Blue Spoon Bakery & Cafe

Went back today for the same sandwich and soup that I ordered last time, but the experience was lackluster. The bread seemed a little dry on my chicken salad sandwich, and the soup was very runny and bland.
This place has great potential, but consistency is lacking.

Among the many new businesses now occupying the grandly renovated Revolution Cotton Mill, a Greensboro historic landmark, resides a delightful café and bakery helmed by Tracy Furman Lamothe, former chef and proprietor of Rivas. That downtown full-​service restaurant serving authentic Italian pasta dishes achieved much acclaim, and now the chef is using her considerable skills to offer daily breakfast and lunch fare at incredibly reasonable prices. And there’s also catering and cooking classes coming from this space in the mill.
Open the door to the café, and you immediately notice a glass-​enclosed case full of muffins pastries, and slices of quiche. Customers are greeted with a cheery hello from behind the counter, where orders are placed. The lunch menu includes sandwiches, salads and a daily soup, which on the day of our visit was a corn chowder, lightly seasoned with fresh-​tasting tender kernels in a creamy broth. The current sandwich menu, consisting of seven choices, pairs several cheeses with four of the items, Turkey with Brie; Rosemarie Ham with gruyère; Posciutto Caprese with fresh mozzarella; and Buffalo Chicken with Gorgonzola dressing. I selected the Caprese (minus the prosciutto), which in addition to the mozzarella contains sliced tomato and basil, and is served on a choice of whole wheat or white baguette. The full-​flavored multigrain whole wheat bread, from Tribeca in New York, was perfect for this combination. Salad options, all with tomatoes and cucumbers, are Garden Salad; Spinach Salad, with mushrooms, hard boiled egg, red onion and pecans; traditional Greek Salad with olives, feta and red onion; Kale Salad with walnuts, pumpkin seeds and craisins (our choice, with a celery paprika dressing). The kale, like many of the ingredients, is from a local farm. A mouth-​watering Key Lime bite-​sized tartlet finished the meal.
The food is made to order with sandwiches and salads served in clear plastic snap-​lid containers, a convenience for the many patrons who apparently opt for takeout. But I’d be happy with a paper plate for dining in, which we did on this occasion. The sparse but sparkling clean dining room, with a soaring ceiling and large windows that invite the sun to shine in, has seating for about eight but room to add a few more.
Blue Spoon is a perfect place for a quick lunch when you have to get back to work, where the service is friendly and accommodating, and the healthful fresh food is carefully crafted. Not to mention the many snack offerings (cookies, pound cake, cup cakes, apple turnovers and more) you can order with coffee or local custom-​blended Tea Hugger tea. The chef and her staff welcome suggestions from customers, as the menu is subject to change.
There is much to recommend about the service, the food and charming location. And if you have the time, wander through the vast old mill corridors once used for spinning cotton but now full of salons and office spaces and countless artworks.

I can’t even give it a quarter of a star. It is convenient location wise but as far as their food goes, there is nothing worth buying. I’ve gone numerous times hoping to find something I liked only to be disappointed each time. Their cakes are dry, their soups are either too runny or flavorless or both. The only thing they had going were their salads which after my experience yesterday, I will never be returning. There were 2 live insects in my kale salad. When I took it back to them I was offered a cookie and the kitchen staff made humor by saying she named the worm they found in my salad! The other insect by the way was a cricket of some sort. I have never been so disgusted and will not be going back!
In response to the chefs reply, the point of a refund is irrelevant. That is the least you are supposed to do in these situations. Furthermore the point of these reviews is to address any likes or dislikes and to make the public aware of your experience and that is exactly what I am doing. If I had a pleasant experience, you’d want that to be «very public» wouldn’t you? I did not see a need to tell anyone about my preference in soup, the whole reason you go to a restaurant is to try new things. I personally just did not like it! And lastly the idea that I keep being offered a cookie or muffin can’t even begin to compensate the disgust I experienced. Anyone would expect their food to be handled and cleaned properly. An occasional hair? Maybe. But, not 1, but 2 live insects is unacceptable and questions chef awareness and facility sanitation. There should be less excuses when there is a mistake like this and more ownership that this was even able to happen.

This place just opened in Revolution Mill and is serving fresh baked goodness made on-​site. The display case is filled with some really tasty looking stuff while lunch items are made to order from their kitchen. So far I have sampled both the Mocha Cupcakes and Chocolate-​Chip cookie bar and both were quite good. If you are in the area support a local business and give this new place a try.