Interestingly enough, it was my mood that led to my choice of restaurants this week. I was in the mood for a light and healthy, yet flavorful evening meal. I had heard that Cosmos Cafe in the Hobby Lobby Shopping Center had recently extended its hours, so it could be said our vibes matched in an outer worldly way that day. I have to admit, I had not eaten at Cosmos in more than a year and it was a relief to see a thriving business with a one-of-a-kind, and, as they advertise, “out of this world” menu.

Cosmos has a casual, order over the counter motif, but that didn’t stop the wait staff from greeting us long before we reached the counter. And it wasn’t just me; each customer who arrived received the same overextended, friendly welcome that night. A faux brick walkway and European murals on the side walls help transform this strip mall space, yet the atmosphere still has an industrial feel to it. This includes a plastic, climbing play area for children that is sure to please any parent who wants entertainment for their children, minus the fast food menu. With these reflections in mind, if you are looking for a true cafe/bistro environment you might want to look elsewhere, but what you’d be giving up in visual ambiance is more than made up for in flavor for your palate. My meal began with the soup of the day: French onion. I was amazed at the flavor, not just for a casual cafe, but of any I’ve ever had. The broth was thin yet balanced in broth and onion flavor and the cheese was just enough to enhance the soup. My only concern was that there was so much bread at the bottom both my dining companion and I had stopped eating it. I would have instead enjoyed more of that delicious broth that had been soaked up by the abundance of bread.

Next, I had the pleasure of biting into the Mediterranean panini that the wait staff recommended. This was a combination of turkey, roasted red peppers, black olives, spinach, provolone cheese and pesto sauce. There was a more than generous amount of turkey and red peppers, an adequate amount of cheese, but personally I would have preferred a little more of the pesto sauce on my sandwich (make sure to ask for a little extra if you feel the same).

The sandwich was so good that I wouldn’t even mention this, except that my dining companion, who is a recent culinary school graduate, felt the same way about the sweet roasted red pepper sauce on her copicola foccacia sandwich. Her sandwich included an appetizing balance of proscuitto, provolone and the pepper sauce. Again, I’m sure they would have accommodated our request for more sauce, but it may just be a personal preference to have the taste of the sauce be dominant over the other flavors. I have to admit, though, both sandwiches oozed with delicious drippings in each bite.

Cosmos is big on healthy choices and our choices of sides included pasta salad, grapes, carrots or the proverbial bag of chips. We opted for the pasta salad and were again pleased with the flavors of Italy including olives, olive oil and fresh Italian spices.

We both decided we would make Cosmos a regular destination, because it has so many interesting menu items to choose from. I saw a chicken cordon bleu wrap on a supplemental menu at the counter that – if I had needed sustenance for a space ship ride home – I would have ordered to go. Alas, I was more than full by the time I left.

Cosmos also has daily specials, salads and a variety of daily soups. When I stopped back by on my way to work the following morning for a caramel macchiato, I saw that the soup that day was a tortilla soup. Yum.

To top it off, Cosmos has wireless Internet, a variety of frozen custards and something I coined: the “brownie bar.” What an idea! Cosmos honed in on six different types of brownies for its dessert menu including chocolate, double chocolate, espresso, turtle (with pecans and caramel) and Almond Joy (with a huge layer of coconut and almonds). We tried two of the six and sat in heavenly bliss all the way home.

New restaurants are given an six-week grace period. Comments can be sent to Managing Editor Mike Alexieff by telephone at 783-3235 or by e-mail at malexieff@bgdailynews.com.

Cosmos Cafe

1751 Scottsville Road Suite 4

Bowling Green, KY 42104

782-0940

Hours: 7 a.m to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday

Specialties: Paninis

Cuisine: Gourmet sandwiches

Price range: $3.99 to $7.99

Libation situation: None

Smoking: No