by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
If you’re shopping in San Marco, your dining options are many and varied, from a causal slice of pizza to upscale Thai food. One of the staples of the area is the swank Café Carmon.
The atmosphere blends comfort with elegance, like a French café, balancing the two but never sacrificing one for the other. Because of this, it’s suitable for lunch and dinner. Price points on the menu vary, a single person can spend anywhere from $9-30 without wine, depending on what they order.
When light is still in the sky and the weather’s nice, you should sit on the patio, which has a view of the San Marco Lions and is a prime spot for people-watching. Indoors things get a little more elegant, with white tablecloths, frosted glass, metal accents and blonde wood. Much of the art on the walls comes from Stellers Gallery and the pieces range from impressionistic originals and a Jamali print to a well-rendered giclée. Overall, very safe but suitably upscale art pieces.
The place got a facelift mid 2006 and the menu has changed some as well. The Café has gone through many changes since last year, so they’re trying to find a new identity. Their emphasis used to be on desserts, but now they’re hoping people will see them as a place to get appetizers as they relax and sip wine. The wine selection and the appetizer selections have been expanded. They also have a shiny wine bar counter.
In a week or so they’re going to be introducing their new dessert menu, which they’ll be making in-house. For now they’ve still got a few Let Them Eat Cake desserts in their case.
I’m sure the vegan bean cakes are a favorite for many, or they will be soon. A thriving blend of flavors and spices danced around the heartiness of the beans, served with sour cream (optional) and guacamole, beside a bed of salad greens, topped with diced tomatoes, onions and peppers and tossed with light vinaigrette.
My pick of the night was the Toasted Ravioli stuffed and served with a light tomato base and wild mushrooms. It was stuffed Florentine style in a great interplay of textures and tastes.
The apple-glazed pork was a bit of a surprise. I was expecting much more sweetness in the glaze, which was actually mostly brandy and broth. Very little of the apple flavor really came through. This pork was well-prepared and the predominant flavor seemed to come from the brining process. The focus was on enhancing the flavor of the pork itself, rather than using the pork as a supporting character to its own glaze. Setting off the salty-savory pork chop were whipped sweet potatoes. They paired well with the pork.
One thing I would change about the place is the somewhat vague menu descriptions. I don’t think they give people a very good idea of what to expect. The apple-glazed pork, for example, had very little apple flavor and yet, that’s how they chose to title it. Toasted Ravioli is stuffed Florentine style, but there’s nary a word on the menu about spinach or even what it’s stuffed with.
Café Carmon is a different restaurant than it was a few years ago. I don’t know if all the changes were for the best. Overall, the flavors were delicate and subtle, something that might not play as well with diners expecting a cavalcade of flavors. The flavor profiles of some menu items might seem a bit dated and flat compared to the pow-bam-zap richness of today’s cuisine. I actually didn’t mind the subtlety. It was a nice change. The problem is that they seem to market themselves as “innovative” when they’re actually a place that’s very nearly traditional, despite their contemporary look. That is not a sin; it’s something that could get more people in the door. There’s just a disconnect between the expectation and the reality. Their cuisine is more about being simple and fresh, letting the food stand on its own, with seasonings taking a supporting role to the meat of the dish. They start with fresh, simple ingredients and go from there. It’s not cutting-edge cuisine, but it is a place I’d like to relax and nosh after shopping in San Marco.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
