It is unlikely that you will stumble upon Cafette, 8136 Ardleigh St. , but it’s definitely a dining experience worth seeking out.
All the culinary action in Chestnut Hill seems to be on Germantown Avenue, but tucked away on a quiet, unassuming residential street is this cozy, jazzy and charming space decked out with European poster art (and not the same ones you always see) and a breathtaking outdoor dining space that is most likely all the rage when the weather outside gets nicer. But don’t take our word for it. With 20 years under the owner’s collective belts and a dedicated local following, their success speaks for itself.
Cafette’s seasonal new American menu consists of a handful of solid starters and entrees. We were impressed by the curry chickpea soup, which was hearty, pleasantly vegan and very flavorful. The seared poblano pepper ($11) was a colorful feast, stuffed with cheese grits and bathed in tomato sauce, all topped with pumpkin seeds and sour cream. It was easy to see why it’s one of their more popular dishes.
Those dishes set the stage for the entrees, which were excellent. The green curry ($16 with tofu, $18 with chicken, $19 with shrimp) was quite the assemblage of flavors and textures, with crisp vegetables, toasted peanuts and a lovely bed of rice. Cafette also has a steak dish of the day (market price) that is a must-have for any self-respecting carnivore. By far, out favorite dish of the evening was the rock-shrimp chili ($18). The shrimp stood out in a dish normally associated with intense beefiness and was complimented by a dazzling array of well-seasoned black beans, peppers and onions and topped with sour cream and the most-welcome tortilla wedges.
Dessert at Cafette was exquisite. The chocolate cake and lemon curd cake were equally great, but we were especially impressed with the bread pudding, which was divine. We are often bombarded with bread pudding. So much so that we’ve become jaded at the thought of it and oftentimes sidestep it for something more exotic. But Cafette’s version hit all the right notes, with a lovely crust and a superbly moist and sweet interior. We’d be hard-pressed to recall a better bread pudding in our experience.
If you have to make a special trip to Chestnut Hill, do it. Cafette is a worthy treasure.