It's just not Monday without Cafe Deluxe

So I returned for the 3rd Monday in a row to Cafe Deluxe in Tysons Corner for dinner. It seemed a little noisier than usual, but I have to admit, I like the kind of fun and crowded atmosphere in there. We were greeted by the hostess and shown to a table (a 2-top) on the edge of the bar and the walkway between tables - aka out in the open - and when we asked to have a table that was a little more set away, she brought us to the back to a 4-top where if we sat "on the inside" - that's my quote, not anyone else's - we weren't going to have our backs being constantly brushed by passing waiters, so we agreed and sat down.

My co-diner ordered the goat cheese, teardrop tomato, pine nut and mixed green salad for an appetizer. I just ate the yummy bread and butter. For an entree, my co-diner got the plate of 4 sides: chosen were Gruyere mac and cheese, potatoes au gratin, asparagus, and sauteed spinach. All in all a very bland meal. The mac and cheese was a huge disappointment and there was just so much of it that it became almost unappetizing. I like the potatoes but the other diner said they were a little too salty, perhaps due to the accompanying cheese. The spinach was pretty tasteless, and the asparagus was quite good. Just a note that a $4 side of asparagus gets you 3 stalks. That's $1.33 per stalk, assuming that the individual side order of asparagus is the same as the portion that's given in the 4-side plate. I'm not sure.

I ordered the Salmon Nicoise Salad, again, and it was good. I always think that the piece of salmon looks so small when it arrives, but then I always have a hard time finishing it. The greens were really delicious and fresh, and I like the vinaigrette. Once again, the green beans were just not cooked enough. Another minute or two in the boiling water or steamer and they would have actually had a taste.

The waitress, after clearing our plates, asked if we wanted dessert. I asked about the cobbler of the day - always a big curiosity for me - and it was Blackberry. Yum! I then asked if the berries were fresh or frozen, and she said, "I think they're freshly frozen, but I'll double check." "That would be great," I replied. And then a minute later she brought the check, with no further mention of blackberries, cobbler or anything else. Blame it on my soft voice, the noisy restaurant, the waitress' bad hearing or bad short-term memory... Either way, we decided we didn't need cobbler or coffee, and so we paid the check as it was, and skipped the cobbler.

Always a fun place to go, but skip the Plate of 4 Sides... unless you have no taste buds and don't care.

Cafe Deluxe - Tysons

Tonight I went to one of my favorite local places, Cafe Deluxe. I love both the Tysons location and the DC location, mostly because they remind me of a dear friend who used to dine with me there on a regular basis when she lived in the area.

Their cosmos are still delicious, not too pink and sweet, and not pure alcohol, but still clear enough that you know it's worth your while. Also tasted the Columbia Crest Chardonnay, which can be ordered by the glass. Very crisp and refreshing. The bread was also tasty as usual, and fresh. My only complaint was that the water poured at the beginning had a terrible aftertaste, like it had been sitting close to rotting vegetables. When I said something, the waiter brought me a new glass with water (and sans ice, since I thought maybe it was the ice that tasted bad) but it still had the same taste. Very weird.

For dinner my friend and I both ordered salads - I had the Nicoise Salad with grilled salmon, and she had the Caesar Salad with steak. My salad was quite delicious, although the green beans needed to be cooked a little longer. (What is it with uncooked vegetables these days?) It had fresh lettuce, tasty tomatoes, fresh hard-boiled egg, green beans, black olives (two, to be exact), and perfectly cooked little new potatoes. The dressing was also delicious, but became too strong only at the very end when I was finishing every last bite of salad in the bowl.

For dessert we shared the brownie a la mode. It was a really appealing presentation: the little round brownie, warm and soft on the inside but with a lovely lighter brown crust, served with 3 sweet raspberries and mint on top, alongside a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum.

The waiter seemed totally out of it the whole night, and kept trying to give us the check so he could leave. He was ok I guess, and was happy to bring me a 2nd cosmo and then dessert at the end. All in all a fun evening at CD, with some great music playing in the background, including a slow hit by Everything But the Girl, a bittersweet favorite of mine.

Did not visit the restroom but they are usually ok. And free parking alongside/underneath Crate & Barrel is a big plus.