Café Hollander has a sandwich menu that is not only affordable but allows diners to try different combinations of foods that they probably have never tried before.

I always thought of Downer Avenue as a Saturday morning kind of street. Families taking their kids on walks with the dog down the picturesque avenue on a sunny day. On the way stopping at Starbucks for an espresso, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop for the latest best seller and Sendik“s for the fresh fruit of the season.

Now, ever since December 2006, Downer Avenue can add one more hotspot to its list: Café Hollander.

The Café opens at 8 a.m. daily and on Saturdays and Sundays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch. I have yet to sample the brunch menu, but if it is anything like Café Hollander“s sister restaurant, the Trocadero (1728 N. Water St.), we are all in for fabulous fried eggs and French toast.

I have had the pleasure to dine at Café Hollander three times since its opening and I have yet to be disappointed.

My first time at the restaurant the hostess sat my dining partner and me at a cozy table for two near the front door.

We were greeted by our server who brought us two glasses of ice water and a large beer list full of stouts, lagers and “Belgian-esque” bottles--as the menu proclaims. My dining partner, a little overwhelmed by the menu full of imported beers before him, ordered a beer that“s become very trendy in the Milwaukee area, Stella Artois.

On my first visit our appetizers were quite simple but extravagantly delicious. The Thai pizza ($9) and the Witte Nachos ($9) were done to perfection.

The Thai pizza is what keeps me coming back to Café Hollander. This thin crust pizza with Thai peanut sauce is layered with shredded carrots, chicken and cilantro. The hint of heat in the sauce is what makes it especially satisfying.

The Witte (white) Nachos were not what I expected. Hidden beneath the large tortilla chips were bits of melted Gruyere cheese, white beans, onions, tomatoes and jalapeños, making this anything but your traditional south of the border dish.

Café Hollander has a sandwich menu that is not only affordable but allows diners to try different combinations of foods that they probably have never tried before.

My first sandwich was the blackberry turkey ($9). A large baguette layered with roast turkey, onions and gruyere cheese lay open-faced on the plate. Spread on top was a thick layer of blackberry jam. I put my sandwich together and sunk my teeth into the creation, barely coming up for air. It was easy to see how the cheese, turkey and sweet blackberry jam combo makes this sandwich one of menu“s stars.

When I tried my dining partner“s Belgian dip sandwich ($9.50) I have to admit I was a bit jealous. On his baguette was, in our opinion, the perfect sandwich. Shaved roast beef accompanied by Gouda cheese and ale braised onions (basically, onions soaked in beer).

There was a small bowl of what the Café calls ale jus with this sandwich. Looking much like a bowl of French onion soup, it was what made this sandwich such a hit. Soaking the beef and baguette in this bitter juice was heaven. I took one bite and I knew what I was getting the next time I visited Café Hollander.

Creating a place to sit and get an espresso and a newspaper in the morning, a sandwich and Belgian ale in the afternoon, and a few drinks with friends on the weekends, Café Hollander brings the European lifestyle to Milwaukee.

The café is located at 2608 N. Downer Ave. and is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to midnight. To get a preview of the full menu you can visit them at www.cafehollander.com.

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