Cool Water Village Cafe Gets Four Stars (Business Lunch Review)

With the new ownership firmly entrenched, we thought it was high time we got drenched at Cool Water Village Cafe.

Richard Schweik and Will Garrison bought the sprawling 37,000-SF building in February from Tracy and Celest Hoskins for $3.25 million. And Schweik, in turn, bought the restaurant business from Garrison for an undisclosed sum. Cool Water can seat 450 people.

With cavernous hallways, waterfalls, fountains, pool tables and a cigar room, Cool Water seems sort of like a theme park for adults. Water cascades down a mirrored wall behind the bar and spews from metal prongs that sprout like flowers from a stone basin in the hall.

It’s a soothing place where the sound of running water can lull you into thinking you’re on a fishing trip in the back woods of the Ozarks. But you don’t have to worry about the snakes at Cool Water.

On a recent visit, we were greeted and seated by a friendly hostess who immediately poured on the charm. We ordered, and the food arrived quickly. This did not go unnoticed. We had heard people complain of slow service under the restaurant’s previous ownership, but apparently Schweik has fixed that.

The atmosphere was definitely appropriate for a working lunch — soft music, clean tables, pleasant lighting and a wait staff that’s not wet behind the ears.

One of the diners at our table started off with a cup of chicken chili soup ($3), which was the soup of the day. He said it was one of the best soups he has ever had and was basically the highlight of his meal. Chunks of chicken and tomato bobbed in the broth, making the soup hearty while the right mix of spices made it heady.

For an entree, that diner had a smoked turkey club sandwich ($7). He said the bacon was perfect. It was crisp all over — not burnt on one end nor soggy and chewy on the other. The diner said the sandwich was quite good, as were the french fries.

Another diner had the special of the day, a Philly beef sandwich with fries and a drink included ($7). The fries were hot and appeared to be homemade. The sandwich was piled high with beef, Swiss cheese, mushrooms and slivers of onions and green pepper. It was delicious and filling.

Other than soup, salad and sandwiches, much of the menu seems geared to the evening diners who are willing to spend a little more money. But, weekday specials offer another option for the cost-conscious lunch diner.

For dessert, the two diners in our party split a “chocolate majesty” ($6), which consisted of a soft chocolate “cake” that kind of resembled a light pudding, and a bowl of mint ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup. The mixture of cake and ice cream worked well. Who would ever have thought of putting those two things together?