Friday, July 29, 2011

Cafe Fraiche




It was a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon, mom and I (Beth) were tired and hungry after a long morning of antique shopping, so she suggested we grab a bite for lunch. We stumbled upon a quaint little luncheonette, called Cafe Fraiche, tucked in the corner of Chenoweth Plaza at 3642 Brownsboro Road. We sat in the back at one of the comfy black tables surrounded by vibrant orange walls and black and white tiled floors. There is a shelf lining the entire room that includes greenery and other various decor and many lovely paintings for sale by Louisville artists. The vibe is very much of a French cafe, which is appropriate given the name "Fraiche", that is French for "Fresh". The owner bases her culinary art style on French cuisine and offers catering for casual lunches, private parties, and even personal chef services that can be prepared
in your own kitchen

Mom and I perused the menu and pondered a few different choices including quiche, salad, and soup. However we went in the other direction with mom ordering the benedictine sandwhich with a side of avocado and myself, a hummus wrap with a side of fruit. A fun fact for those of you who might not know about benedictine, it's a combination of cucumber and cream cheese and it was created in the late 1800's by a Louisvillian with the last name of Benedict. It is often paired with bacon and was originally served on a sandwhich. However it has become popular as a dip in recent years.

Our lovely server was quick to bring out the food and I immediately commented on the size of my big wrap, which was overly stuffed full of hummus, fresh spinach leaves, and tomatoes. I did not care for the hummus one bit. It was incredibly bland to say the least. I suppose I have been spoiled by the flavorful hummus at my favorite mediterranean eatery which I will reveal at a later date. I am cursing myself for not ordeing the quiche instead. Perhaps this feeling could best be described as diner's remorse. At any rate, mom's benedictine sandwhich made up for my hummus. In fact, you could even say the benedictine was so good, it spanked the hummus and made it say it's name! Served on toasted honey wheat bread, this benedictine was the perfect consistency, just a bit tangy and very creamy with bacon, need I say more?

I am almost embarrassed to admit how much better mom's amazing avocado side outranked my sweet, yet boring fruit. Let's get into details here. Avocado was mixed in a sauce of ketchup and mayonaise which mom kept comparing to Thousand Island salad dressing. This divine mixture also included celery, almonds, and tomatoes. It was so good that mom is planning on making her own version of it at home and she kept grilling the server on exactly how it was prepared. I can't wait to try mom's version. She is also quite the culinary artist in her kitchen. Despite the hummus, I was very pleased with my experience at Cafe Fraiche. Everything else was exquisite and I will mostly definitely suggest it for your next lunch or even catering for your Holiday platter. Just remember, no one can place a great order like Judi Holladay. Until next time, Live to Eat!!!

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