Lakeside Café

• Cuisine(s): Sandwiches
  Hours: Daily 9:30am-4:30pm
  Price: $ $
  Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, American Express
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Kid Friendly, Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Private Party, Takeout
  Serving: Lunch
  Alcohol: None
• Reservations: Not Necessary
  Parking: Lot Available

Description

There is no setting more fit for a charming, informal alfresco lunch than smack-dab in the midst of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden -- right by the conservatory, to be precise, and a stone's throw from the rare plant section. But remember: People who dine by glass houses shouldn't throw stones. There is seating for 150 to 200 people, and a concise selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches to soothe nature lovers of all stripes. We like the feature sandwiches (each $7.95), especially the Caprese panini, a baguette rife with ripe Redland tomatoes (seasonal), fresh mozzarella, and basil aioli. We are also partial to Black Forest ham wrapped in a pesto tortilla with dill-flecked Havarti cheese, cucumbers, and tomato. Another favorite is mango chicken salad, which lends itself to the environment in a very natural manner. So do cool "hand-crafted" tropical sodas in flavors such as Mandarin orange, watermelon, and kiwi. These are made on premises using real fruit concentrates and pure cane sugar, and provide a kick as effervescent as any Chihuly sculpture.