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| - It was 8pm on Sunday night and my friend and I were debating where to go to dinner...he suggested Baldwin St. and I immediately thought of Cafe la Gaffe. Final decision.
We had been to Cafe La Gaffe about a year ago and were expecting a high level of service and memorable food- we got just that.
To preface, Cafe La Gaffe's decor is somewhat "Parisian" inspired with a grand wooden bar (selling point- they have coat hooks under the bar...in my books, this is well thought out and adds the extra touch, even though I did not sit at the bar I did notice them) lining one wall and a row of pews and tables lining the opposite side. There are also two tables directly in front of the windows, one on each side of the door, which we were lucky enough to snag amidst this semi-busy late dinner crowd. The kitchen is in raised area directly at the back and viewable from the rest of the restaurant.
Another big plus, the soundtrack playing at this restaurant was incredible...both for a romantic date and also for friends catching up over a beer, as were the group of 4 girls sitting at one of the tables lining the side wall. Think Amelie soundtrack, Nick Drake, Patrick Watson...I kept wishing I could whip out my iPhone and shazam every single one of the great "dinner party" songs...I refrained, mostly.
Cafe la Gaffee has an extensive wine list and also "feature wines" listed on a chalk board hanging above the bar. As the "feature wines" were about double the price as the wines listed on the menu, we opted for a Pinot Blanc from the menu. We had some questions for the server about the wine list and he was kind enough to come back to the table with the bottle to give us more information on our selection (i.e. I've read the back and realize that this may be a bit fruity for your taste...can I recommend something else?"...Great service if you ask me. We also never felt rushed to order which was great as we had a lot of catching up to do first. We went with a Pinot Gris. Delicious.
As for food, my dinner date ordered the Mushroom Crepe as an appetizer and I ordered the $5.50 Garlic Bread au Gratin (with cheese). Although I was in the mood for bread (judge all you want, it's cold and the carb cravings have hit full force), I did not consider that I was ordering bread on top of the free warm fresh bread served with hummous. I'd hold off on the garlic bread next time, although it was extremely fresh and had the perfect amt. of cheese. My dinner date loved his crepe...it was stuffed with garlic and mushrooms and smothered in a mushroom sauce. It was also served with a roasted tomato...amazing. Great value too at about $10. When I go back I will order this, it was delish.
Entrees (approx. $22 each) consisted of Fettucini with Digby Scallops, PEI mussels, Gulf Shrimp, roasted red pepper, spinach and portobello mushrooms in a white wine lobster sauce served as a very generous portion with a side salad. ORDER THIS. My dinner date ordered the Bouillabaisse with PEI mussels, clams, Digby Scallops, shrimp and served with couscous. As soon as our meal arrived we barely spoke to each other. We were so enamoured with how frickin' amazing the food was. mmmm.
As if the food couldn't get any better, and we couldn't eat another bite, we had to try the flourless chocolate banana cake with creme anglaise so we finished off with the most delectable dessert I may have ever eaten. I would go back just for this dessert. Actually, I probably will because I can't stop thinking of it.
Service was stellar...which from the other reviews leads me to believe that may be because it's too cold for a patio, but nonetheless our server was very attentive and he was also funny, just sayin'.
Moral of story: I will return. Great spot for an actual date if you want to impress your date with amazing food and a charming atmosphere. Also, they don't rush you here so you can spend hours "canoodling"...or ignoring each other while falling in love with your food.
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