Eloise is the perfect place for children and adults alike--in the daytime, at least. When the sun is shining you’ll sometimes see parents with their children enjoying a cuppa’ joe. By night primarily alcohol is served up. The owner, Jim Ward, has done an amazing job of striking a balance between childlike wonder

and grown-up elegance in Eloise. He is also known for his musical career in the bands Sparta and At the Drive-In. Eloise, his prized creation, is located at 255 Shad-ow Mountain. =ZOE KALMAN

Highly-saturated portraits and ar-tisan beverages line the walls. Strands of beads are hung from lights and hung from these strands are birds. The decor of Elo-ise, a cafe with a tavern feel, is both ethereal and robust at the same time. Having a drink in this magical place is like a fever dream. My chai latte, lightly dusted with cinnamon, was both satisfying and deli-cate. The flavor of it danced on my taste buds and also warmed me like a hearty meal. This balance of rough and mild, of bitter and saccharine, of hardwood and fairy lights is what makes Eloise special. I sipped my warm drink at the bar like a hardened vigilante after a long eve-ning’s work. Patrons around me had their own macchiatos and brews. I considered sliding a shot of espresso to a handsome man a few seats down from me but decided against it.

Tom’s folk cafe is a little hole in the wall lo-cated on Boston Ave. With its homey exterior and interior, it invites you inside a restaurant with only six tables, but the size of this place doesn’t compare to the amount of wow-factor the food will lay on your taste buds. My peers and I first discovered Tom’s after reading a New York Times review, and decided to try the southern cuisine for ourselves. The minute we entered, we were enchant-ed by the eclectic pictures on the wall, the colorful guitar hanging by the door, and the tiny kitchen at arm’s reach. Before we even knew what we want-ed we watched the chef prepare the crawfish mac and cheese, the yummy pan seared salmon, and the grilled peach salad. I think I speak for all of us when I say our mouths were watering with the smell of sweet mashed potatoes smuthered in fig dressing passing through the restaurant onto a stranger’s table.

The ingredi-ents are fresh from local markets and make your meal worth every penny. Because the restaurant is so small, it might be difficult to get a table for a while, but it gives you a chance to ex-plore the menu and decide what you want to pay for. I myself had the privilege of eating the pulled pork sandwich. This sandwich is piled high with carmelized onions, sizzling bacon, and topped off with a big shiny bun with a knife portruding out the middle. That didn’t stop me from trying Ellen’s mac & cheese, and Mackenzie’s french fries. There are so many places to choose from in the university area, so when deciding where to eat, think about this: Tom’s tastes homemade, feels homemade, and leaves you wanting more. Maybe have some carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert? =PAULINA MARTIN