Cafe Noir

I got the chicken herb, bussels sprout and couscous I believe. I'm eating it right now. It's really good. All the favors come together perfectly. Definitely coming back to try there jerk salmon.

Moments later. I tried the bread pudding and it was delicious. I dropped half of it 😭😭😭

My first visit but not my last. I had the grilled vegetable sandwich which was delicious with smoked red pepper remoulade, caramelized onions, portobello mushrooms, pepper jack cheese, spinach and seared sweet potato on focaccia bread. It wasn’t as big as i expected but turned out to be more than enough for my wife and I to share. Came with a large side salad of arugula, onions, cucumber in. Citrus vinaigrette. The blueberry lemonade was just right and not too sweet.
This was the perfect follow up to the always excellent haircut around the corner at A Little off the Top.

Four stars for quality ingredients and portion size, very filling: however, the taste was bland. The chicken sandwich had a very large, seasoned, deep-fried piece, that was slightly dry, on a sturdy bun and a coleslaw condiment. The slaw--though a fresh, tricolor mix of cabbages, carrots, onion--lacked tang. I felt it needs a little more mayo, apple-cider, sugar & salt dressing that would complement the sandwich. The overall taste: some heat in the breaded seasoning, nicely crisp, but otherwise lacks a deliciousness that would draw you back. The small shop is take-out. I hope the shop succeeds though--Nice to have a cafe here. I may try another sandwich sometime down the road to see if it was just me (you know, like maybe I lost my taste or something 😜).

We had the good luck of being Cafe Noir's first in-person customers at their soft open and I am glad to be the first to say that we will definitely be back. The food was great and came out fairly quickly, plus the team all seemed like good people. We got the bacon jam burger with a side salad, fried chicken sandwich with fries, brussels sprouts, and the ricotta donuts. Don't judge, we needed to try extensively across the menu and apparently wanted to make ourselves want a nap after; no, the food itself wasn't particularly heavy, we just ordered a lot and the portions were generous.

The bacon jam burger was cooked medium and juicy, the bacon jam added a nice bit of salty sweetness, and the arugula and cheddar complemented everything else well. All in all, a solid cheeseburger with enough flair to make it distinct. The bottom bun was a bit soggy, but that’s almost all on me for eating some salad and fries first and neglecting my poor burger. Plus, it’s a testament to the juiciness of the burger.

The fried chicken sandwich was just as crispy as it looks in the picture. It was also juicy and delicious. The buns on both it and the burger were great too; soft, but able to hold up well to the fillings. My only criticisms were wanting maybe a bit more spice on the chicken itself and a bit more of the slaw, but you can chalk that up to personal preference.

The brussels sprouts were excellent. Definitely don’t let the caramelized fish sauce scare you away as it makes the dish. The brussels sprouts themselves were crispy and perfectly cooked with lots of the wonderful little crisp leaves as well as the nice green, well-cooked interiors. However, the uniqueness of the sauce is what elevated it quite a bit; the only other place I’ve had something similar is at Niku, a fancy steakhouse in SF that has a Michelin star. I’ve eaten a lot of brussels sprouts both homemade and at restaurants and this is easily in my top 5.

Last but not least, the fries and side salad were both excellent. Sometimes they can be an afterthought, but that was not the case here. The fries were hot and crispy with the lovely soft potato interior and the side salad was a fresh blend of arugula and thinly sliced red onion (and I believe one other ingredient, but I ate it so fast, I don’t remember) with a refreshing citrus vinaigrette.

Oh and laster and even leaster, the ricotta donuts were really damn good. They came with chocolate and caramel sauces and they were so good on their own that I didn’t bother using the sauce. I tasted both of the sauces and they were great, but the donuts were good without them.

Overall, Cafe Noir is an excellent addition to the neighborhood and I am looking forward to them thriving. I would highly recommend you give them a try.

Edit: Been back twice now and stand by my initial impression. Had a salad with salmon added on. The salad was really good, but damn, the salmon may have had the best cook I've ever had on salmon at a restaurant. Perfectly moist and flaky piece of fish with a nice sear on the grill.

As one of the other reviews mentioned, the Grains in Purgatory are really good. Incredibly flavorful and the contrasts in textures are great too. I'm not a huge fan of cooked carrots, but they worked perfectly in this dish. Once I make my way through the whole menu, I'm coming back for more.