Restaurants come in all shapes and sizes. The latest one to open on Cherokee Street is tiny – as in six-seat tiny. The Little Dipper opened doors Friday, Feb. 20 at 2619½ Cherokee St., in the space formerly occupied by Small’s Tea and Coffee.
Working behind the counter of this shotgun space are owners Thomas Eversmann and Jason Paul. The pair has created an abbreviated menu of sandwiches, soups, salads and snacks. All but one of the six sandwiches are served hot. Since the cafe’s first day, the tuna sandwich has been a hot commodity, along with the open-faced toasted tomato with feta, Swiss and garlic oil. The namesake sandwich, The Little Dipper, is based on the Chicago-style wet sub of Italian beef and giardiniera that diners dunk in beef pan jus. Sandwiches feature bread from local bakeries Companion and Fazio’s, and all sauces and accompaniments are made in-house.
Among the snack selection, look for a cheddar quesadilla with cilantro pesto; hummus with pita and fresh vegetables; bagna cauda, an anchovy-laden warm Italian dip, served with bread and fresh veggies; and chips with salsa. Besides a daily soup, The Little Dipper offers a trio of fresh salads. Although dessert is currently not available, Paul said house-made date balls will soon be added to the menu.
-photos by Michelle Volansky
This article appears in February 2015.