Green Leaf Cafe

We readied ourselves for the journey. The gas tank was full, our stomachs empty and we braced for the long ride out west. It was time to explore one of the few local restaurants in WeMo—the recent arrival of the Green Leaf Café on Hillcrest just south of Grelot. The drive was not really that tortuous due to it being a Saturday.

The Green Leaf occupies an attractive brick building that looks to have been recently constructed and swiftly vacated by its first occupant. Bright, large windows present generous light for the tables scattered in front of a large “show” cooler filled with desserts and an open preparation area.

Three friendly, quiet people served us and a few other tables. Two of them, a man and a woman looked to be the owners. My kids and I were more than hungry and they were excited to review a restaurant. Both kept picking up one of the Lagniappe’s from the stack, giggling and whispering—intent on blowing our cover. I quickly ordered two root beers to distract them.

Large glasses filled with crushed ice and root beer delighted each of us, as we all like crushed ice. They were cold and refreshing. The Green Leaf has an abundant choice of teas. Green, white, black, Oolong, Jasmine, Pu-erh (a post fermented tea, dark reddish and strong in flavor) and spiced Chai. There are more. Boba Tea is a fruity drink made with soft and chewy tapioca pearls and comes in a plethora of flavors and blends. You can get fruity blends, milky blends, slushy blends or hot blends. They have a lot of tea. The Green Leaf also offers organic coffee, several bottled waters and soft drinks. I got the iced spicy Chai, which is an Indian tea. It was full of cinnamon and creamy. My kids drank half of it.

The food menu is a little more selective. They have just about any kind of basic sandwich you would like with a choice of honey white, wheat, rye or sourdough breads. My son wanted a plain ham and cheese sandwich on white. How original. Also in this area are a veggie sandwich consisting of fresh avocado, choice of cheese, lettuce and tomato along with an Atkins concoction, which simply means no bread. What was most appealing however was a peanut butter, jelly (grape or strawberry) and marshmallow fluff sandwich—my daughter picked it out immediately.

The Green Leaf also has numerous paninis, which are served on French, Cuban or hoagie bread. Some of the selections include a: Cuban: fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil; turkey, provolone, cilantro and honey mustard; turkey, brie and pesto; ham, brie, granny smith apples and Dijon mustard or feta cheese with spinach, tomatoes and garlic spread. I chose the prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and olive oil on French bread. What I will try next time that was enticing are two Vietnamese Baguettes. These are served on one of the panini bread choices and are dressed with carrots, daikon, cucumbers and cilantro. One is roast pork and the other a veggie baguette.

All sandwiches come with a choice of potato salad or cole slaw. My kids ordered the cole slaw and I got the potato salad. Both are bought and not as good as the items made on premises, but the sandwiches are so good you really do not want to eat anything else anyway. My daughter’s sandwich with grape jelly oozed with fluff. While basic, here is something unique. We fought over bites of her sandwich. In fact, we considered ordering another for dessert.

My son’s ham and cheese was made with quality meat and while a rather pedestrian choice, it did fit the bill. Mine was awesome. Salty, numerous slices of proscuitto (an Italian ham for those wondering) were layered in between creamy melted fresh mozzarella and plum tomatoes. The bread was crunchy despite being pressed on the panini grill. Freshly prepared, it arrived and stayed hot. Maybe that was because I ate it so fast.

The service was personal, but they could afford to be since the place was not crowded. They were prompt and attentive to refills and wanted feedback on the food. The extensive menu does seem manageable, as the choices are essentially variations and/or combinations of others.

We decided to order dessert. I could tell by the pieces of professional grade wax paper that these were homemade, but I figured what the hell. My kids ALWAYS want dessert. So far they had given the restaurant more than a thumbs up. In fact, they have asked me about three or four times since when we are going back.

We chose a strawberry cake and a crème brule cheesecake. The strawberry cake was a thick mound of yellow cake with strawberries and strawberry sauce filling, topped with whipped cream. It was okay but not near as good as the cheesecake. Thick, rich and creamy, the cheesecake had enough “crème brule” flavor as to not overpower, nor was it bland.

Our meal including tip was $32. Not bad for lunch. If I worked out west I can imagine I would be a regular. It definitely beats T.G.I. Fridays or Copeland’s. Well, that is not saying much. How about any of the stay-at-home moms’s in Sugar Creek or Canebrake should be making a beeline to try them out? I guarantee they will become regulars. In fact, come to think of it that is who else populated the restaurant. By having a diverse selection that relies on basics, the Green Leaf can develop a following. God help us if WeMo starts having more real food.

The Green Leaf Café (776-1388) is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays they serve from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. (hey, all you suburban kids coming in from partying—this definitely beats Krystal). On Sundays they serve from 12 -6 p.m.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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