Café Soleil radiates atmosphere
By Nancy Cassidy, Outpost contributor
Recently my husband and I returned to Café Soleil in
the Caughlin Ranch shopping plaza, just off West McCarran
Boulevard. We had been there once before, a year ago, and
remembered this restaurant as a comfortable place for
romantic evenings a deux. We were happy to find that our
second visit reinforced our first impression.
The prices at Café Soleil are only slightly lower than the most expensive restaurants we've found in Reno -- Bricks and Adele's -- and the meals are a couple of notches below those two in quality and presentation.
But we like the less formal ambiance at Café Soleil. It's the first place we think of when we're looking for a classy but comfortable evening out together. We save Bricks or Adele's for more formal celebrations with friends or family and for when the meal is expected to be the focus of the evening.
About the only downside of an evening out at the Café Soleil is trying to get in or out of the place. For some reason, between the outer and inner doors, there is an airlock so tight it could convince the muscularly challenged the restaurant is closed. When my husband helped me with the door, it gave suddenly, and I was sucked into the restaurant in a whoosh of lost aplomb and disheveled hair.
But once we were safely inside, the dining experience settled down to the elegant and leisurely pace I remembered.
Café Soleil accepts reservations, which I always appreciate. I usually don't wait around at any restaurant that forces its customers to hover in a line-up just for the privilege of eating at a regular meal time. However, this Wednesday we dropped into the cafe on a whim around 6 p.m. The restaurant was only about a third full, so we were seated right away. An hour later it appeared to be filled almost to capacity. If we had been required to wait, a pleasant bar with stools and a few tables to the left of the entrance at least offers a congenial place to do so.
The restaurant has around 30 tables, generously spaced throughout the room. Four eating areas are separated subtly from each other without the use of walls or booths, although most tables have a low, etched plexiglass divider on one side. One eating section on the side of the room is raised a couple of steps above the main floor, and another section enjoys a spectacular, panoramic view of the city below.
The bar, which wraps around from the waiting area and extends down three-quarters of the length of the restaurant, is also used for eating. At least part of the kitchen -- the fun part with flaming grills, copper range hoods and chopping surfaces -- is open to the main floor, just beyond the bar. The atmosphere is subdued, with soft lighting, carpeting and terra cotta-colored walls. There are only a few paintings and pieces of art around the edges of the room. The decor is dominated by a huge art-deco ceiling treatment, resembling the hub and spokes of an irregular half-wheel.
We found Café Soleil's service attentive and unobtrusive. Warm bread and before-dinner drinks arrived within five minutes. We took longer than usual to order, and our waiter checked twice before we finally made our selections.
The menu presents a limited, fully a-la-carte collection of about 25 dishes, including appetizers, salads, fish, chicken, beef and lamb. There is also a pasta section of six or eight items. Usually the restaurant features one special, which the waiter describes verbally. On this visit, my husband and I both decided to go Italian -- the spicy sausage and mushroom pizza ($12) for him, and gemelli pasta with roasted chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and wild mushrooms in a herb and butter sauce ($14) for me.
We also chose appetizers. My husband said his Caesar salad ($6) was good but unremarkable. That probably means that it didn't bite back. He likes lots of Tabasco in his Caesar. I chose the Southwestern corn chowder ($3 for a cup), which had an interesting smoky flavor. I added a touch of salt to it.
The 10-inch pizza was hot and, as expected, tasted mostly of the Italian sausage that my husband loves. My chicken and pasta came in an efficient, shallow pasta bowl. It was mild and delicious, no one ingredient dominating.
Both dinner portions were generous -- neither my husband nor I could eat more than half of what we were served. Our leftovers were packaged for us to take home. However, the Styrofoam boxes arrived before our desserts and struck the only discord in an otherwise relaxing evening. The table was not large, so the boxes cramped our eating space during our final course. And they just plain looked tacky. I would have preferred to have them brought to the table with our bill.
My husband had no room for dessert. But I'm a sucker for creme brule, so when I saw it on the separate dessert menu, I had to try it. The creme was delicious -- a smooth egg-and-vanilla flavor -- and the crunchy brown sugar topping was toasted just the way I like it. I was relieved to see that it was the traditionally small serving in a 3-inch ramekin, but a little disappointed when I discovered that only the blow-torched topping was warm. The creme itself was ice cold, not room temperature, so the flavor of the topping and the bottom did not blend as well as I hoped.
Our experience at Café Soleil supported the positive impression of our first visit. The food is good and attractively presented, if a bit over-priced. What keeps us wanting to return is the ambiance and professional service -- the right balance for us that makes us feel comfortable and welcome while enjoying a special evening out together.
Posted
May 8, 1999
Copyright 1999
Nevada Outpost