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Credit: Tiffany Joy Photography
If recent statistics are to be believed, nearly half of all employed Americans work remotely at least part of the time. And what do we do when the walls start closing in? We escape to those tried-and-true third places where the Wi-Fi is as strong as the java and nobody cares how long we camp. But where do we go to escape the cacophony of the coffee shop and the banality of the local library? Increasingly, the all-day café.
As the trendline for gig workers continues to climb, so does the appetite for creating welcoming nooks for neighbors to work, meet, eat and drink despite the hour of day. These transitional places roll from morning coffee and pastries to wholesome midday lunches to happy hour meetups to spontaneous dinners cobbled together from a mess of small plates. These are the types of spots that anchor a boutique hotel in Soho, a quiet alley in Madrid or a booming block in Ohio City.
Open only since early June, Patron Saint feels like it’s been an essential part of this community for years. It helps that the café is set in a historic space that seems ripped from Rome thanks to graceful arches, 15-foot ceilings, 100-year-old tile flooring and walls clad in various shades and designs of pigmented glass. For 20 years, this building was home to a fine art conservation firm, but before that it was a showroom and warehouse for Vitrolite tile.
“I walked into this space with all of these arches, with all of this character and you can’t build that, you can just build upon it,” says owner Marie Artale.
Artale softened the interior with sound-dampening textiles, warm woods and chic banquettes. Guests can elect to sit at the full-service bar or in the dining room, where “elevated counter service” is the order of the day. This hybrid model relies on smartphones and QR codes but sidesteps disposable everything in place of attractive stemware and tableware. A double-edge sword, the system is great for ordering what you want, when you want it, but not so great when you have questions about the food or drink and you have to flag down a human.
Patron Saint is the kind of place where “a quick glass of wine” can cascade into a tipsy two-hour feast. Thanks to light-handed beverages like bubbly Lambruscos, sunny spritzes and broody amari, it’s easy to indulge in “one more round” without getting plotzed. Aperitivos range from the classic Aperol or Campari spritz to the herbal, sweet Contratto fizz. Nearly a dozen amari – such as the earthy, smoky Sfumato ($8) – can be served neat, on the rocks or blended with tonic and lime. Even the cocktails go easy, with summery gems like the Blueberry Jammer ($10) that pairs amaro with blueberry jam, lemon and soda. Want to go even lower? There are no-alcohol “coffee cocktails” that offer a booze-free boost.
Artale tapped chef David Kocab to craft a farm-to-table regional Italian menu that leans light, wholesome, seasonal and satisfying. In the morning, guests can pair their Ready Set! cappuccino or cortado with a continental breakfast ($13). A square meal in a round platter, the pitch-perfect brunch includes thin-sliced cured meats, cheese, fresh fruit, a jammy egg, focaccia toast, compote and preserves.
Lunches are flush with bright salads and creative sandwiches. The earthy and crisp beet salad ($11) features strawberries and dollops of dreamy Italian blue cheese. It’s tossed in a sweet, citrusy vinaigrette and topped with crispy quinoa. On its own, the chickpea piadina ($10) is somewhat meek, but the vegetarian pressed sandwich comes alive when dipped in the accompanying aioli and savory eggplant puree. I’ll go back just for the broccoli melt ($11), a sesame seed hoagie filled with broccoli, provolone, giardiniera and chili aioli.
While not a traditional restaurant, Patron Saint’s all-day menu offers enough variety and heft to cobble together a lovely dinner. We snacked on kettle chips and dip ($6) and honey-drizzled salami ($6) from Tuscany. We moved on to plump roasted shrimp ($7) with vegetables and fresh herbs and juicy pork meatballs ($15) served atop a polenta cake. To clean our plates, we tacked on orders of extra focaccia ($4). And to finish, we devoured a slice of fragrant olive oil cake ($8).
Ordering a la minute via smartphone has its pros and cons. Dishes are ordered as they’re desired. They land on the table with remarkable efficiency. Tabs can be kept open throughout the meal. And settling up is done without the need of a server. As for the con: these sorts of meals can add up quickly, turning a casual happy hour into a pricy splurge.
Patron Saint
2915 Detroit Ave., Cleveland
patronsaintcle.com
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