Cafe Lou Lou: Are you the one?

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Cafe Lou Lou

106 Sears Ave (In St. Matthews)

Louisville, KY 40207

502.893.7776

June 1, 2010
6:00 PM
Calzone Crew: Amy, Matt, Erika, Peter, Lilly

CALZONE RATING:

**We have decided to give our score and also the total score given with our guests included to make a consistent scoring system, our scores will be in green and the group scores in orange**

Matt/Amy Calzone Crew

# of Fillings to Choose: 26

Filling Selection: 10/10=100% 20/20=100%

Sauce: 7/10= 70% 16/20= 80%

Crust: 10/10=100% 19/20=95%

Filling: 8/10= 80% 18/20=90%

Overall Taste: 8/10= 80% 16/20=80%

Size: 3 of the 4 taste testers categorized the calzone as large and one taste tester thought it was more than enough for two. Amy & I's consensus was that it was big enough for one but not quite enough for two. Amy and I had one calzone and they brought it out to us split in half all ready, and we both got our own. Our single portions if put together looked smaller than one calzone that the other testers calzone.

Price: Menu price for calzones average about $10.50. They have 3 set calzones to choose from and they also give you the option of building your own. With their set calzones you can also add anything else you want to this. Their 3 calzones are Four Cheese Calzone (Cafe Lou Lou Favorite), Vegetarian Calzone, and Italian Meatball Calzone. Prices for all the food in the restaurant range from $6.50 up to $17.50.

Types Tried

Amy---Chicken, Green Peppers, Banana Peppers

Matt---Chicken, Green Peppers, Banana Peppers

Erika---Veggie with Chicken

Peter---Meatballs

Lilly---Her hand

Comments: Our evening started out with a recommendation of the Wild Bills Famous Cajun Cheese Dip & bread sticks. It was a good recommendation as everyone at the table loved it. The cheese dip comes out cold which contrasts the fresh out of the oven bread sticks perfectly, which are some of the best bread sticks I have EVER tasted!! Our calzones came out quickly and were covered in a little bit of marinara sauce, but not too much. I asked for more sauce to dip it in but all the other testers were fine with the amount given. The crust and fillings were both big hits among all. They give a great selection to choose from including shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese(so far we've found them to have the most unique filling selection.) The size of the calzone would be big enough for one but not enough for two. I would recommend getting one calzone and splitting it amongst two people and then splitting a salad, or trying the Cajun Cheese Dip for a solid meal! The recommended favorite calzone is the Four Cheese Calzone which consists of mozzarella, goat, fontina, and ricotta cheese. Our calzone tasted delicious, it scored evenly with Impellizeri's(which was our best calzone so far.) Although it scored evenly we didn't feel like it really was better or as good as Impellizzeri's...they both achieved higher scores at different aspects of the calzone, which evened them out in the end, so we're hoping to find one calzone that scores higher in every calzone category!! Cafe Lou Lou is definitely somewhere I would go back to, and next time I will try the Four Cheese that is recommended to see if it changed anything for me. Overall though it is a solid calzone. I would recommend it as a solid item on the menu to fill you up and make your mouth water.

Overall calzone score: 43/50=86% B

PIZZERIA RATING:

Matt & Amy: Calz. Crew:

Cleanliness: 10/10=100%, 20/20=100%
Ambiance: 9/10=90%, 18/20=90%
Friendliness: 8/10=80%, 14/20=70%
Service: 7/10: 70%, 15/20=75%

Overall Pizzeria Rating: 34/40=85% B

Comments: Overall the inside was very clean and the service was decent, but is there such a thing as getting your food too quickly? If there is, then last night was it. We received our Wild Bill Cheese Dip and Bread sticks and before we were finished our calzones came out. It almost felt like we were rushed to finish everything even though there were a few empty tables around. Our server also forgot one of the beers for the table, which can be OK at times, but when we are a small table and the restaurant is not very busy its almost unacceptable (we ordered a beer as soon as we sat down, and while all other drinks were brought Amy's beer was forgotten about til after the calzones made it to the table.) Maybe too harsh, but when your mouth is watering for a cold taste of the Rockies, sometimes you just cant wait. I cant complain very much but the staff wasn't as friendly as Impellizzeri's. Cafe Lou Lous has great wall decor of Louisville all over, the walls are painted in fun bright colors, and colorful paper lanterns line the bar area. There is always something new to see on the wall that maybe you have not seen before. So I do recommend it for out of towners who want some local flavor.

Pros: They have two area locations so there is always one close by. Cafe Lou Lous would be a great place to go to at night to meet interesting people and have a cold beverage. The decor on the inside is also a neat touch to look at. The food is great and the people are nice. Their breadsticks (and calzone crust are A+) the Wild Bill Cajun Cheese Dip is amazing, and they have a uninque selction of fillings that can please anyone! It's also not just a pizzeria, they have lots to choose from!!

Cons: Bring the beer! We are thirsty! Forgetting a drink for 30minutes is almost unacceptable. Also please don't rush us so much. As we get older and gorge ourselves with calzones it begins to take a little longer to get moving. We would've liked to have received our appetizer and enjoyed in before the food hit the table (so either the appetizer should arrive quicker, or the food should wait a bit!) On a side note though I think our sever was fairly new yet she looked in the mid 30's.

(Lilly helping Peter fill out the Calzone score sheet)

Suggestions: Try the Four Cheese Calzone which consists of mozzarella, goat, fontina, and ricotta cheeses. It is a Cafe Lou Lou favorite and I will definitely be trying that next time. Also make sure you have the Cajun Cheese Dip, I know we've talked about it a lot through the blog today, but trust me its for goooood reason!The sauce was just a plain marinara and for a restaurant that is about being hip and having different things, that was boring. Currently in my book Cafe Lou Lou, you are in second place. You are a step above Vito's but your a distant second from Impellizzeri's (although we know they scored the same!). Are we a little harsh on the comments? Maybe, but after you start visiting more restaurants every week you begin to realize what good service, sauce, and fillings are.

So overall Cafe Lou Lou...you've got a good thing going. It's definitely a locals place with Louisville flare, and a menu that can't compare to other restaurants around, but as for the calzone...we can't quite call it the best we've ever had, so we'll just have to keep on searching!!

(But don't worry Cafe Lou Lou, it won't keep us from coming back eating more Wild Bills Cajun Cheese Dip and trying another dish on the menu!)