. . . A Cafe, Expresso Shop, Bakery & Dessert Shop
By Don Napier
Crossville’s 5th St. Marketplace is many things to many people. It is a unique shopping experience with over 50 different shops, specializing in beautiful home decor, gifts and accessories, located on two floors in a building with 9,000 square feet.
But to many people, it is the neighborhood cafe, serving hot and cold sandwiches, salads, quiche, soups and tea and coffee products, including their popular fruit tea with simple sugar. You can go on Facebook to see their weekly specials on the Cafe menu.
Downstairs, near the Cafe, is the Bake Shop, featuring fresh-baked desserts and many speciality candies. This area of the Marketplace has glass-front dessert cases filled with homemade goodies of every kind. On the day I was there, they had Lava Cake, NY Cheesecake, Creme Brulee, Lemon Cake, Chocolate Walnut Cake, German Chocolate Cake, Sugar Free Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Butter Cream Cake, Strawberry Cake, Southern Coconut Cake and a simple Yellow Cake. Their variety will be different on different days.
You may also eat in the area known as the Bake Shop, where there are tables and comfortable chairs. It is the perfect place to meet someone for fun or business. And if you have 8 or 10 in your party, no problem, they can accommodate your group and give you privacy as well.
The Bake Shop also has exotic brands of solid chocolate by Maggie Lyons, DeBrand and Marich. Some of the more popular sellers are the dark chocolate berries, cherries and coffee beans. You can buy them one at a time, like out of a box of fine chocolates, or a dozen in a gift box. Flavors are: Cheesecake Truffles, Carrot Cake Truffles, Georgia Pecan Truffles, White Chocolate-Covered Oreos, Milk Chocolate, Rocky Road Bars, Pecan Paws, and English Butter Toffees.
They also carry small blocks of solid chocolate with greetings carved into the chocolate: “Thank You, Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, and Chocolate Makes Everything Better.” At $3.95 they make great small gifts. You can buy a gift card and insert into the back of the candy wrapping, made just for such an occasion. The Maggie Lyon chocolates come in several flavors, but the solid milk chocolate is going to be tough to beat.
There is no way to adequately list all the goodies they have in their Bake Shop, but I sure do not want to overlook their homemade cookies. In an antique glass-front case, you can see exactly what you want: Scones at $2.75, or sugar cookies, white chocolate macadamia nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter or cherry with white chocolate for 50 cents each.
If you are planning a special event, you can order your cake from The Bake Shop, round or a sheet cake. Just call owner Ruthie Kerley for the details at 484-9657. They are also excellent caterers, for any occasion or size party.
5th St. Marketplace is open Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Cafe is open Mon.-Sat., 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
