Port City Cafe & Bakery — Restaurant in City of Oswego

Had lunch here (The Red Sun) today w/my wife...interesting menu, great-looking wood fired pizza. Had a glass of Chilean carmeniere & the wood fired chicken sandwich; wife had the house salad & crab cake, all of which was very tasty...crab cake was one of the best. Service was excellent (Chad). Would come again in a heartbeat to try the dinner menu. A gem in the heart of Oswego. Review Part 2: my wife and I returned to the Red Sun the same night for dinner, and they did not disappoint. Our server, again Chad, was very helpful--knowledgeable about the menu and the wines, which is to me the hallmark of a terrific server. We started with a $12 bottle of house wine, which was a special going on that night and which is a terrific idea. We then chose the mussels as an appetizer, which were very tasty and well-cooked with a delicious broth & went well with the red house wine suggested by Chad. While enjoying the mussels and their broth, Chad brought over a plate of their fresh-baked bread to soak up the broth...he read my mind. For our entrees, I ordered the spicy ground lamb/pasta special and my wife had the tandoori tofu entree. Both were excellent and very flavorful. One of the highlights of the evening was being able to watch the cook staff prepare each dish ("plating it up" as they say) as if that one dish was the only one they were preparing that night. My wife & I commented to each other that the intensity of focus on making sure each dish looked as good as it probably tasted before calling the server for pickup was engrossing to watch, rivaling anything on the Food Network. In any event, the lunch and dinner we had at the Red Sun was memorable on many levels...not just the great food. Great atmosphere & decor. It seems obvious that the owners really care about the food they put out. For those inclined, the restaurant has tables with a commanding view of the Oswego River roaring by. Make sure you ask for Chad when looking for a table or making reservations. Bear in mind that the Red Sun's bar only serves wine and beers--no liquor--but you will want to go there for the food and the food prep show, if you're lucky enough to be seated near the bar and kitchen/wood fire oven area. They also make all their own baked goods. Oh, I almost forgot...they also make wood-oven fired pizzas; we ordered a margherita pizza to take home to have the next day for lunch. Even reheated it was really good. So, end of story: try the Red Sun...you'll be...

Went in last night hoping for a to-go cappuccino and café mocha. We were greeted by a cook, who asked us if he could help us. We told him what we were looking for, and he clumsily pointed us in the direction of a blonde woman who was on the phone, presumably talking to a customer while looking at the menu. This continued for a further four minutes as she wandered back and forth aimlessly, still talking on the phone.

You'd think that as soon as she was off the call, she'd take our order given how long we'd been standing there awkwardly unattended to while everyone behind the counter-not doing anything-just stared forward waiting for something to happen...No-just began striking up a conversation with a cook about carrots and kept her back to us as if we weren't even there. I let this continue for three more minutes before eventually walking out, as I was on the way to the hospital to visit my grandmother.

The service was terrible to the point of non-existent....

The Port City Cafe was my go-to lunch while I was growing up and attending college in Oswego. I always loved the Ragin' Cajun panini. I haven't been to the place since I moved out of town about fifteen years ago, until this weekend when I was back in town visiting family. I'm happy to say that their prices are still reasonable and their food is still delicious. They've expanded their menu, but still have some of the old things I love to eat. Today I ordered a Ragin' Cajun and another panini that had steak, cheese, onions, and portobello mushrooms. My daughter and I split them half-and-half. The Cajun was just as good as I remember, and the steak panini was actually even better. Can't recommend this place enough. Where I live now, I can't find a sandwich so good for under $10. I can't wait to come back again next time...