CHATHAM, Va. – I was scrolling Facebook a few weeks ago when I saw someone post about artisan sandwiches in a Southside art gallery. That alone was enough to pique our interest for a drive to Reid Street Café in Chatham
Director, Alisa Davis, tells us, “The gallery is celebrating its [5th] anniversary on April the 8th”
Aside from the artwork, you’ll notice a kitchen that most dream of having in their home. Davis says that wasn’t always a café, though.
“Everybody that came in and saw the counter said ‘oh, you should serve lunch.’ So after a year of that, we said ‘okay!’ And started serving lunches.”
Every day but Sunday, starting at 11 a.m., you can get freshly made soups, salads or sandwiches in no time at all.
After all, their mission is to serve up, “Quality, fresh lunch for under ten dollars in under ten minutes.”
These sandwiches have all taken on the name of famed artists. For instance, the Cezzane is your classic club sandwich. The Rubens is a hit, according to Davis, who says, “Everybody else who does says it’s one of the best ones they’ve ever had. I mean, we’ve heard that over and over again, so we’re really proud of that.”
The Renoir is another just to name a few. This French dip had our photographer, Chase, foaming at the mouth (even though he’d never tried a sandwich like this before).
Lastly, there are homemade cakes. If normal cakes are paintings, these things are murals.
Davis shared with us that they, “...have a local lady named Pat Woodson that makes all our cakes for us, and she does a fantastic job. We have a few regulars that we try to keep, but it does vary from day to day.”
For which cakes they’ll serve each week, you’ll have to check in with Reid Street Café on Facebook. While you’re at Reid Street, be sure to check out some of the local artwork and the gift shop on the other side of the building.
Because if you’re not in a rush to get back to work, “We fill that need in the community as a place to gather,” especially in a time when we long to get back to normal.
Davis says there will be an anniversary celebration Thursday, April 8th, from 4 to 8 p.m. with some exciting announcements to come.
Not enough? No worries! Subscribe to our Tasty Tuesday Newsletter here.