So we’re into the second week of doctor’s orders, which means I still can’t ingest anything tough or crunchy or crumbly.
This week, a little bit of kismet came into play. My son’s baseball team practices in Sherwood Park, only a couple of blocks away from Cafe Celeste. So, while he was taking batting practice with his teammates, I ducked down to Baseline Road for an early supper.
Cafe Celeste isn’t an old-school trattoria. There isn’t a lot of stucco or a ton of images of the old country. The space is open, with a long bar, and tables in dark brown wood. The feel is modern.
But the servings are huge. At least that was the case for what I ordered, the Creamy Syrah pasta. It’s one of the “signature” pasta dishes on the menu, and it had chicken and mushrooms in a red Syrah sauce that’s mixes with some cream. The result is a rich dish, with generous amounts of chicken and mushrooms. While the look of the restaurant is modern, the service is attentive and old-school. Of course, I get a serving of warm bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. Don’t fill up on bread, they say. Easier said than done, right. And the bread was so soft.
In the end, it was a solid dinner, and I was able to pack some up for my son for a post-game meal. I didn’t tell him there were mushrooms in there, and Mr. mushroom-hater devoured it. Said it tasted different than any other pasta he’d had before, but it was really good. You see? Parenting win.
Cafe Celeste
Lakeland Ridge | #280, 590 Baseline Road, Sherwood Park | 780.570.0790 | www.cafecelestebistro.ca
