Skip To Malou

The first time I went to the little space tied to Octavia Books was right after Katrina, when it was the Laurel St Bakery. Then I had some great meals at Toast, before they became an excellent small local chain. And now it has been expanded and repackaged as Cafe Malou.

This is definitely my favorite look for this tiny restaurant space. It;s quite glamorous, a detail I understood better when I learned the husband/wife owners brought us the beautiful but short-lived Kenton’s (now Saba.) almost a dozen years back. 

Mani Dawes, the female half of this owner couple, grew up in the neighborhood but spent some time in New York, which explains the big city sophistication of the place and its food. But Cafe Malou is as far in vibe from New York as it is in distance. This quiet Uptown street is a perfect place to sit outside at one of the little cafe tables under the awning. Pots of flowers greet diners at the entrance, making a charming first impression.

Inside is a bit more glamorous, with a small slightly mysterious addition and passageway into Octavia Books. There is a beautiful counter in the front for picking up orders, but it’s table service for dining in. Beautiful wood tables and benches line the walls. The menu is surprisingly large for such a small place. It’s breakfast and lunch only with a breakfast featuring baked eggs and toasts, and a lunch with salads and interesting twists on sandwiches. There are locally-inspired menu items, with a twist, of course. And there are a few globally-inspired menu items here too.

I want to come back for lunch but on this visit I stuck with breakfast. Usually I am a traditionalist so I stick with the All-American or “two eggs-breakfastmeat-potatoes/grits-toast/biscuit standard, but today I went with the Cajun Country Classic. There were a few others I would have chosen over my regular pick if I hadn’t done the Cajun version. Every entry in this section grabbed me. That is rare. I was curious about the toasts, though I never order any “toasts” on menus anywhere anytime. But again there were some interesting things there, so I got the “Well-Dressed Shrimp.” And from the very top of the menu I got a crustless quiche.

The two eggs dishes came together. I would say that the quiche more closely resembled a frittata, and it was accompanied by a pretty tomato salad with shreds of basil and a light vinaigrette. I deferred eating this to the beautiful baled eggs dish next to it. This plate was beautiful. The baked eggs came in a little ramekin, plump yolks under a thin sheathing of egg white. Also on the plate were two thin slices of buttered Bellegarde Sourdough toast. A ramekin of Cheddar grits and two slices of thick bacon with a half link sliced lengthwise of “Dickie’s “Andouille completed this generous plate.

Since the bread was from Bellegarde, I’m assuming the andouille is also from The Commissary, since both are owned by Dickie Brennan. I have been crazy about the andouille at The Commissary since the place opened and Jordy Brower (Dickie’s nephew) was experimenting with smoking the andouille they had made. It was the best I have ever had, though I don’t think what was on the plate today was the same as then.  The bacon was thick, stiff, and smoky, exactly as I like it. The portion of breakfast meat was really generous, with andouille and two slices of excellent bacon. 

I was expecting to mop up some yolk with fantastic Bellegarde Sourdough, but the yolks didn’t run much. I still loved these eggs and the bread too. The crust on the bread was crunchy and butter was melted on it. Delicious! The only dud on the plate was the grits, and they weren’t so bad. Coarse and a little too dry for my taste, they had a nice Cheddar flavor. These could maybe use a little tweaking.

I chose the right thing to eat of these two. The quiche was much too salty. I was unsure of it from the description, but I was also curious. It contained basil, Raclette cheese, tomato, and caramelized onion. None of that would have been a strong draw for me, and I didn’t care for this. Raclette, especially the Swiss version, can be salty, and when heated is even saltier. I didn’t eat this because of the overwhelming saltiness. There weren’t enough other appealing ingredients to compensate. The best thing about this dish was the tomato salad, and its pretty appearance.

The toast was another disappointment. I asked the waiter about the "Well-Dressed” Shrimp,” which sounded like Shrimp Remoulade. I asked if that was what it was and he sort of shrugged and nodded very non-committally. I should have asked more questions. What came to the table was a pretty toast with a dull-colored spread of chopped shrimp (what is this new thing of chopping shrimp?) in mustard and Creme fraiche. It was topped with beautifully placed “cukes” or cucumber slices that had oil and a lot of salt and lemon on them. Again, okay but a very distant trailer to regular Shrimp Remoulade. One cannot improve on perfection. I don’t think anyone will learn that, but perhaps I will learn not to be sucked in.

This is an adorable place with an interesting menu that I would like to explore further. Worth a notice, definitely.