By Tim Seyfert
 An idyllic village scene, complete with moving train, fills the storefront window of Main Street Café & Books. |
When Marjolaine French Pastries on Main Street went out of business last January, building owners Paul and Liz Nyberg decided to maintain the location as Main Street Café & Books. They imagined a place that combined savory eats with a relaxing, hometown atmosphere.
Coming up on its first anniversary, the café/bookstore is becoming a social hub for downtown Los Altos, as well as filling the bookstore vacuum in the village.
“We know we will never really replace Heintzelmann’s Bookstore, which went out of business about three years ago,” Paul said. “But we do have the goal of providing the town with a bookstore of popular, mainstream publications, including magazines.”
The bookshelves house around 300 fiction and nonfiction titles, hardcover and paperback. Selections include bestsellers, buzz-worthy new releases and time-honored classics. All books are offered at 10 percent off the cover price all year round.
“We have a title here for everyone, not just best sellers,” said manager Jamie Tomaselli.
The spacious café interior has a soothingly contemporary feel, with walls decorated by framed paintings and photography from local artists. One of the walls showcases artwork from second- to fifth-graders from the Community School of Music and Art.
For this holiday season, the centerpiece of the Christmas decor is an operating model train village displayed in the front window. Train-buffs Dick and Linda Blanding of Los Altos provided the classic village scene.
The menu is varied and reasonably priced, including both breakfast and lunch items. House specialties for breakfast include a hearty portioned scrambled egg croissant sandwich and a ham or veggie quiche. According to Tomaselli, “For lunch the Cobb salad and the Southwest Chicken Sandwich are the best sellers.”
A decadent array of cakes and desserts are also offered, as well as gift-boxed Preston’s candy.
The rear of the café, affectionately known as “The Chat Room,” is available for meetings for up 40 people. It is regularly used to host book signings for local authors, board meetings and social gatherings.
Customers note the changes in the establishment from a year ago. “Compared to what it was before, it’s night and day,” said Renata Bachalo of Los Altos Hills.
“This is like my second home,” said her friend Eddie Lewis, also a regular customer. “It’s a cozy place.”
Main Street Café & Books is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays.
