by r l.
Sultry Russian... er, Bulgarian accent, seductive glances at you while you order... Sorry. Wait, this is a restaurant review, right?I can't believe everyone in Bulgaria doesn't weigh, at least, 300 pounds!On the menu....Kashkaval (**** 1/2 $8.00) Two breaded Bulgarian Yellow Cheese in six inch squares. Came with sliced Cucumbers and Tomatoes.Russian Mixed Salad (***** $7.00) with Potatoes, Peas, Carrots, Pickles, Ham, and Mayonnaise. I guess this is the equivalent of Potato Salad in Hungary... all the ingredients are diced and subsequently mixed together with Mayo and served four Ice Cream scoopers to a plate.Country Style Chicken Livers (**** 1/2 $7.00) with Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes. Over a pound of Chicken Liver goodness... skip this if you're getting nauseous...Grilled Pork Chops (***** $10.00) Two Pork Chops, Bulgarian wine based. My youngest son's order... he loved it.Bulgarian Feta Crepe (**** 1/2 $5.00) My entree... filled with ONLY Bulgarian Feta Cheese! Diameter of Crepe was fourteen (14) inches... at least! You had better like Feta Cheese when you order this.... there will be a LOT of it!Cappuccino (2)(*****) By my youngest kids' opinion.... the very best Cappuccino they've ever had.Coffee (**) Not even the best or even average Coffee... maybe the restauranteurs wanted me to order Cappuccino instead...Value (*****) Everything... EVERYTHING, including the appetizers were on eight-inch dinner plates! Bring a few people with you, and Share! Extremely good Value!Total: $50.00.Impression of the food... I have a feeling that most of the entrees and appetizers we ordered today would have been more appropriate as the center of a group of people with each being shared by night-clubbers. Each order, including the appetizers, were abnormally large orders.When my son and I walked in for Brunch / Lunch a couple of days ago, we got a very cold reception from a group of Bulgarian men sitting at the very end of the bar.... "Don't serve until 10:30am!"... which was just a quarter hour away. We decided, then, to go to Bonjour Bakery ( http://www.yelp.com/bi... ).Despite the bad reviews on yelp this morning for Magura Restaurant ( http://www.yelp.com/bi... ), I still wanted to try out Bulgarian food, whatever that is. Since Cafe Soleil was closer, and my youngest had to go to work, we decided on Cafe Soleil! And, as it turned out, we're happy we did!Your initial impression is the Bulgarian reserve... as in almost... not friendly. But, once we began a conversation with our Bulgarian waitress, she began to warm up to us. I guess people have to get used to out-going Americanos! And Bulgarians like to dress in very dark outfits... the men look and act like Italian mobsters... most of the men were dressed in dark Lizard-Skin Jackets with an Oily, Shiny Sheen! The only other diners this afternoon were Hungarian or Eastern European.... even the young people look like they'll grow up to be like their parents.The interior? Reminded me of a Middle Eastern nightclub or a Hookah Lounge, with very obvious separations of space divided either by the seating arrangements or of drawn curtains. Scenes of Paris in Black White photos on the walls... wonder why the restaurant features photographs of Bulgarian cities? More night-clubby than a restaurant.Once you break down the reserve of the Bulgarians that work in the restaurant... they're just like anyone else.... with the exception of their dark outfits.
