by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

Although a distinct coffeehouse culture has steadily evolved in this country, most Americans would be hard-pressed to find an authentic European-style café in their neighborhoods. Across the pond, cafés from Portugal to Poland are typically casual watering holes where guests can pop in for a quick coffee break or else linger for an hour or two with a good book and piece of pastry.

Aside from an assortment of hot and cold drinks, most cafés on the Continent also offer their patrons wine, beer and spirits, in addition to some light fare such as salads and sandwiches. When Caffé Classico appeared on the Louisville coffeehouse scene several years ago, most assumed it would fall in the same category of self-service establishments that have become de rigueur in this country: You walk in and order your drink, take it to your table, if you stay, and perhaps grab a cookie or sandwich to go with it. But, enter Caffé Classico in the ‘Ville and you’ll notice it’s different cup of tea all together.

First, sit down and relax a bit. This isn’t an eat-and-run kind of place. A server will take your drink order, and bring you a menu if you want a bite to eat. The lunch menu includes several seasonal soup selections and salads such as the Greek with cucumber, tomato, red onion, black olives and feta cheese, the ensalada fresca – a mix of greens with balsamic vinegar, tangerine slices and pine nuts – and the “Tortoni Buenos Aires,” a layered chef creation with tomato, hard-cooked egg, cucumber, avocado, mozzarella and carrots.

Also available are number of specialty sandwiches and panini. Sandwiches include tuna salad with wasabi and ginger mayo, smoked turkey club, curried chicken salad, and the West Coast with cucumber, avocado, lettuce and chipotle mayonnaise. Panini favorites are the Prosciutto with the namesake Italian ham grilled with fresh mozzarella, tomato and spinach on ciabatta, and the Americano with smoked ham and Swiss cheese. All salads are $8.50 and the sandwiches are $8.

Dinner guests at Caffé Classico can opt for appetizers such as salmon croquettes, Belgian fries with three dipping sauces, mussels steamed with white wine, shallots and garlic, and empanadas with beef, chicken or vegetarian fillings.

(If the menu seems a little heavy on the flavors of Argentina and Italy, that no doubt lies with the fact that Claudia, the wife of Tom, the owner, comes from Buenos Aires – Argentine cities are known for their café culture and large numbers of Italian immigrants.)

Apart from several salad and pizza choices, the dinner menu includes an entrée section with five items: vegetable pasta with red onions, feta, pine nuts, black olives, tomatoes, spinach and Parmesan; flank steak grilled and sliced thin, served with seasonal vegetables and rustic mashed potatoes; linguini and shrimp tossed with garlic, white wine and butter; pan-seared salmon with leek sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, egg plant and grilled tomatoes; and sirloin steak with roasted new reds, asparagus and zucchini. All entrees cost $15-$16, and the pizzas and salads average $10.50 and $6.75, respectively.

To wash it all down, some 20 white and red wine selections can be had by the bottle or glass – all in the $20-$30 price range per bottle – and close to ten European brews are on offer, including Stella Artois and Duvel from Belgium and Peroni from Italy. And, an added bonus: espresso drinks feature hard-to-come-by Meinl coffee from Austria – read the post tomorrow and I’ll tell you more about this great coffee.

Saturdays often see the addition of live entertainment at Caffé Classico, including musical ensembles and dance performances. Saturday, August 23 will feature Alma Gitana (Gypsy Soul) in a Flamenco fusion show. Located at 2144 Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Caffé Classico serves lunch and dinner six days a week. For more information, call (502) 894 9689 or go online at .