Bells & Whistles Cafe

The food was O-​kay. Nothing special or worth remembering. The train nostaglia was cutesy, especially if you happened to know that the old Union Station was a block away, but the fact that the owner built this place new next to the horrific hotel property he owns was just… bad taste. And bad smells.
Lucky for him he must have sold it because it’s about to get bludgeoned with a wrecking ball (along with the homeless hotel he abandoned next door) so maybe something decent will be born it its place…

This joint oughta be called «No Frills Café» based on the lackluster fare. Stepping into the spacious dining room feels like you’re stepping into a Black-​eyed Pea but without the guaranteed killer rolls and cornbread. In fact, the food at Bells & Whistles can be judged at a summary level by examining its cornbread (not a freebie but a side order), which was so-​so and a bit on the dry side.
The food filled up my colleague and me but that’s about where the pleasure stopped. My colleague ordered the fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken. The chicken was decent but the pasta was eh. My soup-​and-​salad was about the same. The «salad» was the typical lettuce and two tomato wedges variety which doesn’t do much for me, but at $ 5.75 I shouldn’t have expected much. At least, the chicken tortilla soup was really good. It is the creamier variety, which hit instead of missed, and was packed with lots of chicken.
B&W escaped the dreaded one star based on the strength of the soup and our server, Kirby, who was attentive. Two stars should tell you that you shouldn’t make the walk or stop the car just to come here, but it’s an OK option if you’re in the neighborhood.