A little wine, a little chocolate—who could ask for more? Well, a sandwich or flatbread might be nice, too. That must have been the determination of the Bissinger’s team when it decided to rebrand its prime space on the CWE’s prettiest block. With a new name to boot, the cafe serves salads, soups, flatbreads and hefty sandwiches.
Makes sense. You can lounge outside enjoying the cobblestone street and elegant fountain while nibbling charcuterie, or, if you prefer, take a seat in either the cafe side (where the chocolate case is) or the wine lounge and savor a rich roast beef sandwich with housemade potato chips (among the best I’ve tasted).
A Smoked Trout platter to share ($16) offered smoky fish on a bed of arugula. It came with sliced French bread and a mini tub of creamy, full-fat ricotta cheese. The coup de grâce was the lovely Pickled Shallots—spicy and full of vinegar flavor. You can construct canapés by layering the arugula, shallots, cheese and fish on the bread. A pile of tiny cornichons provided more tangy pickling. A serving of French Onion Soup ($5) was satisfying with its melted cheese topping and soppy French bread; the broth was quite sweet and not as densely flavored as the best of its kind, but still quite nice. The menu clearly has a French bent, fitting for a purveyor of French confections. The Croque Monsieur was superb. Served open-faced as two halves, the presentation was irresistible: French bread is layered with country ham, béchamel sauce and dijon mustard, all dripping with piping hot Comté cheese. The taste? Impeccable! It’s creamy, chewy, salty and tangy-sweet from the mustard and all-around decadent. Add to the ecstasy by ordering your sandwich with housemade chips.
Also very good was the Smoked Brisket ($12), a generous sandwich of fat-laced beef (in a good way) and melted Comté cheese on chewy ciabatta bread. The accompanying chips are, again, delicious. The Quinoa Wrap ($9.50) is a tasty option for vegetarians, with mild flavors and nice textures. The Whole Wheat Wrap is fresh and stuffed with quinoa, black beans and firm cubes of sweet potato. Interest is provided by a citron-curry spread and cilantro. The flatbreads ($9.50 to $11.50) have some nice toppings, but I wasn’t crazy about the crust. It lacked the delicate flavor and texture of artisan crust, seeming more prefab.
You can expect desserts to reign here and to be crafted around chocolate. Our Classic Cococcino ($9) came beautifully presented in a coffee cup as very dense molten chocolate cake. Double Chocolate Bread Pudding ($9) was white bread pudding marbled with elegant ribbons of dark chocolate and drizzled with melted dark chocolate. A scoop of peanut butter ice cream was melting on top. You can’t go wrong with the cookies, including the crisp chocolate chunk and the chocolate biscotti, which also is dipped in chocolate and had excellent texture.
amuse bouche
the scene | Charming urban cafe/wine bar with patio
the chef | Nick Miller
the prices | $7 to $16 starters, $9.50 to $12 meals
the favorites | Croque Monsieur, Smoked Brisket, Housemade Chips, French Onion Soup
32 maryland plaza | 314.367.7750
Pictured: Margherita Flatbread
Photos: Bill Barrett