I'm a little behind on my blog posts. My most recent dinner at University Cafe was a few weeks ago; it is is another one of my go-to places in downtown Palo Alto. I do like the brunch menu, but weekend brunch hours are packed, whereas it's usually quite easy to get a table during dinnertime. Plus, dinner involves unlimited (at least to my knowledge, 2 refills is not a problem) refills on crusty bread with fantastic tomato dip. On two of the three occasions that I've had dinner here, I've ordered the University BLT with tomato soup (shown above). This sandwich consists of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado with garlic aioli on either brioche or a more substantial bread, toasted, and somehow manages to be both clean-tasting and decadent at the same time.
The accompanying tomato soup is practically reason enough to order a sandwich at University Cafe. Sandwich portions are large, and since I always eat plenty of bread, I was content to eat half of my BLT and have the other half for lunch the next day.
Based on my and my dining companions' experiences over the past three dinners, pretty much everything University Cafe serves is tasty. The chicken pot pie with puff-pastry top (above) is well-prepared and rich, and the club sandwich and salads are quite good if not particularly exciting. Do be careful with the butternut squash ravioli, which is so rich as to be cloying - it could pass for dessert. Don't order that dish if you actually want something dinner-like; alternatively, split it with at least one other person.
