offers a selection of juices, coffee, espresso and teas at much-less-than Starbucks prices. The bright and vibrant tabletops, colored glass light fixtures and fresh-cut flowers on each table create a welcoming atmosphere full of youthful energy. Student art is displayed throughout, including an eye-catching still life with peaches and plums and a giant and wonderfully detailed Chicago-style hot dog painting.

Centerstage Reviewer: Heather Blaha