A life-size Freddy Krueger doll staring out the front window is a dead giveaway that the recently opened BIZARRE CAFE (1521 Baxter Ave., 459-9731) lives up to its name. The interior is a mishmash of art and collectibles, offering a feast for the eyes, not just the stomach. Think Adams Family meets hipster haven — gothic red walls, high-backed booths, Buddha heads and a giant glass-encased rubber-band ball in one room; graffiti art, couches and artsy magazines in another.
The decor is decidedly more erratic than the menu, which consists of wraps, sandwiches and salads in the under-$10 category. A standout vegetarian item is the
More carnivorous diners with a penchant for the piquant will gravitate to the Alcapone ($6). This six-inch sub is generously filled with Genoa salami, pepperoni, honey-baked ham, leaf lettuce, roma tomatoes, banana peppers, jalapenos, pepper Jack cheese, black olives and Italian dressing. The flavors mesh well and give your mouth a kick, but ask the kitchen to go light on the dressing, which can drip off and make for a messy meal. Other hot and cold sandwiches are all moderately priced and accompanied by your choice of pasta salad, fresh fruit, chips or loaded potato salad, which has flecks of bacon in it.
The usual suspects appear under salad listings (house, Greek, Caesar), but the pizza pitas ($4-$5) t/files/storyimages/to the unconventional. Choose from cafe creations the likes of the Cuban chaos, which is filled with pepperoni, applewood bacon, green peppers, red onion, mushroom, banana peppers, jalapenos, green olives and pizza sauce. Or build your own crazy concoction — after all, bizarre is the name of the game.
