Nordstrom Cafe- Fashion Mall - Revisit

I think I have mentioned before that I frequent Nordstrom for lunch quite a bit. It is one of the few “chains” that I actually eat at fairly regularly.  And the one at the Fashion Mall has the best olive aioli to dip your fries in.  I love that stuff.

So hubby and I were in the other day after not having been for awhile, and oh my goodness, they had changed the menu! I didn’t know that would happen at Nordstrom.  But I firmly believe change is good, and even though the sandwich I was thinking about was gone, I appreciated having to get something different.  I started with a cup of the soup of the day which was a potato corn chowder with chicken.  I quite liked it.  It was really cold outside and it really hit the spot.  The broth wasn’t creamy, more of a brothy chowder base, but had a nicely seasoned chicken flavor.  The little pieces of corn gave a nice little crunch and the potato pieces were tender (I hate underdone potatoes).  There were large pieces of chicken as well.  They served it with a little slice of bread topped with cheese (although it came out a bit after my soup did).

Hubby and I split a sandwich.  This is a great thing to do at Nordstrom because they split it for you before they bring it out and you each get your own plate with your half sandwich as well as what is probably a full portion of fries (and the aioli).  On this particular visit, we tried a new sandwich, the bistro flat iron steak sandwich.  This sandwich included sliced flat iron steak, gruyere cheese, arugula, crisp leeks and shallot aioli and is served on focaccia.  I was sort of excited to try something new, and this sounded quite good, particularly because they told us the steak is cooked to order.  But I am not quite sure how this worked, as the meat was still cold.  So I guess they must cook up several different temperatures in advance and keep them in the refrigerator.  This is a cut of meat that isn’t really served by being served cold—the fat had sort of firmed up and made it kind of tough.  Overall, the sandwich was also a little dry (a little more of that aioli please, I could barely taste it).  I enjoyed the crunch and taste of the crispy leeks though.  That was a unique and flavorful angle in a sandwich, but unfortunately, only added to the fact that they sandwich was dry.  If the meat was warm and there was a bit more of the aioli, it could be good, but as it was, I probably would get something else next time.

The fries were just as good as they have always been, they do a nice job and season them well.  And then there’s that olive aioli—as long as they have that, I will continue to go to Nordstrom for lunch. (Sadly, the downtown cafés don’t serve the fries or the aioli).  I just used some of that and spread it on my sandwich making it much better.

Nordstrom Café Bistro

Fashion Mall

8702 Keystone Crossing

Indy 46240

317-810-9809

www.nordstrom.com

Nordstrom Café Bistro

Ok, I realize that this is obviously a chain, but it is so yummy, I thought it was worth writing up. It all started back in San Francisco when I got hooked on the Cobb Salad at the Nordstrom there. It was the best place to eat in the mall if you had shopping to do (and had a great kids menu). When we moved here, we ate at the café downtown several times (the café, not the grill) and the menu there was pretty much identical to our old Nordstrom in SF. So when the new Nordstrom opened at the Fashion Mall, I went one day with a friend while we were shopping sort of assuming it would be the same as well. Well this café bistro, is much more bistro-ish and less café-ish. The room is full of comfy booths and while you still order at the register, you are seated by a server. They also serve beer and wine and more entrees and have a kitchen with more capabilities (the other ones don’t appear to have a fryer, etc). And the menu is pretty much completely different I think, although the same basic format—lots of great sounding salads, soups and sandwiches as well as several more entrees. The other thing I really like about Nordstrom cafés in general are the ingredients seem to be very high quality and someone is attempting to put together things beyond what you might find at an average sandwich shop. Now, I am not sure, it is possible that they have changed the menu at all the Nordstroms—and maybe our downtown café has the same new menu items—I haven’t been there in awhile.

Anyway, the first time I went I had the Bistro Club sandwich with chicken, bacon, green beans, avocado, lettuce and garlic aioli—now the sandwich was quite good, but the stand out were the fries that come along side every sandwich (which they never had at the other Nordstrom restaurants I have been to before due to the lack of a full kitchen). They are the thin “pommes frites” style fries heavily seasoned with salt, black pepper and fresh parsley. They were delicious and the olive tapenade/aioli dipping sauce---amazing. I actually think it was the dip that really sold me on the fries--I could pour that stuff on just about anything and really like it.

So a week or two later, we decided to go with the family. Like I said, they have a nice kids’ menu with all the classics and my kids thoroughly enjoyed their hotdogs and fries (less seasoned, but the same fries). The hot dogs were high quality plump dogs that were grilled and not just boiled.

Hubby and I shared the steak sandwich with cheese, arugula, Roma tomatoes, caramelized onions and aioli on Parmesan ciabbata bread. This sandwich was even better than the first one. It was served hot and the meat was very tender and all the ingredients just went so well together. And of course those fries. And that olive dip. Really good.

So the restaurant as I mentioned has a nicer interior than previous Nordstrom cafés I have been to, with warm colors and nice booths, and they are open for dinner as well (and have a breakfast menu in the morning as well). As for dinner, maybe as a convenient place to eat with your kids if you are at the mall, but generally I will keep it on rotation as a lunch place, particularly when I am at the mall anyway—this is a wonderful alternative to the food courts (I really really cannot stand mall food courts, but that’s a whole other story) and hey, you can even have a glass of wine if you want!

Nordstrom Café Bistro
Fashion Mall
8702 Keystone Crossing
Indy 46240
317-810-9809www.nordstrom.