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Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe
Lakeview: 5606 Canal Blvd . 504-483-7001. Map.
Casual.
AE DS MC V
Website
ANECDOTES AND ANALYSIS Reviewed By Scott Hart. New Orleans is a preeminent coffee town. Dozens of excellent coffee shops scatter their aromas around the city, with freshly-brewed coffee of various blends, espresso and its kin, iced coffee. . . maybe even coffee with chicory. As for food, most have pastries: cookies, muffins, scones. Most have bagels. Some, sandwiches. A new breed of café combines the best of the current coffee shop experience with breakfast, brunch and lunch menus. Lakeview Brew is just such a place.
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY While most of the restaurants in Lakeview are along Harrison Avenue, there has long been a small community of inexpensive cafes at the intersection of Canal Boulevard and the railroad underpass. Indeed, the neighborhood was home to some of the first combo coffeehouse-delis in the city.
WHAT'S GOOD Breakfast is the highlight. An assortment of egg dishes, including the likes of eggs Benedict and Florentine, standard full-breakfast eggs and sides and omelettes. Finding a perfectly made omelette is a joy: Lakeview's are fluffy, soft, and completely yellow. No brown marks. The fillings are numerous and original. The omelette of smoked gouda and asparagus is the winner in that category. The veggie omelette is a favorite of mine, filled with grilled squash, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, red onions, spinach and feta cheese. Soft, moist and utterly delicious. The combination of vegetables with a bit of feta cheese works beautifully. The breakfast menu is rounded out by pancakes, French toast, and all the other dishes one would expect to find. For lunch, daily specials include specialty sandwiches with side items. I love the Rueben, which reminds me of the Rueben I ate once in Katz’s Deli in New York. The ‘Brew Roasted Veggie’ sandwich is simple and delightful, with the lilt of feta cheese. Daily soups (the usual: tomato-basil, vegetable, crawfish and corn, etc.) and a great seafood gumbo. And big or small salads, with the Greek salad my favorite.
BACKSTORY Randie Porobil, a New Orleans native and life-long Lakeview resident, is the owner and manager. After operating another restaurant (where Mondo is now) and losing it to Hurricane Katrina, Randie opened Lakeview Brew Coffee Café after she returned to town.
DINING ROOM
Most days, an eclectic mix of people enjoys the coffee and food. Saturday and Sunday mornings are pretty busy--sometimes extremely. The main dining area is bright and cheerful, with art everywhere. The TV that is always on (usually Fox News) is a little irritating sometimes, but luckily the sound is never on. You can escape it completely by dining outside. No table service here. You order and pick up your order at the counter. But while you're waiting, you find a free high-speed wifi connection
FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.
- Dining Environment
- Consistency +1
- Service
- Value
- Attitude +2
- Wine & Bar
- Hipness +1
- Local Color
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Good for business meetings
- Open all afternoon
- Quick, good meal
- Good for children
- Easy, nearby parking
- No reservations
