In Indianapolis's Canal Walk, near to the Renaissance Hotel, a little place called Left Bank Cafe (310 W. Michigan St.) recently opened. As a lover of most things French, when we were walking on the other side of the Canal on July 4th, I was very excited when I saw this adorable little cafe, aptly named with what I assumed was a double meaning. The window was emblazoned with an Eiffel Tower, so I naturally thought it was sweet and clever, to play on the concept of the real Left Bank, and from across the Canal, the place looked absolutely lovely. I assumed based on the name and the appearance of my beloved French landmark that the place just might be the only French restaurant in all of Indianapolis. After the closing of The Magic Pan when I was a kid and the demise of Chez Jean several years ago, French cuisine in Indianapolis (and more specifically, crepe cuisine) has been sorely lacking, and I had high hopes that I'd discovered a hidden gem...if not in savory, full-plate cuisine, then possibly in pastries alone.
Due to the holiday, the place was crowded. Inside seating was sparse and completely full, so we opted to dine al fresco, which provided a gorgeous view of the Canal and ample opportunity for people-watching. There was no direction regarding how or where to order, whether we should sit or wait to be seated, so we went inside to the counter and attempted to order. The owner, a very friendly older gentleman, tried taking our order, but it soon became clear that he was overwhelmed with the crowd and woefully under-prepared.
The menu was confusing - a perplexing mix of seemingly French dishes with a substantial portion of the menu devoted to the decidedly Italian paninis and flatbreads. I attempted to order a smoked salmon crepe, but the owner said it wasn't his favorite and attempted to steer me in the direction of a panini. Stubbornly, I insisted on a crepe, and ordered the veggie crepe, with a starter cheese plate. Leo, being in a cookout mood for the 4th of July holiday, ordered a cheeseburger, which was on special. The owner took our order, but then steered us outside to have our order taken again, as a fairly substantial line had formed behind us, unbeknown to us. We ordered drinks - the owner recommended a startling ice wine to me and eventually located a pinot grigio (which turned out to be fairly room temperature) upon request, and offered Leo a "local pint" of unknown origin.
We headed outside and claimed our table to wait for a server. It was a very crowded evening and it seemed that most of the people on the Canal Walk were stopping in to pick up lemonade or soda before continuing their walk. We learned later that the cafe had only recently opened, and were most likely still ironing out their newbie glitches when the Independence Day madness descended. This knowledge made me feel more forgiving when we finally flagged down a server, waited a half hour, then were notified by our server that the overwhelmed chef was so behind that she had shut down the kitchen until further notice and had no real ETA on our food. She kindly brought us bagged potato chips and more drinks and we settled in for the wait.
Our cheese plate arrived first. Described in the menu as "a selection of cheeses with olives, fruit and bread du jour," this plate failed to deliver on multiple counts. The dish consisted of several large chunks of bleu cheese, a few large chunks of a baby swiss of some type, and a large number of both Spanish and, inexplicably, kalamata olives. We had no fruit to speak of and no bread, either. Having forgotten (until now) that the fruit was promised, we requested bread and the server brought us four small slices of a baguette that was a bit tough and somewhat chewy, not the light, airy, crispy baguette of the French.
As for the rest of our meal, which was delivered not long after, the crepe was pancake-like, filled with befuddling herbs, cold, and frankly, largely inedible. It was meant to have a Dijon vinaigrette, but instead was liberally drizzled with Balsamic vinegar that overpowered the dish so much that I actually sent it back. Leo's burger was nondescript and overcooked, but the high point was the potato salad, which was rich and tasty. We also enjoyed a lemon tart, which was passable, but the meringue was a bit on the heavy side and the tart itself didn't have quite enough of that lemon snap one likes in a lemon dessert.
Overall, as much as I wanted to love this place and call it my "favorite new find," I have to say that Left Bank Cafe is a miss on virtually every level, save one. The food is sub-par, and the service is inefficient and disorganized. There is hope for the service - our server was a big highlight of our meal, as she was friendly, polite, and kept us well-informed of the status in the kitchen so we knew what to expect. The true saving grace of Left Bank Cafe, however, is its location, which I suspect will help it become a success, much in the way that La Jolla is a Broad Ripple success- the food stinks, but the location, ambiance, and view is so pleasant that you go there anyway.
So can I recommend this newly-opened spot on any level? Well, no. But on ambiance alone, I'm willing to give them another chance, after a few months in business. And here's what else I can say: if you happen to be on Canal Walk and you get thirsty, stop in for a beer and some chips. Sit awhile, enjoy the peaceful Canal view and the friendly service, but have dinner somewhere else.
No comments:
Post a Comment