Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Algiers For Pizza And Lasagna. Mary Ann has been pressuring me to tell her soon whether I can recommend the Olive Branch, a three-location local chain of pizza and pasta cafes. I went to the one in the American Can apartment building a couple of weeks ago, but didn't get a good reading on the place. They were too busy, for one thing, with a private party going on. She says that the outfit's West Bank restaurants--which have been open longer--are more typical. She cares because she thinks she can sell them advertising. If I were the shill that a certain number of my detractors say I am, the ad would already be running and the check deposited. But through my entire career I've declined to accept advertisers that I can't get excited about. To the great detriment of my wealth. I've heard that one of the other stations in our company carries a dail one-hour food show that brings in an immense amount of cash. The host will recommend anyone who pays the bill. Anyone. I can't bring myself to do that, or anything even smacking of it.
The Olive Branch I visited tonight was the one in Algiers, on General DeGaulle Drive, a bit past Kabel. Driving there, I realized how long it's been since the last time I've been in that part of town. Ten years. Maybe even fifteen. Not many restaurants in those parts.
This Olive Branch branch is a little café. Probably some other eatery in the past, although I don't know what. A bit stark. But this isn't an expensive spot. And when I entered I was greeted with "Are you here to pick up a takeout order?" A lot of people who came in during my dinner did indeed have that purpose.
Another greeting was on a markerboard sign. "Special. Spinach Lasagna" it said. How's that? I asked the waitress. "It's great, but I don't think we have it tonight." Maybe they should put that sign away, then. "Sign?" I pointed to it. "Oh. Let me check." Well, in case it's not available, how's the regular lasagna? I asked. "That's really good. Would you like that?" Sure, I said. She took the order, rebuffed my request about a glass of wine (they don't have any alcohol there), and disappeared into the kitchen. She came back with the Italian salad and the news that indeed, yes, they did have spinach lasagna and regular lasagna, both. Okay, back to spinach.
The Italian salad started me thinking about pizzerias posing as Italian restaurants. Basically, what's going on is that somebody notices that one can make a lot of non-pizza dishes using pizza ingredients. For example, on this salad were slices of pepperoni, grated mozzarella, sliced bell peppers, onions, sliced black olives, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese. The only elements that wouldn't be found on a pizza were the lettuce and maybe the tomatoes. Nor the dressing, either, I guess. What comes out of this synthesis is not something I'd call an Italian salad. Being the lifelong Orleanian I am, an Italian salad to me is that thing that used to be called a "wop salad" by local Italian restaurants (understandable pressure from visitors who live in places where those three letters make a fighting word has cause the expression to become almost extinct). That kind of Italian salad is lettuce and tomatoes in a garlicky vinaigrette, tossed with the same olive salad used on a muffuletta.
All that said, the salad was big and fresh, and for the price I couldn't call it a bad deal.
And here's the spinach lasagna. Either it was baked too long ago, or the recipe started with dry noodles. The pasta component was much too firm to eat easily. (You shouldn't need a knife to eat lasagna, in my view.) The immense portion came out in an oval-shaped baking dish still bubbling with the creamy sauce and the melted cheese. Spinach and more cheese filled the layers between the pasta. Very, very rich. I don't know how anyone could eat more than half of this. Again, for the price, it's hard to complain.
Nevertheless, what the Olive Branch clearly does best is pizza. They send out a small (although not all that small) sauceless cheese pizza with most of the entrees. This is good. They make their own dough (it's amazing how many pizzerias don't), which results in a lightness--even a puffiness--around the perimeter. Good cheese. No denying that this is pizza far above average.
So they ought to do pizza big-time and scale back the rest of it. I know that after two experiences with their pasta dishes, it will be pizza for me when I give the place another look, whenever that will be. I'm glad Mary Ann has decided to accept this, and will not badger me about this lost sale.
Olive Branch Cafe. Algiers: 5145 Gen. de Gaulle Dr. 504-393-1107. Pizza. Pasta.
