Cafe Latte is confusing.
Really, for a newbie, it totally is.
Cafe Latte has this huge reputation as the best "thing" in St. Paul. Having never been before, I tucked my parents into my car and drove them to the one place in St. Paul that I could find on Google.com that had an average 5 star rating (with a full 46 reviewers)! You would assume, and would be right, that I would be pretty darn excited. For gosh sake, La Belle Vie only has 4.5 stars and Heartland has 4.
So we walked into Cafe Latte and first of all, I didn't know where to go - to the front counter to the back? Wait, is this a cafeteria? Where is the menu? This was all confusing and honestly a bit intimidating. My stepfather looked at me with a look that said, you honestly have brought me to a cafeteria and immediately went over to look at the menu at Axel's Bonfire across the hall. I reeled him back in because I wasn't about to give up!
We grabbed trays and marched forward. I ordered the Spread Sampler with black bean spread, hummus, and egg salad. My mother went for the same with tuna, chicken and egg salads. And my stepfather had a salad sampler with a few choices I didn't quite catch. We marched forward, we paid and then I saw a pizza menu. Well, that sounded good! Too late!
My spread sampler was served with sliced white soft baguette, cucumbers, tomatoes and sprouts. It was a nice light lunch option and the egg salad was full of fresh dill, which was delicious. The other two salads were just nothing special.
There was a call for cookies and coffee but seeing no cookies in the cases at Cafe Latte we traipsed across the street to Bread and Chocolate (their sister spot) for cookies.
So, obviously I must be missing something? Based on this one experience, Cafe Latte wasn't the be all, end all of St. Paul 5 star cuisine. What was I supposed to order? Someone please help me understand the draw of this place and its so many espousing fans.
Cafe Latte 850 Grand Ave St. Paul www.cafelatte.com
Monday, July 09, 2007
Cafe Latte
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10 comments:
I never understood the appeal of Cafe Latte either - for exactly the same reasons. I've heard the desserts are mind blowing but that still isn't enough for me to enjoy the chaotic, cafeteria style.
The desserts truly are mind-blowing. They also have fantastic soups; it's a great place on a cold day when you just want a quick and delicious bowl of soup. Or if you just want to hang out with a cup of coffee and a ridiculously good dessert (I particularly recommend the cheesecake or the chocolate cake).
But I do agree, it's intimidating and confusing. It's loud and too crowded most of the time. I wouldn't think of it as a 5-star-cuisine sort of restaurant; if those were my expectations, I would be disappointed too.
This is great advice - thank you! Soup and dessert sound like the perfect meal, especially when it isn't 100 degrees outside. I definitely felt like I needed a special dessert when I was without power for most of yesterday!
Any specific soups really good?
They change up their soups all the time, so nothing really comes to mind, although they almost always have a great vegetarian chili as one option. Honestly, I've never had a soup there that I didn't like.
Red Pepper-
How could you have dinner at Cafe Latte and not desserts? I would guess most people who rated the restaurant on google have never had anything besides desserts there- I know after multiple trips over several years I haven't! Stick to some of the other great culinary offerings in St. Paul for your main course, and then enjoy Cafe Latte for the rarity it is: one of the few places in the Twin Cities area where you can comfortably go and order dessert only, and have it be amazing. Places like this exist in other cities, but apparently dessert is too small a niche to support that many places in MN.
Thank you. I felt like the biggest dork because ordering food at Cafe Latte gives me anxiety! I've been there twice and ordered something easy, but not necessarily what I wanted because I've either felt too rushed or intimidated by the choices.
try the chili with all the fixins and german chocolate cake (mit a glass of milk) next time. that should get your star up to at least around 4 :)
My anxiety comes from having to carry a tray up stairs when all the downstairs seating is full.
I live two blocks south of Cafe Latte and despise it, except for the desserts. The food is boring, and it is just too annoying a dining experience to eat there (they start lines for food in at least three different places!).
I don't think anyone should be intimidated, though, because it is the bizarre design of the restaurant that causes the confusion, not it's excellence.
Just to briefly answer your question, you were supposed to order the chipotle bean chili and the lemon torte.
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