Frequently, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s always-hungry reporter has lunch at a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.
By ANON E. MUSS, Journal Services
When I think of bakeries in Shreveport-Bossier, Julie Anne’s Bakery & Café (825 Kings Highway) comes to mind first. That’s probably because it’s been around a long time. I typically visit Julie Anne’s just once a year – to pick up a birthday cake for someone who would be disappointed with a cake from anywhere else.
When I think of places to eat lunch, Julie Anne’s does not come to mind first. Or second. Or third. In fact, I only knew Julie Anne’s serves lunch because someone once invited me. But on a recent Wednesday, I invited a friend to meet me at Julie Anne’s, to see if their “Café” was as good as their “Bakery.”
We arrived at Noon and found several available tables. Julie Anne’s offers ample seating – two and four-top tables – in a bright atmosphere. That atmosphere in large part because of windows along two walls. On this day, Julie Anne’s was in the Mardi Gras spirit. Each table had a purple and gold centerpiece, and the bakery was plentiful with Mardi Gras cakes and cookies.
Unlike some other eateries, Julie Anne’s cannot be accused of being politically biased. There were two TV’s – one on CNN, and one on FOX News. That’s good business. Play it right down the middle. Don’t run the risk of offending anyone.
If you’re a first-timer to lunch at Julie Anne’s, here’s something important to know. The restaurant does not offer table service. So, if you seat yourself expecting a server to bring a menu, you will be waiting a long, long time. Paper menus are available at the register. Rather than hold up others, I found it best to get a menu, bring it back to your table, and then decide what you would like.
I was surprised how many items Julie Anne’s offered. The menu was two sides full of Breakfast, Hot off the Grill, and Lunch & Super Foods items. There was everything from a Build-Your-Own Hot Dog, to a BBQ Burger, to a Chicken Quesadilla. Want a pizza? Julie Anne’s offers one (cheese or pepperoni). Looking for something a little lighter? You can choose from five full-sized salads.
On this day, the temperature was in the 30’s, and I don’t like to be cold. So, for lunch, I was intent on eating something warm. Several items caught my eye, but I kept coming back to something of which I had never heard. Cevapcici was described as homemade sausages and onions on grilled Lepina (flat) bread, with a side of Kajmak (traditional cream cheese, feta cheese, & sour cream blend) and Ajvar (blend of red & yellow peppers, garlic, & eggplant).
Cevapcici came in either a regular or large size. When given that choice, I usually go with “large.” But there was no way I was going to Julie Anne’s and not have dessert. So, wanting to make sure I would have room, I went with the regular size ($12.99).
For my friend, deciding what to order can be difficult. He often times feels overwhelmed when faced with more than a couple of choices. But for some reason, it didn’t take him long to lock in on something – the Panini Club ($13.49). Smoked turkey, genoa, black forest ham, and his choice of cheese (he chose Pepper Jack), lettuce, and tomato, all on either Ciabatta bread or a hoagie roll. The Panini Club was also promised to come with chips and a pasta salad.
At 12:50 we placed our order at the counter, were given our drinks, and returned to our table. I had water, while my friend enjoyed a Coke ($3.24). We had not visited in a few weeks, so there wasn’t a problem filling time. But as the minutes passed, I kept hearing other order numbers called, including some which were higher than ours. Had our order been lost? Why were people who ordered after us being served before us? Finally, at 1:10, a restaurant worker showed up at our table with our food. I’m not sure why we weren’t called to pick up our food at the counter like everyone else. I don’t guess it matters. Our food had arrived and we were hungry.
The presentation of both orders was as impressive as I’ve seen at any restaurant. My “regular” sandwich was huge. I removed the top piece of bread and saw five thick links of sausage lying on a bed of grilled onions. On the side were containers of Kajmak and Ajvar for spreading, along with a bed of lettuce, two slices of tomatoes, and two slices of what looked like a jalapeno pepper.
I am not exaggerating when I tell you my meal was delicious. It was hot, and while tasty, was not overpowering. The sausage and onions blended well. One did not dominate the other. And again, the regular size was plenty, even if I had not planned on having dessert.
My friend’s panini looked equally impressive. The sandwich was cut into two large slices, one laying at an angle across the other. The pasta salad was in a very small container, separated from the sandwich by several chips. Also on the plate, unannounced, was a pickle, olive, and carrot slice.
“I struck gold by picking this for lunch,” my friend said after his meal. “That was a meat-filled sandwich. It was packed. That sandwich had more meat than I would have put on a sandwich I made at home. That was a sandwich I would get every time I eat there.”
While my friend loved his sandwich, he wasn’t sold on the pasta salad. Admittedly, my friend doesn’t usually eat pasta salad, but he thought it had too much Italian dressing. However, he said for people who enjoy pasta salad, it would be a “home run.”
Now to dessert, which I had been thinking about since deciding to visit Julie Anne’s. Like on the menu, there were plenty of choices. King Cake slices. Petit Fours. Chocolate Eclairs. Cookies with smiley faces. But I saw something I had not seen – nor eaten – since I was a kid. I even asked the nice lady behind the counter if it was what I thought it was. Yes, it was a Cream Puff ($5.89)
Sold.
Back at our table, I bit in and was in heaven. The pastry shell, covered with white powdered sugar, wasn’t too soft nor too hard. The filling inside – and there was a lot of it – was thick. Oh, my. I felt like a kid again.
My friend played it safe and chose a slice of carrot cake ($5.79).
“The carrot cake may not be my go-to, like the sandwich. But it was still really good. It was full of carrot taste and had the normal frosting. It was classic carrot cake.”
The cost of our meal before tax was $41.40. I paid when ordering and did not leave a tip since Julie Anne’s doesn’t offer table service (although, unexpectedly, our food was brought to our table.)
I love it when I visit a restaurant either for the first time – or for the first time in a long time – and am pleasantly surprised. Therefore, I very much enjoyed my lunch at Julie Anne’s Bakery & Café. The food – the way it looked and tasted – was excellent. I am happy to give Julie Anne’s Bakery & Cafe’ a solid Three Forks. If I am within shouting distance, Julie Anne’s will be a strong consideration.
And, of course, I will save room for dessert.
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
Is there a restaurant you would like the Journal to visit for lunch?
Email SBJRestaurantReview@gmail.com.
