Jan 20, 2017 - Food and Drink

There’s a fantastic little cafe inside a furniture store off 485

Katie Levans

You wouldn’t expect to find made-to-order sandwiches, scratch-made salad dressings, delicate French macarons and a full espresso bar inside a furniture store.

But that’s because Wooden Spoon is altogether unexpected.

The sneaky cafe is located inside Blacklion, a massive multivendor market on Park Road that’s jam packed with furniture, home decor, gifts, jewelry and more. And it’s worth a visit whether or not you’re shopping.

Joseph Castro and his fiancée Ginger Stanley opened the shop four months ago and word is spreading about their hidden gem in south Charlotte.

You’ll find Wooden Spoon to the left of the registers when you walk in.

The cafe space is filled with an eclectic array of mismatched furniture, most of which is also for sale.

Order at the counter and grab a bistro table or a seat at the bar.

The simple menu consists of a selection of made-to-order salads and sandwiches.

Their most popular sandwich, The Big Green, is a chicken and walnut pesto panini with gruyere cheese ($8.50).

It’s also pretty hard to turn down the Cheese, Please — an oversized grilled panini stuffed with gruyere, mozzarella, Carolina cheddar and truffle oil ($7.50).

I’m easily offended by kale but even I liked the Big Spoon Salad ($8) with tri-color quinoa, green apple, sunflower seeds, goat cheese and homemade balsamic vinaigrette.