Grasping for the Wind

Restaurant Review: Cafe a la Creme in Cumming, GA

Tucked away in a corner lays quaint yet classy Cafe a la Creme. Though this cafe is small, its fresh ingredients, made to order food, and reasonable prices make it an excellent place for a Sunday brunch or a coffee and breakfast on the way to work.

Full of bright sun through its floor to ceiling windows, this little cafe appears to have been designed by Bombay Company or Pottery Barn. Wood floors, dark - almost black - wood furniture, a faux leather couch and matching chair, ironwork on the burgundy painted walls, a decorative birdcage, and artwork from local artists, create an ambiance of classy dining.

Yet, this is also a family friendly place. A TV hangs high in one corner, playing various sports games throughout the year, with several more TV's planned for placement over the bar and farther back in the restaurant. Children's toys are kept nearby the couch, and board games can be found on a bookshelf under the TV. Free Wi-Fi is available for the businessperson or college student.

But what makes Cafe a la Creme so good is not its ambiance or family friendliness. It is the food, which owners Gabriella and David have turned into a delight for the taste buds. Using mostly fresh ingredients from local farms, even hand-picked herbs from their herb garden in back, and cooking food only after you order ensures that the diner gets their food hot and full of flavor.

I chose to eat Cafe a la Creme's signature roast beef panini. A popular menu item, this Italian sandwich was served with a side of pasta salad or fries (I went with the fries) and a pickle. When the food arrived - this took some time because they were cooking it fresh, but that is the price you pay for food made nearly from scratch - it has hot, and had been grilled just right. The flavor mixture of beef, horseradish sauce, baby spinach, Swiss cheese, and caramelized onions had me savoring each bite, all the way down to the last.

My wife, who was with me, enjoyed a bourbon salmon dish. Although the Alaskan salmon was a bit dry from being overcooked, the roasted potatoes and asparagus tips were quite succulent, and in portions that kept my wife from finishing, much as she wanted to.

Food presentation matters at Cafe a la Creme. Each of our dishes came out on platters laid out as you would expect at a high end restaurant, not your local cafe. The food was almost as pleasant to look at as it was to eat, and unlike the higher end restaurants in Midtown, I never felt that I was paying a lot to get a little.

In addition to our meals, we were also treated to a berry scone. Most American scones tend to be dry affairs, heavy on the pastry, light on the filling. But this one was all fruit with just a hint of the pastry wrapper. The sweetness of the fruit contrasted so nicely the bread, far and away a better pastry than any Starbucks or Panera Bread has served me.

I also got an opportunity to taste a specialty coffee of Cafe a la Creme. The dolce latte is Gabriella's own design. Thinking that most coffees are too bitter, even when cut with milk, Gabriella put together a latte that is heavier on the sweet side. The coffee was almost a dessert coffee, and was a perfect after meal treat. Even my wife, who never drinks coffee or tea, took a sip and loved it, claiming that she would even purchase one for herself on the next visit.

All of the servers were very attentive, not just to me but to everyone. No one is assigned a section of the cafe, but rather everyone makes sure that all diners have what they need. There was some incongruity in the way that the servers were dressed, a bit overly causal for the atmosphere of the cafe, but their friendliness and attentiveness more than made up for it.

Cafe a la Creme is a full service cafe. Diners can go to get a full meal, just brunch, dessert or only coffee and tea. Though the space can get quite tight at busy times, the food is worth every penny. And yet the prices are not exorbitant, especially considering the quality. Breakfast can be had from $1.79 muffins to a full breakfast for $6.99 that includes pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Lunch is no more expensive and the selection of panini sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, po boys, and platters is broad enough to cater to any palate for $6 to $9. All cooked fresh to order, using as many natural and local ingredients as possible.

I highly recommend Cafe a la Creme as the best little cafe you never heard of. Easy to get to, (it is off of GA 141, about 3 miles from GA 400, near Big Creek Elementary School and First Redeemer church and next door to the Creekstone neighborhood) it is a nice place to stop into for coffee when the traffic is too heavy on your way to work, or as a place to take the family for lunch on Saturday or Sunday so you can catch a bit of the game while spending time with your family. Make a point to stop in and try Cafe a la Creme's variety of meals, desserts and specialty coffee.

Cafe a la Creme is open Monday to Friday 6:30 to 3:00 and Weekends 8:00 to 3:00. The facility is also available to rent in the evening for private parties.

Call them at 770-888-5437; or find them on their website at http://www.cafealacreme.com/.

Posted by John at November 14, 2008 9:37 AM |
Categories: Food