My original intention in trekking the 0.2 miles up the road to Coronado Café was to try out their Carne Pizza. Unfortunately, I have never been an investigative journalist – or, in this case, happened to look online at the menu — so I did not notice their menu changes to unleash their dinner fare on the world after 5 p.m. Whoops. Although, with the sweet aroma that was hovering over this little historic house, I was certain I would find something worth writing home about.

Upon setting foot inside this quaint cottage, you can sense the vibe they are going for — a down-home, in-your-neighborhood feel with an expansive menu. They are succeeding. Once I was seated, my mission was quite clear: locate the menu item that was producing that heavenly scent. Aha! My eyes landed on at least one of the culprits: the Roasted Chicken Sandwich.

The name itself sounds Plain Jane, but the outline for this masterpiece sounded divine. Savory roasted chicken with provolone, thick bacon, green chiles and an amazing chipotle aioli all balanced perfectly in a freshly baked MJ Bread foccacia bread. Needless to say, if you painted a picture of it, even cultured art enthusiasts would be attempting to consume the paint off the canvas.

Once this picture of beauty arrived, I was adrift in a wonderful land of heavenly scents and home-cooked delights. The taste I was swimming in was truly divine and unexplainable. My palate forgot the carne craving I had entered with (well… the bacon helped), and just allowed me to savor each bite.

I will return, oh dear neighborhood friend. And, next time, I will be after the wonders that your 5 o’clock menu holds.

Coronado Café is located at 2201 N. 7th St. in Coronado — 602.258.5149