A literary filled day in the Rose of New England
UPDATED MAY 2021: Cafe Otis permanently closed, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cafe Otis in the original Otis Library on Broadway.
Every April I visit the city of Norwich, Connecticut (known as ‘The Rose of New England’) for the book sale at Otis Library. It’s a known fact since childhood that I am a books fanatic! My parents often shared the stories about how I’d read books at dinner time, they always had to tell me to put down the book. The book sale at Otis Library is at the top of my list of favorite book sales.
I had been unable to make it to Norwich for the last two years due to traveling out of town at the time of their book sales so it was a treat to finally go today! It’s the only time that I visit the city of Norwich, it is full of architectural gems. I’m always blown away by the beauty of the buildings and historical homes there.
Absorbing the beauty of the City Hall.
The original Otis Library that was built in 1850 recently opened its doors this past January as a neighborhood cafe called Cafe Otis. I saw the photos of the grand opening on Connecticut Food and Farm Instagram ( @connfoodandfarm ). I was very intrigued from their photos of Cafe Otis so I put it on the list to visit whenever I made my way into Norwich.
Inside Cafe Otis overlooking City Hall.
Cafe Otis is housed in the 19th century building located right across from the City Hall. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well happy hour. The food on the menu is locally sourced and they have a craft cocktail bar too! The menu is described as Mediterranean-inspired with many vegan or non-vegan options. I had an egg sandwich with bacon and cheddar on English muffin. The smoothie was the best part! There was a selection of smoothies called Wild Otis with variety of flavors. The smoothies are made with a mix of fruits, vegetables, greek yogurt, and protein. There are no water added so it is very thick and filling. I picked the “Smooth Gyminal” which seemed to one of their popular picks. It had included greek yogurt, banana, peanut butter, strawberry, blueberry and vegan protein. It was very delicious!
My breakfast: the egg sandwich and smoothie.
The cafe was beautifully decorated with black, white and gold touches through out the restored library themed cafe. Many large windows showed the surrounding architectural buildings. The attention to detail was carefully done. The barista who served on us was super friendly and allowed us to walk around the cafe to soak in the details. She explained about the tables which she had helped to create. I was impressed that there were personal touches in the decor. There was a private dining room upstairs that is available to book for events. On the lower level, there was a curated market called Nine Mile Market full of local artisan goods. My favorite detail was the tap handles decorated with old library bookends in their bar!
The tap handles!
After my breakfast, I made my way to Otis Library for the book sale. The book sale is located in the basement of the library. It always has a great selection of all kinds of books. Be sure to attend their book sales which occurs every year at end of April. I walked out with two bagful of books so I’m off to start a new-to-me book. Let me know in the comments what your favorite books are!
Shopping the book sale at Otis Library.