Cafe Ciao 3/5

Cafe Ciao
2031 Cahaba Rd.
English Village
205-871-2423

For our first review we decided we wanted to go somewhere neither of us had been before. We looked around online and found a place in English Village called "Chez Lulu" which had an interesting menu with a lot of vegetarian options. After driving back and forth through Mountain Brook like idiots for 15 minutes we finally gave up trying to find the place and figured we would just try something else in the area. After stepping out of the car the first place we saw was Chez Lulu (success!) which was closed (failure!).

We stepped next door to a place called Cafe Ciao. This was a nice little bar and grill that had a decent selection of salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes. There weren't a ton of vegetarian dishes but enough to give us somewhat of a selection. The prices were moderate and the atmosphere was nice (we sat outside in a courtyard area in front of the cafe). Our waiter was friendly, Texan and quick with our order.

Joshua: Every now and then I like to order an appetizer as my meal (don't judge me). There are usually quite a few vegetarian options in the appetizer section of every menu and since they are meant to be a snack for 4-5 people it works pretty well as a sufficient meal for one. Cafe Ciao has an appetizer called "Baked Artichoke Bottoms" that really piqued my interest so I ordered them with a glass of riesling.

When our Texan friend brought out our meal I was initially surprised. Three tiny artichokes sat on a little plate. Maybe it's my fault for ordering an appetizer instead of a meal but I can't imagine this being enough food to wet the appetite of an average group of people. I suppose in a group of six each person gets a bite?

(This picture makes them look much bigger. The plate was a little larger than a saucer. When they were brought out Michael just started laughing.)

With portion size aside, these artichokes were delicious. They were cooked perfectly, not too soggy and not too dry. They were topped with marinara sauce, a sprinkling of feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes which complimented the vegetable wonderfully. As the number one artichoke fan in the southeast I can announce that Cafe Ciao has done this heavenly vegetable justice. The three baby artichokes were delicious but unfortunately weren't enough to tame my appetite. Luckily this gave me an excuse to order dessert (I would have found an excuse even if I was served a mountain of artichokes).

Our waiter informed us the dessert choice was either a brownie or key lime pie. I went with the brownie and I wasn't let down. The brownie was hot, moist and topped with powdered sugar, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream. It was very rich but not overpowering and was (unlike the artichokes) a very generous portion. Overall I was happy with my meal. I would have liked to have more than three baby artichokes but I suppose that's what I get for ordering an appetizer as a main course.

Michael: Unlike Joshua, I actually ordered an entree for my meal. After looking the menu over and finding out all the soups were based of chicken or beef broth, I decided to go with the Fried Green Tomato BLT minus the B. It came with a choice of chips or fries as a side item. I went with the fries. I've only had fried green tomatoes one other time in my life, but I thought it'd be good to try something new.

The sandwich came out sliced in half, just how I like it. The portion was nice. Especially looking across the table and seeing Josh's tiny "meal". The sandwich was surprisingly spicy. A friend once told me, "The hottest I can go is salsa at Mexican restaurants." If this is you, I wouldn't recommend ordering this sandwich. I, however, loved it. The heat nicely complimented the tomatoes. The fries were a little too salty for my taste though. I didn't get a dessert, but there was no need. I was thoroughly stuffed by the time i finish. I was definitely pleased with my meal.

Overall Cafe Ciao was a good experience. The food was decent and there was a moderate vegetarian selection. Available vegetarian dishes include: fettucine alfredo, pasta prima vera, fried green tomato sandwich, toasted cheese, calzones, pizzas as well as a nice salad and appetizer selection. If you're ever in English Village it's definitely worth stopping by.

Birmingtarian gives Cafe Ciao three out of five blocks of tofu!