Put it in your mouth

Little Wing Caf퀌�, on N.W. 13th, is a very casual, bright and a relatively inexpensive place to get a fresh sandwich during lunch hour. For the past 10-and-a-half years, owners Bob and Barbara have been serving their customers an array of soups, sandwiches, salads and desserts that reflect their commitment to fresh ingredients and fair prices. And if you have yet to saunter into this quaint caf퀌� nestled between N.W. Glisan and Flanders, you’re really missing out.

I arrived at Little Wing on a Monday afternoon; the caf퀌� was buzzing with customers, the staff was friendly and, to my surprise, the owner was delivering orders to the tables. It’s nice see a someone still involved with their creation after so many years.

Little Wing’s lunch menu is rich with a number of tasty options, all for under $7. The salads range from your standard Caesar, with fresh romaine lettuce, house-made croutons, eggless dressing and fresh parmesan, to Steve’s Salad, with field greens, turkey breast, albacore tuna, artichoke hearts, cucumber, tomato and a house vinaigrette. My personal favorite is Little Wings’ house salad, complete with field greens, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, artichoke hearts and the house vinaigrette. This salad is fresh and simple, and their house dressing really highlights the veggies.

In my opinion, sandwiches are Little Wing’s true specialty. All nine of their sandwiches are served on Grand Central Bakery’s bread and come with either house-made roasted potato salad or kettle chips. I enjoyed their potato salad, but potato chips are the way to go with these sandwiches. The turkey breast sandwich is served with your choice of either Swiss cheese or Little Wing’s house-made cranberry relish. The cranberry relish is a clever choice and complements the tender turkey breast. Another good sandwich to look out for is the marinated artichoke heart.

But my favorite item on Little Wing’s lunch menu by far is the house-made almond vegan burger, which is served on a rustic bun. You never know what you’re gonna get when you order a meatless patty; sometimes you get stuck with some pretty heavy, mushy, lump of meat-like mass. But Little Wing has really created a meatless masterpiece with this savory patty. And, let me tell you, the bun really does make a difference. Little Wing’s buns are fresh, hearty, and have that healthy wheat grain taste that makes you feel like your mom would be pleased to know what you had for lunch. Little Wing also runs one sandwich special daily.

Oh, by the way, Little Wing also serves dinner. This was surprising to me because I always thought of Little Wing as more of a lunch place. But according to Bob, they turn the lights down, put paper on the tables and even give you a box of crayons so, while you’re waiting for the food to get there, you can amuse yourself. Sounds classy to me, but I’ve never tried the dinner menu, so do so at your own risk. They are currently running a dinner special where you can get one of three pastas and a salad for $15. Sounds like good deal, eh?

Little Wing purchases many of its ingredients direct from local farmers, and they showcase local art monthly. Bob and his wife Barbara have been in the Pearl for a while and take pride in the dishes they daily produce. This is apparent in the high quality of all of Little Wing’s well-considered creations. From the house salad to the vegan burgers, Little Wing offers consistently fresh pleasantness in a friendly atmosphere, and it’s not very expensive to boot. So go ahead, kiddies, head down to Little Wing and have a nice lunch every once in a while.

Little Wing Caf퀌�

529 N.W. 13th

503-228-3101

Lunch

Mon-Sat 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Dinner

Tue-Thu 5:30-9 p.m.

Fri-Sat 5:30-10 p.m.