Tampa Heights could have been the next big thing. But, like so much development and gentrification of Bay area neighborhoods, the economy has put the kibosh on that. For the moment. Thankfully, Cafe Hey squeaked in before the downturn as a lonely outpost of progressive ideas and progressive food just on the edge of downtown.
Funky neighborhood coffee joints rarely carry that vibe past the decor of mismatched furniture and walls covered with local art. Cafe Hey is different. Look past the decor and you'll find brilliant flourishes in the food that make this much more than your typical joint. Cafe Hey is worth a special trip.
There are a mere two salads, one a typical blend of veggies and lettuce with Hey's bright vinaigrette, the other a crunchy blend of raw kale and red cabbage tossed with ground sesame seeds and pungent tomato and garlic dressing. Kale Yeah indeed.
Homemade soups are worth a try, although the quality varies with the day. The heart and soul of Cafe Hey's menu, though, is clever sandwiches built on cuban bread from La Segunda or whole wheat wraps. This may become my regular haunt for smart combinations of bread and fillings, now that St. Pete's The Kitchen has closed.
Like the Yoshimi, a concoction of luscious cream cheese, sharp sriracha, intense kimchi and slices of fresh avocado. There're also day-after Thanksgiving sandwiches accented with fresh watercress, deli ham pumped up with jalapeno jack cheese and red pepper jelly, and a damn fine cuban made with pork roasted in-house.
Best of the bunch, however, is Cafe Hey's genetic cross of the Bay area's own cuban sandwich with a vietnamese banh mi. The Mi Cubano looks like a boring old cuban — pork on a bun, pressed until toasty — but the sandwich is loaded with tart and spicy pickled jalapeno carrot slaw that blows open your taste-buds. It'll haunt you every time you stop for one of those gas station cubans.
The counter is stacked with intensely moist and sugary muffins and a few other competent baked goods, mostly to go along with Cafe Hey's damn fine coffee drinks. Even there the throw in some curves, like a latte laced with cinammon, chili and chocolate. They also bring in chai blended by the fine folks at Kaleisia Tea Lounge over near USF.
For something a little lighter, or as a drive-by breakfast on your way to downtown Tampa offices, you can grab a cup of yogurt stuffed with fresh fruit and Hey's homemade granola. The giant parfait is more than a meal by itself.
There's also natural soda in a cooler and a semi-regular slate of progressive events, is that's your bag. Or free wi-fi if you just want to take in the desolate view of a neighborhood huddled nigh-under I-275, or converse with Hey's colorful staff.
Someday, inevitably, that view will change, although I hope the staff stays the same. Cafe Hey is next door to Oceanic Trading Supermarket, one of Tampa Height's old guard destination spots. That makes south Tampa Heights your one-stop spot for coffee, sandwiches, szechuan peppercorns and durian monchong. Sounds like a fine base for future development.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2008.