Review: Pennyroyal Cafe

Last Wednesday, I took the opportunity to go to the Pennyroyal Cafe in order to see one of their live musical performances. I chose the performance of Dr. Christian Asplund, professor of music composition at Brigham Young University. I've heard some of his music before, and enjoy it.

First let me describe the Cafe. Basically, it's a work in progress, but it's comfortable. They're still in the process of finishing the interior, so bare brick dominates the walls. They have a few portraits painted by a local artist to give some color to the otherwise bland walls. The tables and chairs are mismatched and look like they were purchased at yard sales. A red carpet leads from the dining area to the counter. Several old, chandeliers hang from the ceiling.

On one side of the room, they have a Nintendo and Super Nintendo system with an old couch. Next to it is a bar where they serve non-alcoholic drinks. They only have curtains separating the counter from the kitchen. The kitchen looks well kept and clean, which I appreciated.

The menu is small, but so is the cafe (it seats about 20): just soup and sandwiches. I tried the Pennyroyal Classic sandwich- a turkey basil panini- with a side salad. Great sandwich, poor salad. The sandwich was simple yet flavorful, just the way I like it, and very filling. The salad, however, was very stringy and bland. I'd recommend getting chips instead. I hope to go back in a couple weeks and try the Parisian Apple sandwich: a panini with brie, apples, and onions.

The music was generally good. I didn't understand a few of the pieces, but otherwise enjoyed the innovativeness. It was all modern music, and it seems the audience consisted mostly of just a few followers (aka family members). Still, I really enjoyed it.

Would I recommend the Pennyroyal? Yes. It's a little bare right now, but once it's completed, it will be a very quaint locale.