La Buvette
511 S. 11th St., Omaha
(402) 344-8627
I had not been to la Buvette in some time, but I had pleasant memories and was eager to visit again. The ambiance is part of the charm. Whether seated at bistro tables on the patio watching the Old Market traffic go by, or ensconced inside amongst the racks of wine, well worn plaster, and original wood floors, the feeling is very much European Bistro without being overly pretentious about it. My beau and I went last Saturday around noon and I’m glad we did not have a defined time line that day. While I am a big fan of a two hour lunch, I feel that a leisurely lunch should be patron driven rather than waiter driven.
I knew before arriving that I wanted to split the cheese plate and have a glass of wine. The selections for wines by the glass that day were not anything to be excited about and most of them could be found at your local Hy-Vee. Not to say that stopped me…
I will refrain from giving a timeline specific retelling of events. I will instead just note that the service was subpar. Our waiter forgot that we ordered meals to follow our cheese plate (all were ordered at the same time) and seemed to almost forget about us altogether. He and a fellow waiter presented the attitude that it was the busiest shift they had seen in their entire lives. My observation was that it was not, in fact, the busiest shift ever.
The food was delicious. Our cheese plate had fair portions of three different cheeses. The selection varies daily. The tomato and cucumber slices on the side were fresh and fantastic. I’m not the biggest fan of tomatoes but these were meaty and deliciously ripe. We could have used more bread to accompany our cheeses.
After a significant wait, we received our lunch entrees. He had the Salade Buvette and added goat cheese and chickpeas. The salad covered a dinner plate and was comprised of mixed greens and the aforementioned cucumbers, tomatoes, and thin sliced rings of red onion all in a light dressing olive oil dressing. The goat cheese portion was the size of a small plum, but the chickpeas were scant.
I had the grilled sandwich which came with a small side salad. This side salad was the same mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, and red onion. My sandwich was an open faced baguette topped from edge to edge with an olive tapenade, then with a couple tomato slices, and finally covered with cheese before being set under the broiler. One side of the sandwich would have been enough of a portion with the salad, but I was given both.
I was tempted by the desserts but just didn’t have enough time to stay and indulge. Plus, I was feeling like having a nap after all the wine and the food.
Overall, I still adore La Buvette. Having a leisurely two hour lunch is my favorite pastime. The food is good quality and the atmosphere is lovely. The prices are fair (we paid around $7.50 each for our entrees and wine ranged from $4.50 - $9.50 a glass. You may also pay a low corkage fee to enjoy a bottle.) I am certain I will return to La Buvette, I will just have to embrace the service as part of the charm along with everything else.
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