When Lindsey Magee, a baker for three years at Lux on Central Avenue, was working on ideas for her first restaurant, inspiration came by way of New York City, through memories of a sandwich shop called Cafe Clementine in Tribeca.
"I was working in the film industry then," says Magee, who was born and raised in Phoenix. "Clementine's did everything so well. We would just order the lunch special every day and not even bother to ask what it was."
Clemintine's uncomplicated seasonal menu of sandwiches, salads, and sweets made with fresh, top-notch ingredients led Magee (a fan of both diner and deli food) to want to do the same here in the Valley.
And this fall, thanks to a little help from chef Aaron Chamberlin (St. Francis, Phoenix Public Market Café) and Doug Robson (Gallo Blanco, Otro) she's planning on doing just that.
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Magee tells me the two notable Valley chefs assisted her tremendously in her journey to restaurant ownership. Chamberlin even gave her a job at St. Francis when she told him she needed front-of-the-house experience.
Called Ollie Vaughn's, named after her grandmother, Magee's lunch-focused cafe will be located at 1526 East McDowell Road (McDowell and 16th Street) in Central Phoenix. The 1,300-square-foot space, which is currently undergoing a complete remodel, will feature a secluded back patio as big as the interior, an open kitchen, and pastry cases showcasing a revolving array of scratch-made baked goods like whoopie pies, chocolate chip cookies, and pies.
Magee plans to change her menu of sandwiches (think veggie, roasted turkey, and a hoisin-glazed meatloaf), salads, and snacks that may include a slice of quiche or a daily made soup with the seasons. And she'll use as many locally produced goods as possible.
"They'll be a lot of room for play," she says.
Ollie Vaughn's will open on Monday, November 18, and will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit the cafe's Facebook page.
