Cafe is a dining surprise in Portsmouth garden center

PORTSMOUTH

There’s a bit of a secret in Olde Towne Portsmouth. It’s The Green Bean Café, inside Bowman’s Garden Center on Green Street. I had the pleasure of visiting there the second night they were taking dinner reservations.

The place was so artsy and lovingly arranged that it made dinner seem magical. Antiques and home accessories surround you, accented by lovely paintings. You can fall in love with a painting as you eat and feel inclined to buy it when it’s time to leave.

Owned and operated by Rich Phillips and Paul Bowman, it’s a nice addition to the garden center. From the outside, it’s hard to imagine this café inside but it’s a wonderful surprise and offers a nice menu for both lunch and dinner.

Lunch fare includes sandwiches on fresh baguettes: Turkey Berry, chicken salad, Roast Beast and tuna salad. And there’s the P-Towne cheese steak, hot ham and Swiss and baked veggie. I really enjoyed the ham and Swiss sandwich prepared with pineapple chunks.

Enter through the side door for lunch Tuesday through Sunday and you can place your order at the counter. A waitress will take you to one of the tables. Each seating area has its own distinctive personality.

Nighttime takes on a certain ambience with candlelight. The seven tables are booked by reservations and there are only two seatings; 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.

The night menu offers tasty appetizers like pineapple grilled shrimp and roasted goat cheese and peppers. My stuffed-spinach chicken, the smaller size, was tasty with asparagus, bacon and Béarnaise sauce.

“Our menu changes every other week,” Rich said.

Browsing through the antiques was a nice way to conclude a dinner at a charming restaurant off the beaten path.

Phyllis Johnson, pjwriter7@aol.com