Good food, conversation on Cafe Lily’s menu

By Peijean Tsai

You can expect the usual fare such as coffee, tea, sandwiches and baked goods at Cafe Lily, but the new Poway cafe is more than a typical coffee shop. It’s as much an energetic hub brewing social interaction and creativity, as envisioned by owner Sean Sassani.

The walls are covered with colorful paintings from local artists. A table in front invites customers to work on a giant puzzle in progress. On Friday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m., the cafe hosts an open mic where musicians, poets, and writers share their art.

Everyday interactions at the cafe see strangers becoming friends, said the owner, who enjoys chatting with customers to get to know them personally.

“We can gather people from all ages in one room next to each other and have them share their experiences. That’s the great thing we have achieved and that we want to continue to achieve,” said Sassani, describing how social interaction has blossomed at the cafe, since it opened Sept. 9.

Cafe Lily is owned by Sassani and his mother, Lily Jahani, who run the business with Sassani’s brother. Jahani, the cafe’s namesake, bakes the shop’s fresh pastries and prepares from-scratch soups.

For Sassani, working alongside family makes the cafe feel like home. It’s a feeling that he hopes customers feel when they visit the cafe, which is filled with antique-like chairs and furniture in a living-room setting.

“We feel at home when we’re here…and we would like everyone to feel at home,” said Sassani, a Poway resident and San Diego State University alumnus. “When I have time, I sit down and have a conversation with everyone. My family is growing every day with a lot of different people.”

The menu is also an extension of art and creativity. When speaking of the cafe’s food, the artistically minded Sassani — who paints, writes fiction and plays guitar in a band — talks a lot about colors and describes items such as the “peacock Panini,” a vegetarian sandwich, like artwork: “When I cut it in half, I see layers of colors.” One of the reasons customers have been drawn to the popular breakfast bagel plate is its cascade of colors with cucumber, cream cheese and tomato as ingredients, Sassani said.

Cafe Lily opened in Old Poway Village center after Tuscan Sunrise Coffee and Tea owner Jaye Leatherman closed and sold her business earlier this year. The new owners kept much of the previous shop’s menu, and expanded it with Panini sandwiches, adding more teas and freshly baked goods, and revamping the breakfast menu.

Though Sassani was nervous about introducing the Italian-style sandwiches, the Panini were a hit with customers, he said.

“I came up with the recipes, but I didn’t know if they would be successful or not,” said Sassani. “But what’s been happening is the new items we added are becoming more successful.”

The cafe was named after Lily Jahani because the emphasis of the cafe was originally to be on baked goods, such as her scones, blueberry cake and banana bread. But the focus has widened, from Panini to from-scratch soups she makes such as chili and barley chicken soup. The cafe will also be expanding its vegetarian options.

“We thought Lily would be behind all this, and she is,” said Sassani of his mother.

Cafe Lily (858-486-3415) is open seven days and located at 14045 Midland Road in Poway.