Townhouse Books and Café in St. Charles, IL — A Review by SAGA

Saga Seeds — the scarlet, glossy, heart-shaped beads that inspired our group's name — are unique to certain parts of Southeast Asia. They symbolize love in that region and literally mean "longing peas." We long for unique gastronomical experiences, which we share with readers four to six times a year. SAGA also happens to be the initials of our group's members.

Townhouse Books and Café is a hidden gem in St. Charles — about a 35-minute drive from 95th Street in Naperville. We decided to have lunch there a few weeks ago and are sharing our review.

The café and bookstore are housed in a Victorian building on a tree-lined street, on the east bank of the Fox River. The house itself dates to 1853; the independent bookstore opened in 1974 and the café in 1996.

Before lunch, we took a walk around scenic Pottawatomie Park — a 40-minute stroll along the Fox River, a few private jokes, and asking strangers to click our pictures. Well, what can you say — girls will be girls!

Parking is right along the river, a quick 2–3 minute walk from the café, so you only park once for the walk and lunch. (Our trip to the car happened several times, though — forgotten shades, a purse left behind. You know how it is.)

There was a 10-minute wait at the café — typical, and it gives you time to browse the bookstore.

There is something magical about bookstore-cafés. The aroma of books and food together creates a very inviting space.

It is easily one of the best bookstores we have been to. The sections are separated into small rooms in a never-ending maze. While waiting, we walked through the maze, discussing the many authors on display. If you have kids, a trip just for the kids' section is a must: rugs on the floor, tiny step stools to sit or reach the top shelf, and books — lots of them.

The wait was worth it: we got a spacious round table by the window overlooking the back porch. The menu is a bit limited, but the quality and freshness of the ingredients — and the lively atmosphere — make the visit well worth it.

The walls are adorned with author portraits. The place was packed, people of all ages engrossed in quality conversation — the sound of forks and knives, and words.

• S ordered a Florentine Melt sandwich on pumpernickel bread, savoring the spicy Dijon.
• A ordered a Hummus Melt on whole wheat bread with Kalamata olives and avocado.
• G ordered an Apricot Chicken Salad sandwich with dried apricots and rosemary.
• A ordered a Townhouse Signature Salad with roasted pecans and homemade buttermilk dressing.

Of course we tried each other's food — that's the best part of girls' outings. Everything was made just right. We finished with a homemade peach caramel bread pudding that lingered on our tongues all the way home. We plan to make the peach bread pudding very soon.

The meal cost about $10 per person, plus change.

Plan a walk by the Fox River and an al fresco lunch at Townhouse Books & Café soon.

Address: 105 N 2nd Ave, St. Charles, IL 60174 · townhousebooks.com

Questions? Email us at saganaperville@gmail.com.