Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Everything old is new again

By F.C. FOODIE
Food Critic

For the last few months of 2003, it seemed you couldn’t drive by Fayette Pavilion without seeing signs of another restaurant under construction.

The construction boom has slowed down, but several new restaurants now call Fayette County home. As I wandered my way through these new dining establishments, I started wondering how some of our older restaurants were doing.

If you’re talking about fine dining in Fayette County, one of the earliest restaurants to bring white tablecloth dining to the county was Village Cafe.

Though it moved a few years ago to a new location near Movies 10, the restaurants still is one of your best dining options in the region. One of my favorite times to enjoy this cafe with a European twist is lunch. As you walk into the eatery, you’re immediately transformed from a strip-shopping center to a very low-lit taste of the continent.

Village Cafe has wonderful sandwiches, such as the Cuban, but also serves some very interesting pastas. One of the restaurants old-standybys that has endured through several menu changes has been the pecan-crusted chicken.

The restaurant is also know for its way with seafood, and the salmon specials are some of the best in the area.

I’m one of the biggest boosters of independent restaurants. I believe owners that are onsite are more in touch with the food likes and dislikes of their patrons than restaurants operated by a chain thousands of miles away.

For years, Village Cafe has been that type of restaurant. If you’ve been swayed recently by the spate of new openings, give the Village Cafe another chance. You might be surprised.

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