Review: Cafe Lou Lou

A flaky lavash is covered with spinach, tomatoes and cheese. (Credit: Arza Barnett)

I suppose you could call it "The Cafe Lou Lou Effect." Some weeks after Cafe Lou Lou moved from its former digs on Frankfort Avenue to its new home in St. Matthews, I overheard a Clifton-area restaurateur commenting about an influx of new customers that he identified as former Lou Lou-philes looking for new hangouts in the old neighborhood.

If the streets of Clifton are populated by forlorn souls coping with abandonment issues, it must be said the move hasn't dimmed Lou Lou's luster in the least. The new place is as vigorous and buzzy as ever.

The grade school ambience — brightly colored walls, witty art, noise levels that will remind you of a playground at recess, capacious booths — is still in place; the most significant change may be in the bar area, which seems so spacious and comfortable that it borders on a kind of elegance.

The menu seems little changed as well. Much of the menu is given over to pizza, calzones, pasta (conveniently priced in full and split portions), salads and sandwiches.

And over the years, Cafe Lou Lou has staked out a distinctive niche with eclectic touches that invoke Cajun and Middle Eastern cuisine; few are the restaurants where a meze plate ($9.95 for a handful of appetizers, including hummus, roasted peppers, bruschetta, sautéed carrots, etc.) nestles comfortably alongside pasta jambalaya ($14.25, $8.25; rotini tossed with smoked sausage, crawfish and shrimp).

The best dishes show a pleasing, playful whimsy that's perfectly suited to the space. One night, my friend Brigid and I split a salad where green leaves of spinach tumbled in a bright whirl of sweet, tart, salty flavors in the form of strawberries, blueberries, candied pecans, ricotta salata and a deeply flavored fig and poppy seed dressing ($8.25, no split plate charge).

A grilled chicken salad consisted of green and purple leaves topped with slivers of ripe tomato, shards of red onion, pieces of roasted red pepper and grilled chicken so juicy and flavorful that it reminded my wife, Mary, of pulled pork barbecue ($10.25).

Presentation is not always a priority. One night a round piece of crisp, flaky lavash was topped with a meticulous arrangement of tomatoes, spinach and a careful drape of Parmesan and mozzarella ($6.25).

Another night, the same dish had a slapdash careless look — and though the appearance might not have troubled us, the lack of care also translated into a soggy, disappointing base.

Mostly, though, the food is as attractive as can be. A calzone stuffed with meatballs and mozzarella ($9.25) was golden brown, crisp and generously sized; the meatballs and a side of marinara were savory.

Better, though, were a couple of pasta dishes: penne with shrimp and tomatoes ($14.25/$8.25) was dressed in a light cream infused with lemon, tarragon and white wine. And linguine carbonara ($14.25/$8.25) was rich and warming, sprinkled with scallions, but solidly based on a smoky, creamy base of bacon, Parmesan, chicken and mushrooms.

House-made desserts — like chocolate truffle crème brûlée and silky tiramisu ($6.50 each) — were extraordinary.

And though the restaurant offers a pleasant, moderately priced wine list, specialty cocktails and abundant draft beer offerings (including lots of BBC choices), fans of seasonal beers will enjoy choices like an apple beer from Ephemere, seasoned with coriander, or O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale, infused with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

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