“Unexpected” is how Keith O’Marra describes the new CRU Café, the breakfast and lunch spot at 1 Casino Terrace that locals have been raving about since it reopened on October 14th. O’Marra, former sous chef at Jamestown Fish, is the new Chef Manager at this eatery you wouldn’t expect to find on Bellevue Ave. with prices you wouldn’t expect to find in Newport.
“Everything on the new menu ranges from $3-$12.95,” O’Marra said. “Our number one priority was making a neighborhood-friendly menu,” he says.
In addition to a revamped menu, the restaurant’s look has changed as well. “The walls have been enhanced with Russell Morin memorabilia,” O’Marra says, a nod to the café owner, Russell Morin Catering & Events. The new ambiance reflects a “funky neighborhood cafe vibe” and was crafted with employees from surrounding businesses like Stop & Shop, Newport Hardware, and Morgan Stanley in mind, O’Marra says.
At the top of the new menu is one of their most popular items, a $3 egg sandwich called The Newporter, which consists of two farm fresh eggs and cheese on a Portuguese bolo. O’Marra says another popular sandwich is the Not Your Average BLT, which is also an egg sandwich on a Portuguese bolo roll, but this one comes with lettuce, tomato and bacon. “People love it,” he says. All food is sourced locally as much as possible.
The new CRU also has free WiFi and plenty of places to sit, making it good place to bring your laptop and grab a coffee and a pastry. “It’s a great spot for Salve students to come and get work done,” O’Marra says.
For coffee lovers, CRU offers a variety of flavors, including a homemade egg nog latte you can order this week. In the spring and summer, look out for homemade lemonades and iced teas in different flavors too.
Also keep CRU in mind for weekend brunch. The café is BYOB, and when the weather’s nice, outdoor seating will open up.
O’Marra says the CRU crew has received a lot of positive feedback so far on the menu and the new look. Have you been in the new CRU yet? Tell us what you think in the comments section.
For more information on CRU, visit www.crucafenewport.com and their Facebook Page for daily specials.
Full Disclosure: As of publishing time, CRU Cafe is an active advertiser on www.whatsupnewp.com.