Caffe Fresca

Metairie 3: Houma Blvd To Kenner Line: 4441 West Metairie Ave. 504-887-2010. Map.
Casual.
AE DS MC V
Website

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
The lands that lie alongside canal-centered West Metairie Avenue feel more like traditional New Orleans neighborhoods than most other local suburbs. That makes the area fertile for neighborhood cafes. Not only the the familiar kind with poor boys and gumbo and seafood platters, but also places like Caffe Fresca. Despite the coffeehouse-style name, it sports a full menu the likes of which you can find anywhere in America. Slight Greek and Creole inflections make it seem momentarily exotic.

WHAT'S GOOD
Most of the regular menu reminds me of what you'd find in an office building with a captive clientele. The ingredients are more than decent, but less than exceptional. The portions are neither large nor small. The only time the kitchen breaks out of average mode is in its daily specials, particularly the Italian ones. The soups are also pretty good. Otherwise, it's so many for the . . . uh. . . What? What? Oh, gosh, I must have fallen asleep for a moment there.

BACKSTORY
Caffe Fresca opened in 1995 a mile or so from where it is now in 1995. Originally a coffeeshop with minimal food, it quickly expanded into serving just about everything. Also from the start it had a strong base of regular customers with far more enthusiasm for the place than I've managed to work up.

DINING ROOM
The most surprising aspect of Caffe Fresca is its dining room, which is brilliantly designed in a modern way. Given the dreary strip mall in which it resides, it puts one in an optimistic mood. However, the service staff seems to be more concerned with making sure the rules are followed than that customers are having a good time. Even modest requests are greeted with at least a moment's hesitation.

ESSENTIAL DISHES
Starters
Toasted pita, provolone, parmesan, green onions
Pita pizza, artichoke, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, provolone, parmesan
Eggplant sticks, marinara or fresca sauce
Crab or crawfish cakes, remoulade sauce
Italian stuffed artichoke
Salads
»Fresca salad (greens, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, artichoke, red onion, sun dried tomatoes)
Grilled portobello mushroom, like above
Caesar
Chicken or tuna salad on Fresca salad
Soups
MO--Red bean
TU--Broccoli cream
»WE--Hot tamale chili
»TH--Spinach-artichoke
FR--Shrimp and corn chowder
SA--Chicken-sausage gumbo
Sandwiches
Alive (vegetarian: avocado, romaine, carrots, mushrooms, cucumber, tomatoes, melted provolone, sprouts, on pita)
Chicken Caesar pita
Greek grilled chicken, avocado, olives, tomatoes
Grilled chicken, eggplant, romaine, tomatoes, honey mustard
Grilled portobello, eggplant, red onion, provolone, feta
Spicy chicken
Smoked turkey
Hamburgers
Muffuletta
Grilled chicken muffuletta
Entrees
Filet mignon, butter and garlic
»Center cut pork chop, Creole mustard glaze
Stuffed lobster, crawfish dressing
Shrimp and/or catfish platter (grilled or fried), crawfish cake
»Trout St. John, grilled or fried, shrimp, crawfish, mushrooms and shallots, herb butter cream sauce
»Eggplant Fresca (fried, filled with shrimp, crawfish, mushrooms, shallots, herb butter cream sauce, angel hair pasta
Selected Daily Specials
every day:
Pasta fresca (shrimp, crawfish, mushrooms, butter cream sauce) Chicken parmesan
»Grilled tuna steak, garlic butter
Grilled tilapia
Monday:
Red beans & rice
Santa Fe pita sandwich
Taco salad
Tuesday
»Pannee chicken, pasta alfredo
Turkey & avocado bacon pita sandwich
Grilled chicken breast, avocado, romaine, tomato, whole wheat croissant, fresh fruit
Fried chicken club salad
Wednesday
Grilled chicken & andouille pasta
Southwest pita sandwich
Turkey avocado pita sandwich
»Greek salad with grilled chicken, tomato, cucumbers, red onions, artichoke, kalamata olives, feta cheese, Aegean dressing
Thursday
Meatballs & spaghetti
Fried chicken club sandwich
»Santino salad (Italian salad)
Friday
Giant crab cake, potato salad or fries & salad
Fried shrimp caesar sandwich
»Spinach salad with grilled chicken, strawberries, bleu cheese crumbles, pecans, pepper jelly vinaigrette
Desserts
»Bread pudding, white chocolate sauce
Chocolate fudge brownie, nuts, vanilla ice cream, caramel

FOR BEST RESULTS
Check the specials before looking at the main menu. The great salad dressing is the herbal Greek-style Aegian--not often seen in our part of the world.