Coral Gables Restaurant Week brought me to Angelique Euro Cafe for their three course lunch.  When I arrived, I was somewhat disappointed to discover that we would be seated outside, as there was a baby shower taking up the interior of the restaurant.  I was told that this happens quite often.  I guess this place is popular for large parties.

So, we were seated, and the eating began…

Bruschetta

I ordered the bruschetta as my appetizer.  I can’t say that I have tried all of the bruschetta known to man, but this was the first time that I have had bruschetta with such large pieces of onion.  In case you are not aware, I don’t really like onions.  If they’re mixed into something and mostly undetectable, that’s fine.  So, I was surprised that my first bite was as pleasant as it was.  I tasted a hint of balsamic in the tomatoes, like a subtle tang that kind of hits the back of your mouth.  The crispy baguettes were sturdy enough to not crumble and disintegrate after the first bite.  I would have eaten more of these, if I could have.

While we went for their lunch, we also noticed that they serve brunch on Saturdays.  And, since they had a nice brunch sampler platter (and, because we are bottomless pits when we want to be), we decided to try out some of their brunch items.  What we got, well, see for yourself.

French toast, grits, Belgian waffle, and sausage

What you’re looking at here is a serving of french toast made with baguette, a piece of Belgian waffle with anise syrup, a bowl of grits, and some sausage.  As a bread lover, I was sold on that french toast.  It was drizzled with creme anglaise, which went spectacularly with it.  The Belgian waffle was the perfect blend of crispy outside and light, fluffy inside.  It had a hint of vanilla flavoring.  The sausage was sausage.  The grits, on the other hand, were a star.  I have never had such luscious, creamy grits, except if I make them at home.  We didn’t fight over them, because we’re better than that.  But, had she tried, one of us might have gone home on a stretcher (or, in handcuffs).

After we annihilated our brunch sampler, they brought out the main course.

 

Pasta con Fungi

I’d like to take a moment to point out that I am a carnivore.  Most times, an entree is not an entree if it does not contain meat.  Still, when it came down to either a steak salad or the mushroom ravioli, I went with the ravioli.  And, after the first bite, I knew I had made the right call.  Honestly, people, I can’t even describe how good this was.  The sauce was made with shallots and garlic.  As in, there were visible chunks of garlic in the sauce.  The mushrooms were tender, but not limp.  The sauce…my goodness, the sauce.  My friend started dipping the steak from her steak salad into the sauce.  It was THAT good!  I didn’t even miss the meat.

They served us ice cream for dessert.  They make their own.  It was good, as ice cream usually is.  I probably wouldn’t have had room for a more elaborate dessert, so it was a nice way to end the meal.

I would highly recommend trying this place at least once.

For more info on Angelique Euro Cafe, visit http://www.angeliqueeurocafe.com/ordereze/default.aspx