Nordstrom Cafe-Lunch and Snacks

mmm-yoso!!! a blog about food. Sometimes interesting food, interesting places and sometimes the comfort of repetition.  Today, Cathy is writing while Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) are relaxing, or something. 

For the past few weeks, The Mister and I have had one criteria for food.  Wherever we go, it must be air conditioned...and have covered parking. More than once, we have stopped at Mission Fashion Valley mall.  For those of you non-San Diegans, here's a glimpse of the temperature around 1:30 last Tuesday... similar to this 2007 day (and coincidental visit to Nordstrom Cafe).Nordstrom is a higher-end retail/fashion store which has an in-store cafe, like quite a few other  establishments (linked in the second paragraph of that post).More or less cafeteria style, where you order and wait for your food to be assembled (or order, pay and your food is brought out to the table). There is a very attentive wait staff who will refill your beverages for you, even if only water.The go-to item for me here is the Roma tomato basil soup (cup, $3.95, bowl $4.95). I have been known to stop in here during the cold of 'winter' for a bowl of this amazing soup. As you can see, I order in each size, depending on other ordered items (and level of air conditioning inside the store). Tomato soup is always available and there is also a varying soup du jour.The accompaniment to the Roma tomato basil soup is a cheese topped 'crouton' as the staff calls it.  Crack is what I call it.Salads we've enjoyed in the past few weeks: Nicoise with salmon ($13.50).  The roasted salmon is coated with Dijon and fresh herbs; other items on the salad include green beans, kalamata olives, potato, egg and capers. The second salad is grilled shrimp and arugula with sweet corn ($11.95) which is wonderful and includes grilled polenta croutons. The bottom salad is chicken, apple and goat cheese ($10.75) and even though not in the photograph, has a lot of chicken breast under the plethora of ingredients including fresh apple slices as well as dried apple chips and spiced almonds.There is a wide variety of desserts to choose from, but we have defaulted to the creme brûlée  ($5.25) twice. When you are seated, your waiter/ess asks if you would like the brulee now, or a bit later...and so the sugar top is freshly torched and the burnt cream is brought out with a warm and crispy top.  You can see in the bottom photo that the cream part is flavored using real vanilla beans...

I hope everyone has been able to keep cool and is looking forward to some 'normal' weather. Hope you had a cool(er) weekend.

Nordstrom, 117 locations around the world.  Restaurant information 

Comments

[Sandy]

I haven't been to the Nordstrom Cafe in awhile, and that apple-chicken-goat cheese salad looks yummy. I like the tomato basil soup, too. Correction: Nordstrom is at Fashion Valley mall, not Mission Valley mall. Thank heavens it's cooled off here in San Diego.

[Cathy]

We already seem to have forgotten the crazy heat and other weather conditions we had less than a week ago, Sandy-the fallen trees that are still not picked up are the only reminder. That salad with soup might be another meal for me; it was really good. Thanks for the correction, as you can tell, I just start typing and not particularly re-reading.

[caninecologne]

I've tried a few of their salads in the past. Love the service at their Cafe and the little chocolate sticks they give you at the end. The tomato soup with those croutons are calling my name...

[Faye]

I used to think their tomato soup tasted like Prego spaghetti sauce but now I LOVE that soup. Not sure what in the world happened that made me have a change of heart for this soup but now I crave it. And those cheesy crouton things - dang man - so so so so good. I visited the FV location and I swear the a/c wasn't working properly. It was quite stuffy the last two times we've visited that location. Have you been to the new remodeled Escondido location?

[yummyyummie]

I also love their sandwiches there. The women lounge is also very comfortable, especially for women with little kids.

[Cathy]

There are pizzas, sandwiches, pasta and 'specialty' plates on the menu, cc...we just happened to be wanting air conditioning primarily and a light meal secondarily on our last few visits (the roasted chicken and steak chimichurri are superb!) . If you click on the link at the bottom, it seems different Nordies have different types of eateries, some with table service and adult beverages served. The dark chocolate mint filled sticks are such a treat at the end of a meal.
They sell the soup in jars, Faye...and I think the secret ingredient is chicken fat (always assumed it was vegetarian). The cheesy croutons are so much better than I can make at home. I saw them working on the North County location, but haven't been up there in a while...must see if it is a different style of eatery.
The sandwiches are great here, YY. The whole store is geared toward service; very old fashioned. I took a wrong turn in one of the restrooms once and saw the couches and chairs and it really is a lounge!