Café Ventana’s web site talks about it as having a French Quarter style. And that’s not just because beignets are available — oh yes, and excellent, too. Located on the first floor of an old house (although happily wheelchair accessible) just west of the St. Louis U. campus, it has an easy-going feel that fits well with its architectural charm. On the outside, in front, alongside and behind, there are separate seating areas. The warm, friendly dining room has tables and chairs, but also counters and arm chairs and a fireplace that offer relaxing options for the frantic and the frazzled.
It’s more than a coffeehouse, but not quite a full restaurant. Sandwiches, salads, soups, and plenty of desserts (from first-rate suppliers) will keep most folks quite happy. Something to drink? There’s a busy espresso machine, wines by the glass, and a smoothie menu. We tend to head there for lunch, although chef Michael Lee also does breakfast and Sunday brunch. Eventually, we’ll visit after theater in Grand Center; the establishment is open until 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Pay attention to the signboard’s soup listings, especially if it offers lobster bisque. This buttery concoction actually tastes like lobster, putting it well above most similarly-labeled liquids. Almost as good was a mushroom soup. Salads are respectable, the ingredients fresh and crisp, with a few quirky twists like pistachio nuts in the Greek salad. (But why does the Greek salad have a balsamic vinaigrette and not what the menu styles Aegean dressing?)
Several references to New Orleans pop up on the menu. One is the muffaletta sandwich, though the salami, mortadella, capicola, two cheeses and marinated olive salad are laid out on Italian bread, rather than the traditional round roll.. It’s not quite as tasty as what comes from the Chartres Street grocery stores in the French Quarter, but it’s a good substitute. Pescophiles will be happy with the salmon club sandwich, shown below, which combines grilled and smoked salmon with tomato, thinly sliced red onion and lettuce on whole wheat bread. The Cuban wrap is homage to that classic sandwich rather than an attempt to duplicate it, with ham and carnitas of pork, gruyere cheese and a dill pickle spear in a tomato wrap, all lightly grilled. Other sandwiches are of a compose-your-own style, with a variety of meats, breads and accompaniments. The diner selects the ingredients and waits for them to arrive. We’ve sampled several, and they’re tasty, thanks to high-caliber suppliers.
The pastry case, filled with a wide variety, provides a constant state of temptation, and we’re not sure whether we should be a little embarrassed or a little proud to admit we’ve successfully resisted them. But that’s only because we gleefully succumbed to the beignets, the pillowy puffs of doughnut that are cooked to order and arrive hot-hot-hot and covered with powdered sugar. They are not identical to the ones found at Café du Monde in the French Market, we admit, but that’s probably because the grease is fresher. Happily, they’re available at all meals. There’s chicory coffee available, too, if you’re really into the Creole way of life. Or maybe a mimosa would be good.
This is an order-at-the-counter place, not surprisingly, but pleasant servers bring the food to your table, whether you’re inside or out.
Café Ventana
3919 West Pine Blvd.
314-531-7500
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner daily, Brunch Sunday
