Located in a strip mall in East Cobb, Café de Paris is a welcome refuge from the chain restaurants and fast food establishments that are abundant along the Johnson Ferry / Roswell Rd area. I visited this quaint French restaurant on a Wednesday afternoon for lunch. Tucked away in the corner of the Woodlawn Commons shopping center, Café de Paris is attached to a European style home décor store –C’est Moi, both owned by the same people.

Upon entering, you’ll notice the blackboard stand near the front door that lists the 3 or 4 specials of the day. There’s also a display of various canned and packaged foods for sale – with things like monkey bread mix, tri-colored pasta, pancake mix, syrup and the like several of the items imported from France.

Cafe De Paris Goods

The laminated menus are located near the register where you place your order. If there is a line when you enter, go to the counter and grab one of the menus, so you can peruse it as you wait in line. Once your order is placed and paid for, grab a seat and your meal will be delivered shortly.

The menu at Café de Paris is comprised on omelets, salads, sandwiches, and quesadillas (yes, quesadillas in a French restaurant). You can also choose a half and half combo consisting of your choice of 2 of the following: soup, salad or sandwich. It appears breakfast is served all day or at least through the lunch hour.

Cafe de Paris Quiche Lorraine

As it had been many, many months since I had had quiche, I ordered the quiche of the day- Quiche Lorraine and the soup of the day – Lobster Bisque. We also sampled the chicken salad sandwich melt. My cohorts and I were starved (we had skipped breakfast) and I was a bit concerned that the quiche Lorraine and the chicken salad melt weren’t going to sustain us for very long, but I remained satisfied well into the evening hours.

In my experience, true French food tends to be very rich but served in small portions, so the diner doesn’t feel gluttonous, and Café de Paris was no exception. My cup of soup and the small piece of quiche was served with a side of fruit, a welcome change from the normal carb fest at most other lunch spots.

Cafe de Paris Chicken Salad Sandwich Melt

My Quiche Lorraine was decent and had a fair offering of ingredients – ham, spinach and swiss cheese. But sandwiches are the real winner here. I sampled the chicken salad melt and it was divine. I’m a chicken salad addict myself, but the melt, served on thick toasted slightly sweet wheat bread was excellent. It had a slight lemon flavoring in it as well, which added another dimension of flavor.

I had the chance to sample all three of the featured soups that day: Lobster Bisque (which came with my meal), Tomato Basil and Lemon Artichoke. I felt the bisque was decent but a tad too sweet and creamy. I prefer my bisque to be a little more spicy as opposed to sweet.

“The Lemon Artichoke soup is what we are known for”, which the owner / manager, Jim (I only caught his first name) proudly extolled as he set the soup in front of me. It is definitely a bold flavor. It was not like anything I’d ever tasted before.

Cafe de Paris Lemon Artichoke Soup

And, to be honest, on the first sip, I didn’t care for it, as both the lemon and artichoke flavor is extremely strong, but it actually grew on me and I was loving it by the end. While in line, I heard 2 customers talking about it as well with polar opposite opinions, so it appears to be one of those dishes you either love or hate.

Café de Paris is open from 8 am until 9 pm every day but Sunday, when they close at 3 pm. The café also has dinner entrees like Steak au Poivre, Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto and Shrimp Carbonara all priced at under $14. Lunches are around $8.

Service was pleasant and quick. The majority of customers look like soccer moms out to lunch with their girlfriends, in between shopping and errand running. Although the atmosphere lends itself to the Parisian-style long, leisurely lunch, with the quick service it is possible to get in and out within your lunch hour. So, if you work in area, Café de Paris should be on your short list of lunch spots, a definite escape from the ordinary.

1100 Johnson Ferry Rd
Marietta, GA 30068
770 977-4945
Website

Tips for a Healthy Lunch

Most workers eagerly await their lunch hour as it provides a much needed break to the daily grind. But many overeat and come back to work feeling sluggish and sleepy. No matter if you are brown bagging it or eating out, you can make sensible choices that will not only leave you feeling energized but can decrease costs, as well.

1. Soup up your lunch
Soup is a simple lunch that won’t weigh you down and is easily digestible by your body. In fact, studies have found that people who eat a serving of soup daily lose more weight than those who eat the same amount of calories but don’t eat soup. Be sure to chose low sodium varieties.

2. What can brown do for you?
Ever had a very filling lunch and then struggled to stay awake the remainder of the afternoon? This is usually because lunch consists of mostly carbs, which burn quickly, leaving you without enough energy to make it until dinner. For more energy, switch from “white” foods to “brown” foods. Brown rice and whole wheat pasta are packed with minerals that your body uses for energy production.

Also, many of these brown whole grains are low on the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a measurement of how quickly the food you eat converts to glucose, the substance your body needs for energy. Low glycemic index foods give you steady, sustainable energy.

3. Pick protein for steady energy
Proteins are also low on the glycemic index, meaning they burn slowly and give you steady energy that will last for hours. A 4 oz piece of chicken, or fish with a salad is an great lunch.

4. Go Green
Fatigue can come from a deficiency of B vitamins. Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collard greens, and spinach among others will continue to supply energy throughout the day. You can also get your Bs from eggs, fish, and OJ, among other dietary sources.

5. Bring food that can be enjoyed cold.
Use the microwave as a last resort. While microwaves are very convenient, their cooking destroys nutrients in your food. If you must microwave your food, avoid plastic containers as they can leach toxins.

6. Snack On
No, this doesn’t mean help yourself to an extra serving of your co-workers birthday cake. Healthy snacks help you to avoid overeating.

• Berries of all varieties are high in antioxidants and can help remove toxic residue from your system.

• A handful of nuts (Brazil, almonds or cashews) or seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower) are full of nutrients for more energy.

• An apple will feed your metabolism without overloading you with calories

• A cup of green tea will load you up with antioxidants and fill you up.

Hope these tips help!