Backstreet Café takes homey food to a higher level

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RATING: * * * *

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by Marty Beard

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That's the first impression I got of the Backstreet Café, which is tucked away in a renovated house on 1103 South Shepherd. Finding a parking space was trying, but at least it was a pleasant walk.

At this time of year, you would undoubtedly have to wait longer to sit outside than getting immediately seated inside in the newly renovated upstairs room.

The friendly waiter was attentive enough; he did manage to bring us plenty of bread to keep us happy and entertained.

But of course the most impressive thing about the Backstreet Cafe was the food. The Backstreet meat loaf tower looked flat-out scrumptious; what I sampled of it definitely was scrumptious. It was topped by delicate garlic mashed potatoes and smothered with mushrooms. Its mixture of beef and veal is a radical departure from the ketchup-smeared mystery meat familiar to every elementary school cafeteria. You won't have any problem eating the sautéed spinach that comes with it either.

Pricier ($15.95!) but worth every penny was the exquisite grilled beef tenderloin, topped with crisp asparagus and drowned in a mushroom port wine demi-glaze. Usually I hate asparagus (just ask my mother), but for the first time in years, and I kid you not, I actually ate asparagus and enjoyed it. The tenderloin was accompanied by grilled squash and a vegetable tart (mashed potatoes, a crumbly, breadlike crust and tomatoes). Ahhh.

Lest ye herbivores be intimidated, realize that the Backstreet Café also serves pastas that sound absolutely delicious on the menu. Texas Monthly recommends the ravioli Provence, which is pasta stuffed with greens over argula; it comes with ratatouille, white beans and peppered goat cheese. I admit to being tempted by the wild mushroom canelloni, served with roasted garlic and fresh sage in an herb and vegetable sauce with goat cheese glaze. The Backstreet creole rigatoni and the Linguine Hugo are also meatless. The Red Corn Enchiladas were also recommended to me by someone who had been there in times past.

The Backstreet Café strikes me as a good place for dates. While some items, like the tenderloin, are pretty expensive, nothing is wrong with the occasional spending spree, right? At the Backstreet Café, you can find something tasty and affordable even on a student budget.

This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the October 27, 1995 issue.

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