Since this is my debut column in the Echo, and since the new and much buzzed-about Selah Tea has already been featured, I have decided to review (or perhaps to just explain to those who are new to town) a little bit about the well established but equally exciting Jorgensen’s Café, located on Main Street in downtown Waterville.

On the outside, Jorgensen’s looks like any other café that you would stop at to grab a bite to eat or to enjoy a nice cup of dark roasted coffee on a chilly day. What makes Jorgensen’s special is its comfortable, community vibe and its wide selection of menu options. When you first walk in to the restaurant, there are so many things that catch your attention. From the chocolate display to the gelato freezer or the coffee counter in the middle of the store stocked with every kind of freshly brewed coffee you could ever want, you almost feel as though you could never leave.

Every time I go into Jorgensen’s, I have my order all planned out in my head, and I can already imagine how delicious that toasted mozzarella cheese and tomato sandwich is going to taste—but then I look at the menu and find so many other equally appetizing options that I start to second guess myself.

Jorgensen’s menu includes bagels, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, paninis, salads, wraps, soup, quiche and, most importantly, the daily specials. The last time I visited the café, I opted for the special of the day: a panini stuffed with warm prosciutto and melted muenster cheese, and I managed to savor every last bit of it. Also, I have heard that their Thanksgiving wrap–sliced hot turkey breast with melted swiss cheese and stuffing, all covered in cranberry sauce and warm gravy– has been making appearances recently, so be sure to snag one while it’s still being offered.

I have spent many quiet Sunday mornings (or afternoons, really) cramming for exams and reading assignments over a bagel with cream cheese and lox and a nice cup of fresh coffee at Jorgensen’s. If you go to Jorgensen’s on a weekend, you’ll be sure to see at least a couple groups of Colby kids studying or recovering from a long night. It’s not only a great place to take your friends, but also a convenient place to stop to grab a latte to go.

Whether you go with friends, parents or by yourself, you will find something you love, something that will bring you back, and if you go often enough, you just might learn to recognize the elderly man who frequents Jorgensen’s and sits in the same spot almost daily as he drinks his coffee and reads the newspaper.