Florence Cafe

When he talks about what he calls his “concept,” Younes Mrani Talbi can barely contain himself. He grins uncontrollably and spurts excitement when you mention a dish on his menu.

And why shouldn’t he? Talbi has the fresh perspective of a veteran restaurateur (20+ years) who just opened his own restaurant that he designed top-to-bottom. Talbi’s creation, Florence Café, is one of the few new restaurants worth seeking out from wherever you may be. Still building its client base in only its second full week of operation, Talbi already has loyals who have returned more than three times.

Tucked away in Idylwood Shopping Center on Pimmitt Drive (the one behind the Whole Foods), Florence Café shrugs off the drab exterior of its shopping plaza and invites guests into a comforting Mediterranean fantasy. Titled an “Italian and Mediterranean Cuisine,” Florence Café borrows from all stretches of the region, with Italian pastas, Greek hummus and the gem of them all, Moroccan mint tea.

Talbi picked everything from the sunburned yellow paint to the large potted plants to the photographs on the wall. Taken by a local photographer, the hundreds of different Mediterranean prints that cover the walls (all exactly the same size) is an art exhibit in itself.

Talbi may not agree, but part of Florence Café’s charm (and European nature) is that it is short-staffed, so guests may find themselves greeted by the jovial owner himself. The wait allows guests to enjoy plenty of baskets of irresistible fresh bread

The menu is compact only in size, but lacks nothing in the way of variety and adventure. Daily specials can range from Moroccan-style lamb couscous to Italian pasta with a house sauce and provide for enjoyable treats as Florence Café works to tweak its permanent menu.

The bread that is offered with every meal is baked fresh on the premises and served with a spicy hummus (also homemade). Try either the flavorful endive salad (endives served on fresh greens with swiss cheese and a shallot lemon vinaigrette) or the arugula salad (arugula leaves served with tomatoes, olives, feta and a balsamic vinaigrette).

The lunch menu has five sandwiches, the highlights being the Moroccan spicy lamb sausage (served in the same irresistible bread) and the roast beef sandwich (with roasted peppers, onions, blue cheese and a sun-dried tomato paste).

For dinner, Florence Café will always stay true to the Italian part of the Mediterranean and offer pastas (like the savory tortellini with goat cheese and a garlic and sun-dried tomato sauce), but the excitement is in the lamb and couscous dishes.

“I will always serve pasta because it is a Mediterranean dish,” Talbi said, “but many Italian restaurants serve it and I want to give customers a choice of something more exotic.”

Without a doubt, the highlight of the meal will be when you are through—and feel like you can’t fit anything else in you—and you try the fresh mint tea, a staple of Moroccan meals. Talbi explains that the tea, made with sugar and crushed fresh mint leaves, is served as a digestitive after every meal in Morocco.

“You feel so much better after you have drank some,” he adds.

Really, one feels so much better after they have sampled Florence Café. From top to bottom, it will be one of you most refreshing dining experiences of the year. And if Talbi has his wish, you’ll be back three times a week—with friends.