Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s always hungry reporter visits a different restaurant and tells you about the experience.
By ANON E. MUSS, Journal Services
While it seems like a locally-owned restaurant closes every few weeks, there are a few which continue to stand the test of time.
Like Fairfield Market & Cafe’ (6955 Fern Loop, Shreveport).
You may know it as Fairfield Grocery, which was the restaurant’s name for many years. In 2015, Fairfield Grocery moved from the Shoppes at Bellemead to its current location, and at some point, there was a name change.
I have been a semi-frequent visitor over the years, but had not been there in probably a couple of years. So on a recent rain-soaked day, I invited a friend to join me for lunch.
One of the things I like about Fairfield Market & Cafe’ is that it’s tucked away from the hustle and bustle of a main road. In fact, it’s almost secluded. You’re not going to stumble upon it. If you’re going to Fairfield Market & Cafe’, you’re going to Fairfield Market & Cafe’.
I arrived just after noon, while my friend came in a few minutes later. Despite the awful weather, the parking lot was relatively full. That’s a testament to the restaurant’s longevity and reputation.
When walking in, two things got my attention. One, the atmosphere is bright and colorful. The restaurant is well-lit. There are paintings on both walls of the main dining room. There are colorful flags hanging from the ceiling. A little investigative reporting discovered each flag represents a neighborhood in Siena, Italy. A friend of the restaurant’s owners brought back the flags from a trip overseas.
In addition to the main dining room, there is a small bar (five seats) toward the back of the restaurant, along with two booths. We weren’t drinking, so there wasn’t a reason for us to occupy a spot. We seated ourselves in a back booth of the main room.
It wasn’t long before our server, Chris, was welcoming us with a smile and an offer to take our drink order. Chris has been with the restaurant for a long time, and on this day, he showed no sign of slowing down. Chris provided excellent service in what seemed like record time.
My friend and I decided to share one of 10 appetizers on the menu — a crab cake ($18). That’s pricey, so we expected something excellent. When served, the crab cake’s presentation was excellent. The crab cake was big, and sat on a large bed of lettuce surrounded by cherry tomatoes, slices of avocado, lemon slices, and two types of outstanding dressings.
Unfortunately, the crab cakes’ taste was far from excellent.
The crab cake was as cold as it was outside on this 60-degree day. In addition, and perhaps because it was cold, the crab cake was gummy. Think of a piece of taffy that you just keep chewing, and chewing, and chewing.
On a lousy weather day, a cup of something warm sounded too good to pass up. My friend and I each had the White Bean and Chicken Chili ($6 each), which looked more like soup than chili. I loved it. It was served hot, and loaded with chicken chunks, onion, and bell pepper. My friend was less impressed, saying his cup of chili/soup wasn’t very hot, and tasted bland. That’s an example of how two people can eat the same thing and have different opinions.
The chili/soup was served with a side of cornbread. Like the crab cake, the cornbread was cold, and cold cornbread often means hard cornbread, which it was.
Fairfield Market & Cafe’ offers many options when it comes to your meal. You can choose from five salads, eight Specialty Salad Plates, eight Specialty Sandwiches, 11 Deli Sandwiches, and eight Po-Boys.
I tend to stick with what I’m used to, so I ordered what I have often had in previous visits. The Southwest Chicken Salad comes in two sizes, with only a $2 difference. So, I went with the full size ($15).
It was as good as always — a plate loaded with spring mixed greens, black beans, corn, avocado, purple onion, cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, served with delicious cilantro lime ranch dressing on the side, and topped with a corn tostada, covered with sliced southwest grilled chicken and melted cheese.
I had no complaints. It was my idea of comfort food.
My friend chose the boiled shrimp po-boy with chips, which also comes in a half or full size. Again, there was only a $2 difference, so he went big ($14). When finished, my friend said the sandwich was just “OK.” The menu read the po-boy would be served on toasted French bread with white and pink remoulade sauces (which came on the side), lettuce and tomato.
He ordered his po-boy without tomatoes, and that’s how it came. But while eating, my friend said it didn’t seem like there was very much of the other things. I noticed there wasn’t as much bread as you might expect from a po-boy. My friend lifted the top layer of the half he had not eaten, and indeed, there weren’t many shrimp and not much lettuce.
Fairfield Market & Cafe’ offers five what they call “Delectable Desserts” — two types of brownies, two types of cookies, and banana pudding. I am trying to watch my waistline (which you can’t miss), and my friend was full, so we passed on dessert.
The cost of our meal before tax and tip was $62.94, which included my friend’s sweet tea. I had water to drink.
I give Fairfield Market & Cafe’ Three Forks. As I have done previously, I will continue to return, although I don’t think I would go out of my way to do so. Minus the crab cake and cornbread on this visit, the restaurant offers a nice, consistent, overall experience. If it didn’t, it would not still be in business.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case at several locally-owned restaurants, which have suffered the consequences.
Is there a restaurant you would like the Journal to visit?
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1 Fork: Would rather eat a box of dirt
2 Forks: Will return, but only if someone else is buying
3 Forks: Will return and look forward to it
4 Forks: Will return and go out of my way to do so
