Cafe Grace opens up on Main Street in Princeton

Cafe Grace has opened in a historic Princeton Main Street location.

Located in the former American Women’s League building at 1009 N. Main Street, Cafe Grace owner Marci Salzmann is bringing some of the flavors of her Sheffield restaurant Cafe 129 to Princeton.

“I consider our food Midwest comfort food with flair, “Salzmann said. “We’re bringing a lot of the same style of food as our original restaurant, but keeping some of the dishes exclusive to each location to differentiate the restaurants.”

“We named our original cafe Z Best Cafe after my husband’s grandmother Zerena Brandt, who loved to cook,” Salzmann said. “When it came to this location, we honored his great grandmother Grace who also loved to cook. We also found out through searching the history of this building that a former member of the American Women’s League, who did a lot for the organization, was named Grace.”

Salzmann said she didn’t originally intend to open another restaurant, instead considering an antique shop or boutique in town.

“I was looking for more, I wanted to keep busy, “Salzmann said. “By chance we heard (this) building was available and we loved it, but we ultimately decided there were already enough boutiques in Princeton so we decided to open another cafe.”

Cafe Grace serves breakfast and a full bar, which also differentiates itself from the Sheffield location which offers BYOB and weekend breakfasts only.

Salzmann said that since opening, the cafe’s chorizo stuffed shrimp pork with a honey cilantro cream, chicken parmesan and shrimp topped ribeye are proving to be their most popular dishes.

Diners will also find a gift niche in the foyer of the cafe that offers candles, salts, seasonings and the cafe’s famous bacon jam for sale. Salzmann said they may expand on those items should there be demand for them.

Cafe Grace is open from 8 a.m to 2 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. Thursday through Monday (closing at 8 p.m. on Sundays).