Driven by a mission as much as a menu, Bronze Café proves you can be everything to everyone
“What what!”
The five people behind the counter at Bronze Café shout it as a chorus in response to a sandwich order. (Confession: I couldn’t help but echo in suit.) It’s one of the last things you expect to hear when ordering a sandwich — okay, maybe at some novelty restaurant where the food’s an afterthought.
Bronze Café is no novelty restaurant. And whether it’s an unrepentant carnivore craving the What What (a turkey and pepperoni sandwich stacked with mixed greens dressed in lemon vinaigrette, tomato and onion, and slathered with optional-but-seriously-you-really-have-to-have-it bacon jam), a PETA activist in need of The Bizness (a mountainous chopped kale salad with a tangy lemon vinaigrette) or fitness freaks seeking optimal fuels (look no further than the Vegan Real Results Fitness Blended, a mighty smoothie that features kale, peanut butter and a bumper crop of various superfoods), people are definitely coming to Bronze Café for the food. But that shout of “What what!” when you order a sandwich — that boisterous, cheerful shout — shows that this downtown café is offering an experience that goes well beyond food: an experience of genuine warmth and almost radical inclusiveness.
“We have to be a place that makes a difference in the community,” says General Manager David Mozes. “Seeing the regulars connect with each other, as well as the staff, is really rewarding. All those smiling faces are like trophies for me, and it’s gratifying to know that we’re making a place that all these people feel comfortable.”
Given Mozes’ mission-minded, feel-good philosophy, it’s a little ironic that the restaurant came about in a somewhat happenstance manner. The brainchild of Mozes and Executive Chef and owner Peter Bastien, Bronze Café was an opportune and natural evolution of their catering business. While they were volunteering at The Gay and Lesbian Center of Las Vegas, they learned there’d be a kitchen in the main lobby available to rent. Mozes and Bastien made their move. “We envisioned a really good coffeehouse with quality sandwiches,” says Mozes.
Restrained decadence
You might say they aimed low. They’ve created one of the best sandwich spots in town — one that happens to serve amazing coffee, and one that doubles as a dynamic central point for numerous communities. Sure, they’ve got what seems like a standard café menu: sandwiches, salads, juices, smoothies, pastries. But everything is made with a little — okay, a lot — more intention than you might expect of café fare.
Bastien’s menu is an inspired collection of familiar ingredients in unusual combinations. The key, though, lies in restraint — even in the menu’s more decadent touches. You won’t find any bacon-wrapped hot dogs served inside bacon bowls with edible bacon forks here, but their bacon jam does invite you to spread it over every bite of a sandwich — say, the California turkey with roasted red peppers on toasty ciabatta. On the dessert side, the standout is the Loving v. Virginia, a cookie-brownie hybrid with a center that oozes with the kind of chocolate profundity you expect from a dessert made of two desserts. (When they ask if you want it heated, the answer is always a feverish yes.)
“Everything I create has to be split 50-50 between tasting good and being healthy,” says Bastien. “Meals should be filling but not heavy. The way I cook, all the flavor is coming from plants, the meat is texture, and no matter what’s happening, there has to be acidity.” Flavor from plants, from … kale? You’ll understand when you try The Bizness.
Rule of thirds
But back to that shout of “What what!” and what it means. It’s a thoughtful deviation that serves a greater purpose. When they shout “What what!,” they’re letting you know you’re not just a customer, they’re not just employers, and you’re not alone in space. It also means that 18 people working here feel comfortable enough to shout “What what” at strangers who don’t tend to remain strangers for very long. Between Mozes, Bastien and Yishay Rojas — he answers the phones and holds down the front end — they seem to know about half the customers by name. That’s not just a happy side effect of running a small business; it’s part of a conscious approach to building culture and community.
The name bears this out. Bronze refers to bronze medal — the icon of third place. But in this instance, third place is a good place to be. Here, bronze is intended to conjure a different Third Place, an idea set forth by sociologist Ray Oldbenburg. The Third Place isn’t home or work; it’s a crucial area where people gather, meet and socialize — think plazas, parks, bars and cafés. People come to Bronze Café to eat, but they also come because it’s a watering hole where every species of Las Vegan comes and every species of Las Vegan is welcome. The fact that Bronze Café is inside The Center means they’re explicitly supportive of the LGBTQ community, but it also makes them an attraction for a wealth of people who might not otherwise interact with that community. Indeed, waiting in line with you may be a homeless man, a TV producer, a trans teen and the guy who built the mid-rise condo where you live. Bronze Café embraces the reality of where we’re at.
Also in that line: Lots of happily willing human guinea pigs hoping for a taste of what Bastien is working on next.
“Right now I’m crazy about sesame,” he says. He’s testing a vegan, gluten-free sesame cookie in both a soft and crunchy version. “I know how I want it, but ultimately, it’s up to the customers, so I’ll let a bunch of people try both versions and go off what they think.” The line is forming, but there’s plenty of room for you.
May we Recommend ...
The Bizness, David’s Special Style
The Bizness is a bed of kale dressed in lemon vinaigrette with three toppings of your choice. For a dollar more, you can get your Bizness with all the choices made for you, and copious amounts of hook-ups. It will come topped with chickpeas, beets, quinoa, avocado, shredded carrots and caramelized sunflower seeds. It’s usually between 2 and 3 pounds of food — but you won’t feel stuffed, you’ll feel energized.
Loving v. Virginia
Billed as “the legal marriage between a brownie and a cookie,” this dreamy, Inception-style dessert is not for the faint of tooth. It’s best eaten in half-portion increments. Eat half now, and save half for later or tomorrow. When they ask if you want it heated, the answer is always yes. ZM
Bronze Café
401 S. Maryland
Parkway,
(702) 202-3100
HOURS
Mon-Fri, 7a-10p;
Sat 8a-9p;
Sun 10a-8p