Pastries, Pasta, and Coffee… what’s not to love – Alforno Cafe and Bakery

Today, I checked out Alforno Bakery and Cafe, right in the heart of Eau Claire. From the moment I first entered the cafe, the staff was super friendly. While Alforno does offer restaurant-style options, like pasta and pizza, it works like any other cafe. Just head up to the counter and order, and then they’ll give you a number to take to your table.

There were so many pastry options that it was a hard choice. After taking a few minutes to decide, I chose the raspberry tart; it was calling my name. I had also heard that they had a Sweet Pea Spritz, and truthfully, I was a little skeptical. The barista also recommended the carbonara, and I can’t say no to pasta.

I sat down at a lovely booth. It was quite busy, but there were so many seating options. This would be the perfect place to catch up with some friends over lunch. There was lots of natural lighting, and they even had the fireplace going, providing lots of ambiance.

The server brought over my drink first. I wasn’t sure I was going to love this drink. Sweet Peas in a spritz? I was intrigued. But I honestly LOVED this drink. It wasn’t overly sweet-pea-tasting; there was a nice tang from some lemon. I would describe it as lemon cucumber water, but elevated. It's totally worth a try and perfect for warm spring days.

The Carbonara came out next. I have to admit, I’m a bit of a pasta snob, but I also loved this dish. It was perfectly creamy, but not too heavy like other carbonara’s I’ve had. Alforno uses bucatini noodles for their carbonara, which is essentially hollow spaghetti, so the sauce is literally inside the noodles. It was 10/10!

I finished with the tart, which was the perfect conclusion to my time at Alforno. It wasn’t too sweet, and the fruit tasted really fresh!

If you’re in the Eau Claire area, check out Alforno for the perfect spot to grab lunch with some friends. I hear their summer menu is coming soon, and I’m super excited to check it out as well!

Let us know if you try out Alforno!