Can't remember the last time you sat back and smelled the roses? Then visit The Flower Flat, where over a plate of "everything nice waffles" you drown in the scent of black beauties. Owner Betsy Mikelson combines two favorite pastimes (flowers and food) with a flower shop on one end and a cafe on the other of a cubbyhole-sized space.

The size (seats about 14) makes the character while mint-green walls, decorated with framed paintings hung by local artists, enhance it. Warm sunlight synchronizing with an actual flowerbed illuminates the space - bushels of flowers for sale sit on an old bed frame. The cafe's concept bears a Vermont retreat-shop look.

Several apartment buildings surround the precious shop near Boystown, hailing in everyone from retirees to writers (FF is wi-fi friendly). Women make up the usual clientele, but men occasionally visit unthreatened by an atmosphere Daisy Duck would cherish. Joe, for example, a curly haired soccer player in full uniform, enjoys his BLT with basil mayonnaise while his favorite cartoons run. Finger through a collection of other DVDs including "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "That Girl."

The menu mainly resides with sandwiches and salads. You may notice “BFF” used several times referencing items like the BFF Benedictine sandwich; while BFF easily translates to "best friends forever" surveying tables of girlfriends, it actually means Betsy's Flower Flat. One BFF in town from Arizona visiting another enjoyed her chicken salad sandwich: chicken salad, grapes, dried apricots and almonds blended with herb mayonnaise on a ciabatta roll ($7).

Apart from supporting local artists, Betsy supports Chicago businesses, offering Bobtail Ice Cream and Red Hen Bread products. Bring home the aura with a clutch of birds of paradise, heather or air plants (requiring no soil, just the occasional spritz) from the flower shop where crafts also sell.

Centerstage Reviewer: David-Anthony Gonzalez