Friday, September 19, 2008

Cafe Ella - Hollister, Ca

I WAS THE FIRST OFFICIAL CUSTOMER! How exciting is that for a new food blogger?! So if you want all the skinny on the new cafe in Hollister you better listen up, this is hot off the press! Located in the same spot Dimaggio's Cafe used to be at, by the new McDonald's and down the aisle from Tip and Toe can you find Cafe Ella...






Isn't the inside so charming? I was amazed on how cute it was! The color of the walls really was serene and calming - perfect after a stressful day at the office! My favorite part of the decor was the wall of mirrors. Very chic.




We were immediately seated and asked what we would like to drink. I knew I was feeling something a little heart healthy - so I asked for a Cabernet Sauvignon. The waitress recommended one from Rock and Vine, I had never heard of the winery but I was pleased with the choice. Very smooth. Bread and olive oil with balsamic came and we happily indulged.





On with the food! Ordered was the Panzanella Salad, it was very beautiful as you can see from the picture - very colorful! The salad had ciabatta cubes, roasted red pepper, heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, feta, baby spinach and arugula. There were two other options of salads all worth trying on different visits. One entree was the lasagna. It is old world style and is made to order, not sliced from a pan. Very cool! Layers of fresh pasta, spinach, ricotta and peccorino cheese, and topped with a sweet, classic meat sauce. Emphasis should be placed on the "meat sauce" - this could also be dubbed the "Land Lovers Special" - ha ha... I ordered the Sweet Chilean Crab and Avocado. Lump crab meat, orange sections, chives, apple vinaigrette on a toasted ciabatta round made their way on a bed of greens. I found this appetizer/entree very refreshing. Light and reminded me of summer. I think this is a great option for someone wanting to end the meal with something sweet...read on...

And you thought I would sneak out of there without trying one of the desserts didn't you? Ha ha... wrong! The dessert menu was short and sweet, kind of like me! I decided on the Creme Brulee and was happily served quite quickly! I of course shared some, but mostly devoured it all on my own! I love this stuff. It tasted a little warm though, like it had been made not too long ago... which is not a bad thing - I just like my creme brulee ice cold, kind of how I like my beer. I am getting a little cheesy now, so I will move this along...

I was thrilled when I walked through the door and Ella, of Cafe Ella, yes THE Ella, said I was the first customer! I will always think I am royalty when I walk through there now. I will tell the waitress, "You do know I was the first customer" on all future visits... I can see it now... they will say, "Really? Take this VIP section table in the back..." Ahhh the fame I will enjoy. Anyhow, I think Ella's is a refreshing change of pace to restaurants we have in town. It is on the pricier side so don't expect a 99 cent cheeseburger. Expect to pay more and receive fresher and higher quality food! They are open Monday - Saturday for lunch and dinner, which is great because it is rare that anything is open on Mondays in Hollister! Overall, two thumbs up - you will see me there again and again!

-MD

4 comments:

Merrie said...

Glad to have found your blog -- my friends and I are checking out Cafe Ella this week. Thanks for the review!

lost in the world of men and boys said...

Thanks for your review, we are going this week for moms night out.

lost in the world of men and boys said...

Thanks for your review. We are going for moms night out this week and I am really looking forward to going there even more now.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I found your blog as I was Googling for reviews on Cafe Ella. I thought you might want to know that they now also have a fan page on Facebook! Full disclosure: We built the fan page for her. Since you wrote such a glowing review, it only seemed logical that we let you know about it. ; ) By the way, thanks for all the great reviews on this blog. You've given me a long list of restaurants to check out. ; )