Blue Bee Café in Delhi, NY

Riding through the Catskill Mountains to Binghamton, NY, we are in search of a simple lunch spot. Yelp rates the Blue Bee Café as the best lunch in Delhi, so we check it out.

Parking on Main Street, we see the café right away. It’s a classic storefront in the shade of a leafy tree. Flower-filled window boxes front the exterior and a hand-painted sign hangs from above. After opening the large wooden door and stepping inside, we immediately see a bakery display case filled with over-sized, freshly-baked cookies. Already my mouth is watering.

More display cases and work stations line the right-hand wall. In the center of this open kitchen stands an impressive and enormous antique white cooler. Staff prepare sandwiches, assemble salads, and fill glasses. From the front of the restaurant, light streams in through huge divided-light windows. Tin covers the expansive ceiling and the left side of the restaurant is flanked with wooden booths. At the far end, tables.

 

The Food at Blue Bee Café

The menu is anything but typical. Sure, there are the classics: BLT, turkey club, meatloaf. But then there’s the Tomato, fresh mozzarella and pesto panini. There’s an old-fashioned sandwich of hummus, tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, and lettuce on sourdough. Asian Noodles. A Hummus Plate. In the end, I order Avocado Tartine, an open faced sandwich on multi-grain baguette with goat cheese, avocado, olive tapenade and kale salad. It is outstanding. Everything so fresh and delicious.

The portions at the Blue Bee Café aren’t enormous. The size is just right really. We have enough room left to share two scoops of pistachio and limoncello ice cream from Jane’s.

History of the Blue Bee Café

Charmed by the experience, we ask the waitress about the history of the restaurant. She tells us that the café was initially a book store, then a bookstore with a café. For the last couple of years the business has been 100% café.

The Blue Bee Café doesn’t have a website, but it does have a Facebook page.