Cafe Juanita

"Cafe Juanita has been a labor of love, allowing Holly to express her passion for Northern Italian food and wine; a commitment to organics and sustainability and a holistic approach to the dining experience."

Chef Holly Smith battled against Cat Cora in Iron Chef America and won. The main ingredient was grapes and you'll see this come up in some of the dishes I had at Cafe Juanita. Apparently, she was also once a sous chef at Dahlia Lounge, one of Tom Douglas's restaurants in Seattle. Her specialty is in Northern Italian cuisine. I saw a dish on the menu that had chickpea crepe on it, and was immediately reminded of the one I enjoyed in Lucca last January.

Dinner overview: Two people. An appetizer, an entree and a dessert each. One side dish. And two plates of bread. All for a total of ~158 dollars, not including tip.

First up was the bread. I was told that I absolutely have to try what seemed like a really thin cracker that came with the bread plate. So, I did. And it was good indeed. It was crisp and tasted of herb with a hint of rosemary.

When I saw foie gras on the menu, I knew that I simply had to have it. I was even more convinced when I spotted "cocoa nibs" among the other items on the dish. The dish did not disappoint. If at all, it was disappointingly tiny. The nibs were sprinkled on top of the foie gras and the dish was drizzled in olive oil and some sort of fruity vinaigrette. There were grapes on the side that were sweet, but also a bit sour - a perfect combination.

I don't have the name of the other appetizer, but just to irritate B, I will describe it as Fried Pork sitting on a bed of lightly dressed greens and topped with a fried duck egg. The dish was accompanied by lightly breaded grapes, which in my opinion were one of the best surprises of the evening. (Yes, there were multiple bests.)

On to the entrees. I had the Blackmore Wagyu Flat Iron with Grilled Salad Onions Sage Brown Butter and Truffled Fonduta. This is the first time I had Wagyu beef and it was heavenly. The meat was so buttery and felt like it just melted in my mouth. I took my sweet precious time savoring every bite.

We also ordered the Rabbit Agnolotti dal Plin with Sage Butter. This is Cafe Juanita's signature dish. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as B did, but I have to admit that it was better than I expected (I am not a fan of rabbit). Part of the meat was wrapped in bacon and the sauce was fabulous. It tasted of butter and truffle - a combination that just couldn't go wrong.

For our side dish, we had the Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Lime and Pinenuts. The cumin added a nice kick to it and the dish tasted spicy, sour and salty all at the same time. I wouldn't call this my ideal side dish, but B seemed to enjoy it a lot.

For the first time in my dining experience, the dessert did not take the spotlight. We had the Chocolate truffle cake topped with strawberry gelato and the Torrone Panna Cotta with Cardoon Blossom Honey. I always forget that Torrone means nuts and wasn't too pleased that I had nuts in my panna cotta. Once I got those nuts out of the way, however, the panna cotta was just like some of the best ones I've had - light and creamy. And whatever type of honey Cardoon Blossom Honey is, it was amazing! It tasted like raw honey with the clover all ground up so it had a certain grittiness to it. Yum! The chocolate truffle cake was rich and smooth and is best eaten with the gelato on top of it. Though delicious, these desserts were nothing special.

 Cafe Juanita was a good treat to a busy week. Ingredients tasted fresh, unique flavors tickled my tastebuds and the servers were friendly and knowledgeable. Rated out of 5, I would give it a 4.5.

Cafe Juanita
9702 NE 120th Place
Kirkland, WA 98034
Phone: (425) 823-1505
Fax: (425) 823-8500
info@cafejuanita.com