’Twas a Friday night like every other Friday night of late—for the last seven years. I brought my son to La Cafette at around 6:30 p.m. for dinner. The ambience is quite romantic, modern, simple and versatile. It’s perfect for girlfriends’ brunches, family dinners, and date nights.

Of course my Spider-man wanted to sit next to the window at a high-top table  but it was a chilly evening, so I insisted we sit further away from the restaurant’s entrance to offset any chance of him falling out of the open window on purpose. 

We sat down at a fabulously chic table and immediately felt warm and comfy. Two Shirley temples, two glasses of happy hour half-priced wine, one cheese plate, and a whole rotisserie chicken that comes with potatoes and mushrooms later, we were stuffed, satisfied and homeward bound. 

The cheese plate delivered some great options. A mild but flavorful goat, a memorable camembert, a moderate “French cheddar”—as our waitress said it was most like—and oh-so-stinky brie served with walnuts, a fruit paste (maybe apricot) and swoon-worthy slices of soft-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside baguette. We, or rather I, devoured it. 

Our waitress mentioned that the chicken would take 25 minutes. About 40 minutes later a show-stopping roasted chicken arrived at our table. Its skin almost perfectly crispy was seasoned well. Its meat was tender and soft but not juicy, just a tad dry. I appreciated its natural jus that enhanced the flavor of accompanying vegetables, but I yearned for more zing. 

We had an amazingly authentic and simple but delicious time at La Cafette. Going back for brunch soon—French toast with caramelized bananas! 

Photo by Ben Lei on Unsplash