Samantha Beck/ Winonan

Upon walking into Acoustic Cafe, it isn’t unlikely to feel greatly relaxed and quite possibly hungry.

Every time I walk into Acoustic Cafe, I want to buy and eat everything.  Not only does the pungent smell of the food make me want to become a ravenous pig, but also the dim interior with the dark wooden furniture, wall panels and trim make me want to find a corner and eat like I have a secret.

My friends and I order and wait at a table near the large windows in the first room.  Every table, booth and chair gleams like they were polished with Pledge every morning.  The lights hang low but do not shed a lot of light onto our table, the natural light from the window does that,  and the décor is comprised of art from local artists hanging along the walls.

The second room beyond the counter space is more open, the wooden panels and furniture are made of a lighter wood giving it a brighter feel.  There is also a stage where Acoustic Cafe hosts local bands a few times a week.

There are a few other patrons in this room, and, by patrons, I mean other students.  Some are eating with their friends, and some wearing beanies isolate themselves with their Macs.

My friend Cailie Ronayne looks around and nudges me in the side with her elbow.

“Every time I come in here, I think ‘this is where all the hipsters hang out.’”

My other friend Rikki Thompson laughs and shakes her head.

“We come here a lot Cailie,” Thompson said. “But it does seem like a cheesy study area.”

They both ordered a ham hoagie with a cup of chili. That is their usual. For myself, I ordered a ham hoagie as well.

The sandwiches and chili came fairly quickly, and we put our phones away and greedily grabbed our food. Ronayne makes a satisfied sound after she consumed a spoonful of chili.

“Their chili is the best in Winona, hands down,” Ronayne said.  Thompson nodded her head smiling at the bowl in front of her that still had the cheese floating on the top.

I finish my 1/3 hoagie quickly and remembered why I don’t get 1/3 hoagie anymore.  It doesn’t fill you up, but it satisfied my taste buds.  My stomach growled.

Thompson shoved her hoagie basket towards me.  “You can have the rest.  My sandwich got too soggy,” Thompson said.

Indeed it was. I squeezed the buns and oil dripped down like it was grease from Pizza Hut.  I set the hoagie back down and waited for my friends to finish their amazing chili, wishing I had that instead of a tiny hoagie.

Either way, Acoustic Cafe is a great hang out with semi-pricey food but great chili and, according to Ronayne, “great hot chocolate.”