Opa! "My Big Fat Greek Chicken Sandwich" highlight of Cafe 334 lunch

Chef Amy's Cafe 334

334 South Phillips Avenue

Phone:  334-3050

Hours:  Mon-Wed 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thurs 8 a.m. to 2 p.m and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri and Sat 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m; Sun 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cost:  Breakfast $5.95 to 6.75

          Lunch $5.95 to 6.75

          Dinner:  Starters (little plates) $6.95 to 10.95

                       Dinner entrees $12.99 to 26.99

Alcohol:  Wine and beer

Video lottery: No

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

Vegetarian options:  limited but can accomodate

Non-smoking seating:  Yes

Rating :  Four stars

Chef Amy Warren is back downtown and visibly in charge of her new restaurant, Amy's Cafe 334.  This delights her many fans and new folks who are packing the place at lunchtime and are likely to return foe dinner, which promises to be varied and innovative.  And breakfast is always memorable

We had lunch at Amy's soon after the place opened for business without much fan-fare or hype.  On that day the restaurant quickly filled up and both dining rooms were jumping by 1 o'clock.  Yet the pro staff was cooly effecient, frienly and helpful.

I couldn't resist "My Big Fat Greek Chicken Sandwich" ($6.95}, an open faced creation reminiscent of a gyros sandwich.  The warmed thick pita bread was the base for grilled marinated cahicken breast, smoky and kissed by the flame, lots of creamy feta cheese, kalamata olives, red onions, tomato, cucumber and pepperoncini peppers with cucumber-yogurt sauce.  Light and appetizing, it was a taste of the Aegean.  A tasty, well made potato salad (one of the best I've had) as the perfect side.

We also loved the "Georgia Peach" salad ($6.95) with Amy's incomparable pecan chicken salad on marbled rye atop spring greens, sprouts and marinated peaches, all drizzled with peach vinaigrette.  Charming and delicious.

At another lunch visit a few days later, my companion enjoyed her New York Debutante sandwich ($6.95), a hearty combination of thinly sliced salami, pepperoni, ham and provolone on foccacia.  A dense and flavorful marinara was served on the side for dipping.  A side of that marvelous potato salad completed the picture.The sandwich, aptly named, was elevated from the mundane by high quality ingrediants deftly combined.

A cup of cream of asparagus soup ($2.50) was pure essence of the vegetable.  The pureed asparagus was fortified with broth and cream but no starch or flour.  It was light and lovely.

Another example of light saucery was Pasta Kathleen ($7.25).  Chicken breast was sliced and gently sauteed in a white wine cream sauce with capers, crisp asparagus an d red bell pepper, and tossed with penne pasta.   The sauce, the consistency of cream, was imbued with flavors of the ingredients and gently enrobed the pasta without the unwelcome gluey consistency of some alfredo style sauces.  The capers lent a lively piquant note to a perfect luncheon entree.

The look and pace of Amy's Cafe 334 reflects the professional training and experience of the chef-owner. We didn't mind the occasional clatter of plates and pots and pans.  It underscored the point that some serious cooking is taking place here.  I plan to be back to experience it.

Comments

[Shelli]

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