Cafe Juanita

On Saturday I had a chance to visit Cafe Juanita, and I've gotta say it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time.

We settled in for about four hours at CJ to celebrate my Mom's 65th birthday!
I'm glad we didn't make any other plans that evening because it was worth taking time, exploring the menu, and besides they aren't in a rush to get you out the door (more on that)

The wine list at Cafe Juanita is pretty spectacular, and while I didn't have an opportunity to sample any vino this time around its clear they spend a great deal of time stocking the cellar with wonderful wines from all over Italy as well as great selections from the NW and California. In addition to wine, CJ has a nice selection of "aperitivi" which include small bits of interesting food paired with cocktails. Em and my Mom tried the Prosecco and aged Parmegiano which they both seemed to enjoy. Dad had the scotch and it comes with...scotch.

Once our beverages were in place (took some time) we moved on to appetizers. We shared the seared foie gras and the grilled octopus. Both dishes were excellent.
The foie gras was served simply with a vin santo drizzle. The portion was actually pretty substantial and it was perfectly done.
Our octopus was very nice and came nestled on a base of chick pea and fennel seed sauce that I could have eaten a bowl of.

Between our appetizers and salad we tried the barbaresco risotto which i found quite nice but "powerful." The flavor was intense and best enjoyed in small portions.

The salads were very well prepared. I tried the pear salad with pine nuts, parmigiano, and white truffle oil. This one is a MUST HAVE.

By the time the main course showed up I was already feeling a bit full, but the rabbit was too good to pass up. To call this dish tender would be a big understatement, it was literally falling off the bone and the flavor was outstanding. Served with a small crepe, pancetta, and porcini mushroom it was the highlight of my meal.

We finished up with dessert which was just ok for me...a small and not terribly interesting chocolate souffle and some even less memorable item I can't recall.

The servers were very good, pacing things quite well in general. the only thing that seemed off in that regard was beverage service. My wife wanted to try specific wines with courses and the wine got "lost" a couple of times which meant she practically finished her appetizer before her first wine arrived and the same thing happened when she ordered her entree.

All in all I was very impressed with the quality of food, the imagination of the chef, and the presentation of the meal. If you love food like I love food, do yourself a favor and make a point to visit Cafe Juanita. If you've hired a sitter to watch the kids, make sure they don't have to go home early, 'cause you probably won't make it home before 11.

cheers