One of the things I adore about the West Bank is that the people who live here love to eat as much as I do. They will invite you to dinner, a BBQ or a boil at the drop of a hat. Some of our friends are excellent cooks who should be making a living at it.
Since I really don’t like to cook, we are usually looking for a place to eat each weekend. Sometimes it’s an old standby, but last weekend we visited the new Monroe Street Cafe that Ernie and Joanne Elfer opened a few weeks ago in Gretna.
Serving breakfast, lunch (with a rotating menu of daily specials) and dinner they are a welcome addition to the West Bank restaurant scene with family members working alongside each other in the kitchen and the dining room.
We were greeted by Rosey, the Elfer’s daughter, as we entered and made to feel as if we were special guests from the moment we arrived.
The colors and decorations are warm and welcoming, from the comfortable upholstered dining chairs right down to the fresh flowers that were on every table. Huge old mirrors have been framed on the walls of the dining area and give a sense of spaciousness to a room that could feel small but definitely does not.
We’ve known Ernie for years and had the chance to eat his delicious food before the cafe was even a thought, so I knew it would be good. The buzz is all about the muffaletta pizzas, but since we had a bit of a late night I was ready for breakfast or brunch. Lucky me, there is a Sunday brunch from 6 am to 2 pm each week.
For only $13.99, the brunch includes a juice cocktail, fresh fruit, shrimp remoulade, eggs Benedict, sausage, ham and cheese Elfair, the most amazing roasted garlic grits, biscuits, pecan delight (a mini warm pecan pie with whipped cream) and coffee or tea. I couldn’t even finish all of the food on my plate, so the pecan delight was saved for a treat later on…
If you’re not in the mood for brunch, you can also build your own breakfast, dig into a 3 egg omelet, have a pizza topped with scrambled eggs, ham and sausage, or choose from a wide selection of homemade pastries that are baked fresh every day.
Rounding out the menu are the soup of the day and a great selection of sandwiches and salads. Prices are reasonable, with almost every menu item under $8.
Hubby is a little bit of very picky eater, but he didn’t leave a single bite on his plate. Fortunately, I was able to grab a picture before he dug into the huge spaghetti plate topped with homemade meatballs.
Chef Ernie takes great pride in greeting everyone that visits and stepped out to see how we enjoyed our meal. He took us on a tour of the back dining room that is not open to the public yet, but will be known as The Chief’s Room when it is complete.
Ernie was Chief Choctaw 2007 and plans to decorate the room with his costume and other memorabilia from his reign and has invited other past Chiefs to display any of their items as well. Hmmm…that may be just the right place for the next Krewe of Choctaw board of directors meeting to be held.
Our next visit will be for one of the made to order pizzas. Ernie says that his pizza is designed for those that love it as much as he does – a hand tossed dough basted with blends of garlic, olive oil, herbs and spices and your choice of sauce (red, olio, alfredo, BBQ or creole) is served with plenty of toppings and cheese.
If you are looking for a new, inexpensive West Bank place to eat, I definitely recommend that you check out Monroe St. Cafe. Delicious food, great service and another wonderful way to stay local.
Monroe St. Cafe is located at 1038 Monroe Street (the corner of Monroe and Anson) in Gretna LA and is open 6 am – 9 pm Monday through Thursday, 6 am – 10 pm Friday and Saturday and 6 am – 2 pm on Sundays. Take out orders are available by calling 361-7300. Tell him West Bank Living sent you!
This article was originally published at West Bank Living
