 |
 |
Nordstrom Cafe, a closer look
 |
  |
 |
|
Nordstrom Marketplace blog! |
Nordstrom Cafe blog! |
Nordstrom Marketplace Cafe on Yelp! |
 Fuud's Cat on Nordstrom Cafe Ala Moana! |
Aloha!
8/11/11 - Like Mariposa at Neiman Marcus last time, Nordstrom Marketplace Cafe is the main eatery in an upscale department store, this time in the equally humongous and ritzy Nordstrom Ala Moana store. But there are major differences between the two. While Mariposa is rather Hawaii Regional Cuisine/Pacific Rim'ish, Nordstrom Cafe is decidedly American cafe'ish. While Mariposa is priced in-line with some of the more expensive restaurants on the island, Nordstrom Cafe is mostly in the $10-$18 range. While Mariposa is a full-service restaurant, Nordstrom Cafe is an order-at-the-counter, cafeteria-style venue. And because I have some inside sources, I also know that Neiman Marcus itself is 100 percent designer and hyper-expensive, while Nordstrom, though still offering the same top designer brands, also includes a few floors of a bit more affordable items - though still not cheap, by any means. Like I would know these things on my own, right? The fanciest I get while clothes shopping is American Eagle Outfitters and Nordstrom Rack!
The Cafe is located on the first floor, with plenty of parking either in Ala Moana Center or the many levels of open parking Nordstrom has itself. It's a great place to hang-out from its opening of 9:30am, but arrive after or around noon and chances are, you'll be standing in a line just like this:
Once inside, you'll need to grab a tray and immediately be faced with decisions, decisions, decisions, via a long line of colorful, tempting dishes:
Aaaah, where to begin! But begin you must, and when you're through deciding, you pay the cashier, fill your own drinks (unless grabbing ready-made drinks from the counter), and find yourself a seat. Fortunately, for quality's sake, most main entrees are made to order and brought to your table fresh from waitstaff when done.
Besides prices, the one thing I love about Nordstrom Cafe, as opposed to Mariposa, is the atmosphere. Of course, when sitting outside at Mariposa, there's always the benefit of a gorgeous perch overlooking the natural glories of Ala Moana Beach Park, especially during sunsets, but as for the facility itself, Nordstrom Cafe is tough to beat! While the former consists of one large, open rectangle inside and one smaller, open rectangle outside, the latter is divided into several different, geometrically-pleasing areas, with both the whole and part designed with plenty of room and a keen sense of architecture. Total Feng Shui. I think...! There's lots of rich, warm tones, contemporary Hawaiian themes, foliage, beatiful woods, concentric grids, gorgeous lighting, and touches of homeliness, too, with bookcases showcasing quaint'ish ceramic plates, wine bottles, decored jars, and more. Oh yeah, and books. It's a very contemporary and stylish venue, yet at the same time, is also comfortable, non-pretentious, and relaxing to the point of therapeutic benefit!
At modern cafe's like this, you can bet there will be a lot of soups, salads, and sandwiches. Not sure why, but I'm not a big salad fan when eating out. 8 out of 10 times, I'll take soup over salad when given a choice, I guess because I think it takes much more skill, knowledge, and time to create a good soup rather than a simple tossing of veggies and condiments. Granted, some salads become more competitive with cooked toppings such as, say, a seared ahi or chicken breast, but you can always order those toppings alone, and they are usually prepared fresher and better on their own, anyway. Needless to say, as beautiful as they were on the line, we didn't order any salads. The selection of soups, however, was a different story!
One of the healthiest bean/legumes out there, lentils are the main ingredient in this soup, and it was delicious. Knowing how heavy and dense lentils are, I ordered the smaller cup ($3.75) instead of a larger bowl, at $4.95.
Kumi swears by their tomato basil soup, but a special soup on another visit begged for experiential knowledge:
With a cheesy, crispy crostini on top and a layered wall of tortilla strips, this tortilla soup was even more impressive than the lentils. Inside, a robust Mexican spice mix, a deep corn flavor from the dissolved chips, and good-sized chunks of white meat chicken all combined for an absolutely delicious cup of soup.
And with soup, you gotta have sandwich:
Panini sandwich, that is. These glorified grilled cheese deals (What? Did I hear Melt Lunchwagon has closed down?) are pure taste, is what they are. I mean, buttered, grilled toast; salty, smoky ham; gooey-ooey cheeses; fried eggs? How can you go wrong?
Being an American-style cafe, there are also several straight-forward protein entrees available. No teriyaki, no fancy French Bearnaise or buerre blanc, no heavy marinades. Just salt, pepper, and herbs - that's it. It's all about the meat or vegetable items themselves, with little intrusion from anything else.
Isn't that sooo American? I mean, forget the dainty allumette or julienne - we're talking giant, whole cuts of red pepper, carrot, potato, onion, and zuchinni, all simply salted, herbed, and charred in a rustic, stylishly crude way. I'm so used to thin slices or strips, as in a stir-fry or salad, but these giant sections of zuchinni and carrot were so thick, they were outright intimidating! Their flesh inside was firm and almost meaty in consistency, not soft and almost-melting, as in a stew or crockpot.
The main item, salmon, was perhaps just a shade over-done, but still fatty-good and delicious:
Then there's pasta - tomato chicken, wild mushroom, alfredo, ravioli, penne - all depending on what day you go. Kumi's favorite here is their spicy shrimp w/angel hair:
And I see why. It's a pretty simple dish, really, but it's the kind of simplicity that makes a dish masterful. Its tomato sauce was slightly tangy, slightly sweet, and applied lightly. The shrimp pieces were generous and cooked just enough. The pasta was al dente. A topping of parmesan and fresh-cracked pepper, and instead of something flamboyant and reaching, you have yourself the makings of a classic, tried-and-true, always-pleasing dish.
That last major food type here at Nordstrom Marketplace Cafe - outside of soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta, desserts, and grilled entrees - is pizza, all done right behind the counter:
Yeah, I coulda done the tomato/basil, margerita, or roast duck pie, but as good as they all sound, there is absolutely no pizza better than pepperoni! This one also came with a slew of wild mushrooms and topping of fresh basil, as well ($11.75):
Yes, it was as good as it looked! More of a thin-crust pizza, the combination of pepperoni, basil, bits of mushroom, crisped bread, and heavenly cheese was fantastic. The only drawback was the cold, ivory-white porcelain plate it was placed upon. The first several pieces were perfect, but by the time the last few were going down, the temperature had dropped substantially, hardening the cheeses and solidifying the oils. Had it been a hot metal or, better-yet, cast-iron skillet, it would have been a different story. Nevertheless, this pizza was still excellent, both piping-hot or room temperature.
And finally, when the check arrives, and just like the competition over at Neiman Marcus and Mariposa, there is a chocolate mint stick to send you on your way. This one? Much, much better than over at Mariposa:
I really like this place. The food is straight-forward and decent, and for such a fancy department store, it's still very much affordable. As stated, the atmosphere is especially inviting, and I can see myself coming just as they open at 9:30am, ordering a coffee, finishing a paper, and jumping on the computer. Check it out yourself!
Hey, you all have yourselves a great and wonderful day!
Take care, and Aloha till next time!
Aku
Nordstrom Marketplace Cafe
Ala Moana Shopping Center
953-6100
9:30am-8pm daily, except 10am-6pm Sunday
Parking at own lot or Ala Moana lot
Back to American Sandwich/Deli section
