Its name reflects its style as the California Café is California French cuisine. But don’t turn away just yet when you see that word “French” in describing the restaurant. Yes, there are those pictures of the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero Gardens on the walls as you ascend the stairs to the second floor dining room; and yes, there are French influences in the cooking style and dishes and French names for those dishes, like Le Caneton Au Poivre Vert. But no, this is not haute cuisine; this is not staid Gallic at all. The California characterization gives this dining experience the casual flare. Although there may be a four-course fixed price dinner, at these prices — $13.95 to $19.95 — you’ll have plenty of francs to spare.

Although not imperative, the four-course dinner formula is the recommended way to go — appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert. The Café’s homemade country-style bread rounds show up first, which are excellent and of perfect consistency, almost addictive. It was hard to eat just one, but restraint is necessary with this four-course dinner. A choice in appetizers includes the daily special pâté, quiche, or soup, and that soup could change a couple of times an evening depending on the numbers in the nightly crowd. Get there early and wake up those taste buds when a thick, hot, cilantro-enhanced Black Bean Soup is the featured soup. Another relished prelude is a delicate yet lush pâté garnished with cucumber, carrot, and red cabbage shavings, which spreads easily on a stoned wheat cracker. It would have been a bit more gracious, though, had the crackers been taken out of the cellophane prior to serving. If you choose to order La Quiche Du Jour you may get lucky with a creamy, smooth spinach and shrimp quiche. The second course garden salad, consists of lettuce, tomato, carrot, red cabbage, cucumbers, green pepper, and zucchini, and is extremely fresh, served with a variety of interesting dressings to choose from. The mandarin orange dressing vies for attention from the superb peanut and sesame house dressing. If you’re a typical type of dressing person, the blue cheese dressing is an excellent alternative.

Wine and beer selections are quite credible, and for the beer connoisseur, a German weizen is offered, but don’t be disappointed if it arrives without the customary weisbeer glass used to properly enjoy this wheat beer’s yeasty, fruity aromas.

The entrees at California Café are unscathed and glorious. Les Crevettes A L’Armoricaine, shrimp sauteed in a classic French shrimp sauce is a wonderful choice for a prawn lover, as a multitude of ample-sized shrimp are found in this dish, accented with just the right touch of fragrant saffron spice and the robust flavor of tarragon. Le Caneton Au Poivre Vert features a classic buttery and moist roasted duck breast served with a brown sauce flavored with roasted garlic and zesty green peppercorns. Escalope De Veau A La Crème is a different veal and cream dish prepared each day. A recent preparation of veal in cream with lemon zest and prosciutto sported sauce so light it did not smother the taste of the delicate veal or the prosciutto. As a taste of the Orient turns up on the menu every so often at the California Café, the chef turns out Echine De Proc Rotie Aux Epices, boneless pork tenderloin grilled with fennel, soy, ginger, anise, garlic, and green onion marinade. While pork is an entree rarely ordered in restaurants across this country, this flavorful pork dish is guaranteed to be ordered time and time again. Everything is well-presented at the California Café, not over-stylized, with most entrees served with a side vegetable of the day such as tender yet crunchy snow peas and rice pilaf.

Choose from a manageable list of homemade desserts most of which push neither the French nor California styles. A creamy, unpretentious, beautifully browned rimmed cheese cake, moist carrot cake studded with raisins and walnuts topped with customary cream cheese icing, or a dense and rich chocolate tort are all grand endings. But if you like keeping with the French light and airy atmosphere here, the same can be said for the Café’s light and fluffy Grand Marnier-laced chocolate mousse, properly prepared and not too sweet.

After your visit, I’m sure you’ll agree that, from appetizers to desserts, quality and consistency is the California Café’s underlying theme.

Location:
Easy to Find

Parking:
Self-Serve

Handicapped Access:
Entrance

Exterior Appearance:
Striking---Huge Windows

Initial Interior:
Hallway to Reservation Desk

Reservations Necessary:
Could Take A Chance

Preferred Dining Attire:
Stylish-casual

Wait (to be seated):
None

Wait (for service):
None

Lighting:
Subtle

Meal-time Music:
Background

Decor:
Cosmopolitan

Dining Area Appearance
Bar Room

Noise:
Light Chatter

Climate:
Fine

Tables:
Ample

Chairs:
Comfortable

Booths:
Few

Table Setting:
N/A

Your Meal:
Excellent

Automatically Served:
Homemade Bread

Soups:
Black Bean

Salads:
Garden Fresh

Cocktails:
N/A

Main Course:
Veal w/ Cream, Lemon Zest & Prosciutto

Desserts:
Chocolate Tort

Coffees:
Credible

Staff Attitude:
Friendly

Staff Appearance:
Neat & Clean

Hospitality:
Welcoming

Cleanliness:
Could Eat off of Floor

Wash Rooms:
Clean

Crowd (Qty):
A Few Open Tables

Crowd (Attitude):
Casual/Laughter

Food (portions):
Ample

Food (prices):
N/A

Overall Service:
Attentive