Friends and neighbors enjoy the new Liberty Caffé

By Patrick Alexander / Blogger

This past Sunday was not the hottest day of the year but, after playing a round of golf at mid-day on the Granada Golf Course, it certainly felt like it. Which is why, hot and thirsty, I was so delighted to hear my wife say the magic word: gelato!

For years now we have followed a hot game of golf by scurrying past the grim and shuttered Country Club and rushing home for something cold and refreshing. But no longer. Those days are past.

A game of golf can now be followed by a freshly made, ice-cold gelato. We entered the Country Club’s new Liberty Caffé for a quick gelato but ended-up staying for a late breakfast: fresh orange juice and a smoked salmon bagel. I could easily become addicted to the orange juice. Six fresh oranges are rolled into a shiny, hi-tech machine which
automatically cuts them in two and squeezes out all the juice while you wait. Delicious!

We had eaten lunch in the Liberty Caffé last Saturday and so we already knew how good the food was, but what I did not know was how refreshing a gelato can be when you’re hot and thirsty. The café was crowded on Saturday and we had to wait for a table, but that was hardly surprising since the new owners were offering free gelatos to Coral Gables residents, and people were lining up to sample all the different flavors.

I was, however, surprised to see the café still so busy on Sunday as local families came in for breakfast and lunch. Word had obviously gotten out about the quality of the new enterprise.

The service is friendly, courteous and efficient; the décor and ambience are clean and attractive; and the food is excellent and very competitively priced.

But best of all, the Coral Gables Country Club, at 997 N. Greenway Dr., has finally returned to life. After living in the Gables for quarter of a century, I at last feel that we residents have a place where we can meet locally.

On each of our visits to the Liberty Caffé we have run into local friends and neighbors – all as delighted as we are to have somewhere in walking distance for a coffee or a quick snack.

My only complaint is that there was nowhere to park our dogs while we went inside, but Nick DiDonato, the new owner, assured me he is working on it. He envisages an outdoor area equipped with an umbrella for shade, pooper scoopers and railings to leash the dogs. I suggested that the city might want to donate an old fire hydrant as well.