Cafe Epi was not easy to spot while I walked along the north side of University Avenue one day. It was near hidden behind the brawnier Abbey's Diner and the former Taxi's Hamburgers, near the corner of Waverley. Happily, I sailed by Abbey's and peeked into a contemporary, stylish diner that immediately registered familiarly as one of those sleek, chic cafes ubiquitous to Paris.Epi (pronounced ay-pee) is French for an ear of wheat, or a baguette that resembles a stalk of wheat. An epi baguette has eight "ears" on it; each ear can be pulled off for an individual serving. The notion of French baguettes matches owner Todd Le's predilection for French food. A former electrical engineer, Le ditched his high-tech job and enrolled at the California Culinary Academy about eight years ago.
Specializing in pastries, he partnered for a time with brother Hung Le, who owns Three Seasons and Bistro D'Asie in Palo Alto. Todd Le opened Cafe Epi in March on the site of the departed Fratelli Deli.
"My passion was always food. I have always been fascinated with French cuisine, especially French pastries, which are not as sweet as American pastries," Le said. "Since we opened, we have been overwhelmed with love from our customers."
Like any good French bistro, Cafe Epi is open long hours, from breakfast through late-evening repast. Service is prompt and the menu affords a wide range of choices from omelets, appetizer plates, soups, salads, sandwiches, pastries and desserts to an assortment of coffees, teas, beers and wine. It's a place to linger over the morning paper, get into and out of quickly, or socialize with friends.
The interior is brightly lit with tables neatly aligned towards the front and to one side. The service counter and three large glass deli cabinets line the other. The glassed cabinets display appetizing pastries such as croissants, turnovers and cookies, along with salads, individual servings of cheesecakes, mousses and cakes. Nearly everything is made on the premises.
There are daily specials too. I enjoyed the steak frites ($12.95), a reasonably portioned rib-eye steak with bordelaise sauce, fresh-cut French fries and green salad. I make a steady diet of midday steak frites and green salad when traveling around France; it's simply a delicious way to refuel. The rib-eye at Cafe Epi far exceeds the quality of entrecote typically served with steak frites in Europe.
The menu lists seven soups made on a rotating basis with at least two available each day. The roasted red pepper with Gouda cheese ($3.50 cup, $5.95 bowl) was tangy but not spicy hot, velvety, with a nice balance of cheese and sweet pepper.
The Nicoise salad ($7.95) was particularly good. Over a crisp bed of organic baby greens were finely diced radish, onion and capers, and large chunks of albacore tuna. A brisk vinaigrette brought the salad to glistening life.
Other salads include beef tri-tip, smoked salmon, mixed seafood, Caesar, mixed baby greens and chicken breast. Prices range from $7.95 to $10.95.
Cafe Epi's sandwiches excel. Served on fresh-baked, melt-in-the-mouth baguettes, most sandwiches come with a choice of side vegetable as well. The roast turkey breast sandwich ($7.95) was loaded with tender chunks of meat, French brie, mixed greens and cranberry sauce.
Wild smoked salmon ($8.75) was luscious with capers and cream cheese on a toasted baguette. The pate sandwich ($7.95) was the French-est of offerings. An unusual but winning combination was the truffle-speckled pate mousse spread on toasted baguette with tiny, tart cornichons. Had I a beret, I might have whistled "La Marseillaise" after eating.
Several delicious vegetarian sandwiches are available. The tasty grilled eggplant ($7.95) I tried was layered with roasted red peppers and mozzarella cheese, drizzled with olive oil, and housed between thick slices of baguette.
Besides serving croissants, turnovers and cranberry nut bread, Cafe Epi offers eat-in or take-out individual desserts ($4.50-$5). The Oreo cheesecake was winsome and fun, and the Grand Marnier chocolate mousse was creamy and satisfying, while the tiramisu was a dreamy balance of cocoa and coffee flavors.
Egg-based breakfasts are not traditional Continental morning fare, but we Americans excel in morning ritual. Nearly a dozen and a half scrambled-egg and omelet combinations ($7.75-$10.95) are served until 11:30 a.m. Each plate comes with freshly baked baguette and seasonal fruit. Add to that the aforementioned crusty pastries and a myriad of juices and coffee combinations.
Cafe Epi is a refreshing addition to downtown with Todd Le's mastery of classic technique and flair for French cuisine. The cafe also excels because of the quality of ingredients, freshness and dedication to Old World richness, flavor and finesse.
