Review: Mimi's Cafe

When we used to live in Sacramento, we enjoyed eating at Mimi's Cafe, every now and again. Corrina had been eating there with her family for years and introduced it to me after we got married. We enjoyed the ambiance as well as the menu. Although I have never actually been to Louisiana, it was reminiscent of the type of place you would see in New Orleans, especially the French Quarter. There's musical instruments and gator heads on the walls. The menu was simple but the food was delicious. I'm not a big soup fan, but whenever we would go, I would readily substitute their French Onion Soup for the fries, it was that good. They would also give your table a bread basket with bread sticks, carrot raisin bread (which Corrina absolutely loved), etc (In our younger days, when we would eat out a lot, we would rate restaurants on the type and quality of the bread they would give you as you order). While we were down in Sacramento visiting friends and family this Fourth of July weekend, we really wanted to eat there again.

Unfortunately, they changed their menu and now the place has lost some of its pizzazz. The menu has more options, but now has the feel of any other chain restaurant you could go to. It appears that, instead of embracing their French Quarter personality, they are trying to be just any other French restaurant. In fact, the current specials insert in the menu had the theme of the Tour de France and each week (or so) they were going to highlight a different region of France. The semi-upscale french menu just doesn't fit in with the French Quarter memorabilia on the wall. Corrina commented that the carrot raisin bread wasn't as good as she remembered it, and I felt the same about the French Onion Soup. The soup itself tasted fine, but there was something different about the bread and melted cheese on top. Now, I will admit that the change in taste could be because we haven't eaten there in a long time and our memories deceive us, or the fact that we don't eat out as much anymore so our taste buds have adjusted to the homemade food over restaurant food, but I just can't get over the fact they they changed their menu. Like I said earlier, they are not a French Restaurant, they are a French Quarter Restaurant and should return to that. Their food is average and their menu is average. I don't think we will be returning there any time in the near future.