HOTSPOT OF THE WEEK: CALI CAFÉ
Drawing on Southern California’s rich culture and fresh ingredients, Cali Café serves a menu of salads, wraps, sandwiches, soups, pastas, flatbread pizza and paninis in a laid back, casual atmosphere.
Cali quotes “California is home to one of the most diverse populations in the world, each with their own distinct culture and culinary perspective. These ethnic flavors and ingredients have been blended together to create dishes that are uniquely California.” They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch and everything in between.
Breakfast is available all day with items like the Sunrise Wrap with bacon, ham or sausage; Ventura Veggie (spinach tortilla,scrambled eggs, fresh spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, chives and sundried tomato pesto), SoCali Wrap, Santa Cruz Wrap, Sunrise Sandwich, Cheddar Panini with bacon, ham or sausage; Oatmeal Supreme, Fruit Bowl and Berry Yogurt Parfait.
A nice assortment of flatbread pizza is offered: Veggie, Café Supreme, Pepperoni, the Greek, Baja BBQ Chicken and the Big Kahuna (mango habanero sauce, red onion, mozzarella cheese, ham, pineapple and bacon).
If you’re in the mood for pasta and it’s after 4 p.m., you’re in luck. Cali Café offers four different pasta dinners served with toasted garlic ciabatta bread: Chicken Pesto, Veggie Lasagna, Rustic Italian Lasagna and Pasta Puttanesca (spaghetti, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green olives, kalamata olives, capers, garlic in a white wine tomato sauce).
Paninis are grilled sandwiches served on focaccia bread and at Cali Café, they are served with mixed field greens or pasta salad. The choices include: Napa (grilled chicken, provolone, sun-dried tomato pesto, mushrooms, red onion with balsamic glaze), Big Sur (roast beef, provolone, tomato, red onion, pesto mayo) and Veggie (grilled eggplant, feta, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato pesto, red onion, pesto mayo with balsamic glaze). The hot wraps consist of: Baja, Frisco (herb-garlic tortilla, grilled chicken, red onion, roasted red pepper, mozzarella cheese, spinach, sun-dried tomato with basil pesto) and the Monterey.
Cali Café has a few cold wraps, served with chips and salsa or baby carrots. The list seems endless: Chicken Caesar, Paso, Sweet Thai (spinach tortilla, grilled chicken, provolone cheese, lettuce, sprouts, carrots, crunchy noodles, mandarin oranges with a sweet sesame dressing), Sonoma and Spicy Chicken. Various cold sandwiches are available and served on your choice of white, wheat, marble or sourdough bread: Dilled Chicken, Apple Walnut Tuna (freshly made with Swiss cheese, mayo, lettuce tomato, sunflower seeds and sprouts), Cali Club, LA (sliced ham, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo) and the SLO (sliced turkey breast, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, tomato dressing and mayo).
Rounding out the menu is their famous pick any two combinations: Signature soups (creamy tomato and roasted red pepper with smoked gouda), baked goods and desserts. Not only do they serve great food, but also serve great beverages: smoothies (strawberry breeze, peach paradise, blueberry bliss and banana berry), the Cali coffee bar featuring The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (brewed, espresso drinks, blended chillers, tea and hot chocolate), boutique wine (Tobin James Cellars, Steinbeck Vineyards and Winery, Paso Robles), domestic and imported beer, plus local craft beer (Lucky Luke Brewing on tap).
My taste buds would sum up Cali Café in three words: Fresh, healthy and delicious. My friends totally agreed with me while enjoying lunch last week. We dined on a few different items, starting with the Ventura Veggie Wrap — a great morning start, add a cup of coffee from the Cali coffee bar and voila! Breakfast is served.
The eggs were scrambled to perfection with fresh veggies all wrapped up in a warm spinach tortilla — sheer perfection. Keeping with the veggie theme, we ordered the Veggie Panini and with veggies like eggplant and roasted red peppers, how could we go wrong? They were cooked to perfection, making an incredible flavor when combined with the pesto and balsamic glaze.
Loving the combination of sweet, spicy and salty made the Big Kahuna a perfect choice. Fresh, sweet and delicious with a slight kick at the end, the mango habanero sauce gave this pizza a daring and exciting twist, making it addicting.
Next, we tried the Apple Walnut Tuna Sandwich. After the first bite, I just couldn’t wait for the second. Each bite was like tasting a mouthful of freshness — crisp apple morsels blended in the tuna, turning it into a delicious sandwich with bread so soft, it stuck to the roof of your mouth. Last, we tried the Sweet Thai Wrap, followed with a couple of sodas and the Peach Paradise smoothie. I would call this wrap the ideal meal with all the food groups wrapped inside a spinach tortilla packed with bright colors, great textures and beyond healthy. The sweet sesame dressing put it over the top. In between bites, I enjoyed the smoothie, a refreshing blend of peach juice and ice, rich, creamy, sweet and very peachy with a delicious mound of whipped cream on top.
At Cali Café, their passion is to celebrate food, drink and the people they serve every day. “Like a California sunset they look forward to seeing you soon!” If you are planning an event or business lunch, ask about their catering, delivery or meeting room.
They’re open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday. They offer dinein, take out and drive-thru and are located at 44140 20th St., West, Suite 101, Lancaster, 661-940–5878. Check out the full menu at www.thecalicafe.com.
Bon appetit!