December 7, 2007
by Mary Ann Albright of The Columbian

Caffe Piccolo Paradiso’s Northwest Cheese Steak Panini, top, and the Plantation Turkey Panini are made with rustic Italian Como bread. The chocolate and vanilla cookies are imported from Milan. (BEN CAMPBELL/The Columbian)

Where we ate this week: Caffe Piccolo Paradiso

Why: This charming cafe is primarily a coffee shop, so it doesn't have many food options or do any cooking in-house. The few things it does offer, though, stay true to owner Pam Brown's mission: transporting patrons from downtown Camas to Italy. From paninis and pizzas to biscotti and gelato, Caffe Piccolo Paradiso imports many food items, as well as wine, from Umbria and other regions of the boot-shaped European country.

Atmosphere: Brown, who says she's Scandinavian by descent but Italian at heart, decorates with masks and pottery gathered during her annual trips to Italy. Adding to the cafe's Mediterranean feel is the faux-stucco finish on the walls, which are peppered with local artists' photographs and paintings. Tables near the front windows are good for people watching. Instrumental music plays at a pleasant volume that's easy to talk over, although the whirring of the espresso machine makes it hard to chat if you're seated toward the back of the cafe. Barista Deborah Hannon is a native of Verona, Italy, and her knowledge of Italian food, language and culture lends additional authenticity to Caffe Piccolo Paradiso.

Food: I debated between the Pizza Margherita, a thin-crust Italian staple with red sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil, and the Northwest Cheese Steak Panini, a blend of roast beef, cheddar cheese and red pepper pesto sandwiched between two slices of crusty bread. Ultimately, I chose the panini, which comes pre-made and is brushed with Italian herbs and olive oil, then grilled until the bread is crisp and the cheese melted. The roast beef was lean and thinly sliced, and the flavor blended well with the cheese and pesto. It was a little greasy, but no more than one would expect when ordering a hot dish involving cheese and olive oil. The panini tasted fresh, and if I hadn't seen it come out of the refrigerator already assembled, I would have assumed it was made to order.

For dessert, I had an Italian checkerboard cookie. Not much wider than a quarter, this small chocolate and vanilla treat reminded me of the pinwheel cookies I loved as a kid. It was a little dry for my taste but still rich and flavorful.

My dining companion, who patrons Caffe Piccolo Paradiso two or three times a week, ordered her usual: the Plantation Turkey Panini. She loves the slightly buttery flavor of the swiss and provolone cheeses melding with the deli meat. To me this panini, with its white cheese and white meat on white bread, was not visually interesting and tasted bland.

Because items such as paninis and pizzas arrive at the cafe premade, there is no opportunity to substitute or add ingredients. I might have liked the turkey panini better had I been able to enhance it with spinach, bell peppers and red onion. I also wish the cafe offered side salads and soup in addition to the carbohydrate-heavy options. I would have welcomed the chance to get half a panini and a small Caesar salad or cup of minestrone. Brown said she sometimes stocks salads in the summer and hopes to add soups to the menu in the future.

Along with the turkey and roast beef paninis, the cafe offers vegetarian, Reuben and ham versions, as well as a Focaccia Pizza. Unlike the Pizza Margherita, the Focaccia Pizza is two pieces of thicker dough stuffed with mozzarella, green olives and bell peppers.

Breakfast sandwiches are available throughout the day and come in various combinations of egg, cheese and meat.

You should know: There's only one panini press, but it can grill up to three sandwiches or pizzas at a time. If the cast-iron press has been used recently and is already hot, then it takes about five minutes for the food to be grilled. If the press isn't preheated, it can take about 15 minutes to get your order. That was the case when I visited. My lunch partner usually calls ahead to request her panini, so it's ready when she arrives.

Cost: $6 for a panini, $7 for a panini with a bag of Kettle Chips, $4 for half a 10-inch-diameter Pizza Margherita or Focaccia Pizza, $4.50 for breakfast sandwiches, $1 for three checkerboard cookies, 50 cents to $3.75 for other desserts and pastries and $2.50 for a scoop of gelato. Espresso is $1.50 for a single shot and $2 for a double. Other hot beverage prices range from $1.25 for an 8-ounce cup of Caffe Umbria-brand coffee to $3.60 for a 16-ounce mocha. Caffe Piccolo Paradiso offers Italian sodas in the summer for $3 to $3.50. Cold drinks include bottles and cans of San Pellegrino sparkling water and carbonated lemon and orange drinks, which cost $1 to $2, a limited selection of soft drinks for $1 to $1.50, bottles of Tazo Tea for $1.75 and Prosecco, a sparkling Italian wine that costs $5 for a small bottle that serves one. Red and white wines range from $5 to $7 per glass. Chianti also is available by the bottle for $12 to $30.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Where: 309 N.E. Birch St., Camas.

Telephone: 360-834-7044.