Lori and I were meeting for lunch, and when Lori mentioned Cafeteria, I was more than excited. It was on her list for a long time, and I had been craving their mac and cheese ever since being able to eat normally again.
Their virgin drinks sounded quite good, so I went with the Peach Palmer (an Arnold Palmer with lemonade and iced tea with the added bonus of Peach Puree) and Lori went with the Mint Iced Tea.
Of course, we started with the Mac Attack. It’s a trio sampler of all their macs: Cheddar & Fontina, Smoked Gouda & Bacon, and Truffle Oil. Last time I had it, I decided it was the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. This time was good, but I didn’t leave with the same thought. (I think last time I remember more sharp cheese, but I’m not sure). It was still fantastic, however.
There was a date salad on the menu that sounded GREAT, but I was craving something hearty and decided on the braised short rib sandwich. When Lori was really debating the date salad I made the offer of splitting both the salad and the sandwich and saving room for their amazing sounding desserts. Done! Go team!
The date salad was perfect. All the flavors and the dressing (fig balsamic) were greater than the sum of its (outstanding) parts. It had mission figs, shaved parm, and crispy prosciutto in a fig balsamic dressing. Delish!
The braised short rib sandwich was pretty good. The meat was delicious and beyond tender (a lot like pulled pork). The bread, however, was just ehh. I think I would have preferred something a bit crispier with the soft meat, however, it held up, so I guess I can’t complain too much. The fries were decent (great flavor but could have been crispier).
Dessert was on the plan from the very beginning, so we decided to split two different plates. (Two desserts are always better than one)
One was Apple Pie Raviolis with butter pecan ice cream and spun sugar swirls. It was a beautiful plate and tasted delicious. The butter pecan ice cream didn’t taste like butter pecan at all, and now looking at the menu online I think they gave us maple ice cream. It was just okay. Lori, even though it was the ice cream she was after, missed the ice cream under the swirls! Whoops. She didn’t miss much, however. The raviolis were the stars of the dish.
The second dessert was a peanut butter cup with an oreo cookie bottom and peanut butter mousse in a chocolate shell. It was topped with BACON peanut brittle. Intriguing!
The whole thing tasted amazing, however, the oreo cookie bottom had such a hard bottom that we had to use both hands and a lot of force to get our forks through. I was really expecting it to go flying across the table or injure someone, however, we made it through.
The bacon peanut brittle was fascinating. It was quite sticky and was tough on the teeth, but the taste was surprisingly good. Bacon seems to be a popular addition to desserts in trendy places, and I was surprised at how good it was. Though not exactly something I’d seek out except for the novelty.
Overall, it was a very delicious meal. I’ve been there once before and it was equally good (though the mac and cheese was even better). They have some different and delicious dishes, and they must have a creative chef (and pastry chef) who is great with flavor combinations.
Total Nom Points: 7.5 out of 10
