Travel Review - Cafe Deluxe, Bethesda, Maryland

On a recent visit to Bethesda, Maryland, I visited the Café Deluxe Restaurant at 4910 Elm Street. It was shortly after two snowstorms crippled the Washington, D.C. area. Despite the five foot high snow piles on the sides of the streets, Café Deluxe was bustling with hungry diners on a Saturday night.

The atmosphere and décor reminded me of authentic French bistros I'd dined at in Paris several years ago. Although reservations are not accepted, Café Deluxe allows patrons to call ahead for seating.

The Café Deluxe menu ranges from pasta with shrimp to homemade meatloaf, to French inspired dishes such as Steak Frites. Appetizers, entrée salads, pizza and sandwiches round out the menu.

I ordered the Steamed Mussels in a White Wine Broth with French Fries ($11.95). The waiter brought out a generous bowl of perfectly prepared mussels in a savory white wine broth enhanced with garlic and a touch of lemon juice. Warm French bread was provided in order to allow the diner to sop up some of the delicious broth. I happily devoured the mussels and dipped the crispy shoestring fries in the broth.

My husband, in keeping with the French theme of the restaurant, ordered the Steak Frites ($15.95). Steak Frites is a New York strip steak served with French fries and a mixed green salad. The steak was perfectly medium, as he ordered and was flavorfully seasoned. Sautéed onions are placed on top of the steak for added flavor.

Café Deluxe offers a kids' menu with six dishes for $5.95 each. My daughter ordered the penne with butter. My son chose the chicken tenders with French fries. The tenders tasted like any other deep fried kids' meal chicken tenders. It was fine for him and my daughter enjoyed her dinner as well.

Although we were full from dinner, dessert menu called for our attention. I tried the Cobbler of the Day with Vanilla Ice Cream ($5.95). The day's variety was blueberry cobbler. The cobbler was simply a fruit pie with a homemade crust on the top. The pie was approximately 5 inches in diameter (pretty large for one person). The blueberries were small, tart and not particularly enjoyable. A dose of sugar in the fruit mixture would have made the cobbler more palatable.

My husband tried the Oreo Cheesecake ($5.95). The cheesecake turned out to be a better selection. It was a better portion size for one person (approximately three inches in diameter). The cake was sweet and creamy while the crushed Oreo topping was a perfect treat.

Café Deluxe has three other locations, two in Washington, D.C. and the other in Tysons Corner, Virginia. I recommend this establishment for couples and families and plan on returning the next time I visit Washington, D.C.