California Cafe
Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone: (952) 854-2233
02/22/2007 Posted by jesusofnazareth
I've eaten here a number of times over the years and always been very pleased. Yesterday I dropped by for lunch and had what might be called the comeback traditional dish of the decade, macaroni and cheese. One finds it on many restaurants' menus these days, and it's a good thing. Of course, there are now many variations on the basic theme; certainly on the Kraft boxed version with which some of us grew up. I have an entire cookbook devoted to macaroni and cheese recipes, and I've prepared many of them, some quite good. What I'm saying here is that, while I've eaten, enjoyed, and made umpteen other pasta preparations in my journey through life, I've always thought M & C can be - emphasis on can be - one of the most pleasurable. With that preface, I will assert that the version I had here just might be the best I've ever consumed. The cheeses were gruyere, white cheddar, and parmesan, with the addition of Nueske's bacon and a bread crumb topping. Anyone who reads this, and who likes M & C, must try it. It comes with oven-roasted brussels sprouts, a vegetable which I've always thought goes well with Mac. I appreciated the fact that it wasn't cooked all to hell, but just a bit more in or on the heat would've made it better - plus some salt, which, annoyingly, wasn't to be found on any table. At about $12 for a large and filling (can M & C not be filling?) serving, this is a decadent bargain. A nice Viognier only enhanced the pleasure. Oh yes, and for those who don't know, the ambience inside is very pleasant, contrary to the tables "outside" where one's view is of the theme park and one's auditory stimuli consist of squealing children, at least on busy days.
Pros: Food is always very good, but the Macaroni and cheese is outstanding.
Cons: It isn't closer to where I live (but that would mean the Mall is closer).
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