The first thing that becomes immediately apparent when walking through the front door of the Bohemian Cafe is that every employee, all the way down to the dishwasher, is exceptionally nice. Customers are greeted with warm, genuine thank-you-for-comings, guided to the Kolache counter and coddled until they walk out the door. This is a nice place to be -- especially if you have a disproportionate obsession with consuming soft, pillowy dough stuffed with all manner of fillings.
The Bohemian Cafe opened earlier this week in the Lower Greenville Avenue spot that used to house Jack's Southern Comfort Food before it housed Jo 24, a quirky diner that closed as soon as it opened. The remodel seems somewhat minimal, with the counter in the center of the restaurant along the wall, and a long narrow dining room. There are a few things that have changed, though.
It's hard to miss the stage when you walk through the front door. It's outfitted with monitor speakers and microphones, and a stand-up base and accordion stand at the ready. The instruments aren't for show. Live music is planned nearly every night of the week, and for those with absolutely no musical ability there will be karaoke, too.
But the real reason you'll come here is to eat, and it's pretty hard to walk by the kolache case without at lease being tempted by a few of the Czech pastries. Some are stuffed with fresh blackberries that cook down into a sticky-sweet goo; other are topped with raspberries that are slightly more tart. There's also a massive klobasnek filled with sausage and gooey cheese.
There are some innovative pastries, like the one that mimics a Monte Cristo sandwich with ham and cheese, and a line of vegan kolaches that looked just as good as their meaty counterparts. During my visit most of the kolaches were undercooked -- a little gooey on the bottom and bearing the ghostly color of someone in need of a tan. Another minute or three in the oven would easily give these guys a whole new lease on life.
Picture it: a soft wad of slightly sweet bread filled with your favorite fillings and a warm cup of coffee wafting steam as your friend belting out Stevie Nicks in the background. Paradise.
Bohemian Cafe, 1905 Greenville Ave., bohemiandallas.com
