by RonnieD » Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:59 pm
Ok, so I bit the bullet and dropped in for lunch today. Let me preface all of what is about to follow with this statement: These people seem really nice, genuine, and honest. I feel that they are trying very hard to make a go of it and I hope that they can.
But...
This place looks and feels like an accident. Like maybe some how through the randomness of the universe just enough restaurant-like materials spontaneously generated in this space to give it cause to be a restaurant. If you want an example of a restaurant on a shoestring budget, this is it. And not to say that can't have a lot of charm (heck that is basically how we started Gumbo A Go-Go back in the day), but this place doesn't feel put together as much as thrown together. I hope they are going to get some decor and create some kind of unity in there.
Side bar: the name is Cafe Aroma, but I detected none of any kind whilst waiting in the dining room...
The menu is all over the place. And I mean all over. Thai, Cuban, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and probably several other cuisines are represented here. The cover of the menu says something to the effect of "world cuisines with a Mexican flair," but the Chicken Tetrazzini description looks pretty standard Italian-American. As challenging as it is to do one style of cuisine exceptionally well, it is a bold statement to do five or six at the same level. Fortunately, the menu is moderately sized, so they aren't overextending themselves too far, maybe. Prices are reasonable, coming in at $7+ a plate.
Just grabbing lunch, I thought I would stick with something simple, so I ordered the Tamales (I've been looking for good tamales around town lately) and an order of Carne Asada Tacos. Total: $15 and change.
It took about 10 minutes to get the order together, not bad. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for my tacos. Of the three tacos, there was maybe enough edible meat for 1. This was due entirely to a large vein of grizzle running through the cut that was used for my order. Look, I'm no snob, I'll tough through a bit of grizzle when it comes up, I was raised on the cheapest cuts of meat there were, but these bits of steak were completely unchewable, much less edible. EXTREMELY disappointing because otherwise the tacos looked like they were going to be incredible. The kind owners were even nice enough to toss in a free special pork and pineapple taco for me to sample. It was much better, but still a little bland.
The tamales were better, but I must admit I am accustomed to tamales made in a big pot swimming in sauce and served with the husk still on. These looked to be more of the steamed variety with no husk. That said, the masa and filling were pretty good. I was a bit confused by the broccoli in the rice medley served alongside, but I rolled with it just fine and mixed my pico into it and went right on.
Both entrees were served with a flavorless hot sauce that added little to either dish.
Overall, I am completely underwhelmed. I was hoping to find the best kept secret in Louisville, but instead came away with two tacos I could not eat and two "good enough" tamales. Not sure I got what I paid for all in all.
I wish these guys all the luck in the world, I know how hard it is to get up and running and make your dream come true, but I feel like they need to make some strong changes and step up their game to compete in a restaurant city like Louisville.
Ronnie Dingman
Chef Consultant
The Farm
La Center, KY
