Tegamisha Second Story

Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ²⁰⁄₁₀₀
OK, so I’m not the first one to review this spot, but I’m pretty sure I’ve not only got the Duke and most checkins, but have been here often enough to try nearly every single item on the menu at least once. (Heh, heh)
This Second Story space is the second in a group of shops/​cafes operated by a group called «Tegamisha,» located in the same area. The original Tegamisha Café (separate Unilocal spot) is located about 20 minutes walk from here.
Short story:
+ Menu: ⁵⁄₅ stars (featuring fresh, local, organic ingredients) Selection limited but all items are prepared with an extremely high level of quality and care)
+ Service: ⁵⁄₅ stars (well, all the staff know me by now…)
+ Atmosphere: ⁵⁄₅ stars (²⁄₃ of the space is the café; the other ¹⁄₃ is a shop selling handicrafts, traditional Japanese hand-​made comfort food items, among seasonally rotating items)
+ Value: 4.5÷5 stars (half a star off only because prices reflect the higher level and this is Shibasaki in a suburban neighborhood, not a trendy area in central Tokyo like Azabu or Aoyama)
+ Other: ⁵⁄₅ stars (Open late! Nice rotation of new items in the shop. Really fresh and tasty foods prepared with loving care!)
Long story:
The space/​café is popular with trendy young women, high school girls, and a few fans of the creative arts or organic slow-​living. This means it’s going to be really crowded on weekends, and believe me, it is. Come on a weekday where you have a great selection of seating and more quiet time without the pressure of feeling rushed.
A note about atmosphere: All shops in this group feature a rustic, organic retro look that use a lot of wood, aged metal furnishings on a basic white background, with as much natural or incandescent lighting as possible. No glaring florescent or neon lights here, thank goodness! The look is clean but tastefully done. It also allows you to focus more on the important things: The atmosphere, your accomplice and/​or the food.
A feature of the café is hand-​kneaded bread, made in limited quantities daily. The focaccia sells out quickly so go early if you want that. It’s not just the hand-​made focaccia bread that’s tasty, but the fresh vegetables that have been carefully simmered with a nicely spiced tomato sauce. Very good!
My favorite is the smoked chicken and REAL Swiss cheese sandwich that features their other bread speciality — two HUGE slices of bread that is indescribable other than if you know hand-​made bread, this is the real thing. Tons of lettuce accented by French seeded mustard — it is enough for two petite people or one hungry guy (like me). Entrees come with green salad and a cup of vegetable cream soup. Both done equally well with the freshest ingredients.
A note about desserts: Their cheesecake and chocola are VERY well done in presenting excellent balance of ingredients, consistency and savory flavors. The cholola comes with a couple pinches of pink sea salt that you sprinkle on top to taste. I recommend one of the the hand-​dripped coffees to go with dessert.
Overall, an excellent experience, and although it’s pricey for the location, the quality and value are worthwhile. You’ll enjoy the space as a great place to chill (during non-​crowded times), and if you get bored, take a stroll around the space to see what handicrafts, art and foodstuffs are being featured.