La Cuisine Cafe, Market, And Catering

The reason I can’t give this place more stars is because of the coolness of the staff. That, combined with the apparent uptightness of the owner. The food is good. Not great but good and they have nice specials. Although it’s the only place in the area where you can’t get fresh tomatoes in an omelet (only sundried) which seems odd. They close at 3pm on weekends but start their very obvious very loud cleaning up process at 2 making anyone who comes in at or after that time feel like they are intruding and unwelcome. At 2:20 today the waitress greeted me not with hello but with «our kitchen is closing». Several weeks ago an elderly couple came in at 2:45 because the open sign in the window was still lit. Not only did the owner snap at them as they walked in the door but when they said innocently «I thought you were open til 3» she snapped again and then a huddle of waitresses and the owner were whispering and muttering about how they should have known they were closing. Or something like that. It was not lost on the table in front or next to me either. We all just raised our eyebrows. Anyway, today my waitress never came back after serving my food except to drop my bill and pick up the money. I would have liked a coffee to go. Dare I ask, because I was afraid the owners eyes would pop out of her head! Oh. And she calls them «girls». Yuck.

Excellent service and top notch breakfast. I critique from the silverware and plating all the way to the taste and quality of food.
Upon entry we were promptly greeted and then seated with in 5 mins or less, even after the need to set up a place for our party of three in a full restaurant. Drinks took another 5 and food approximately 8 mins hereafter.
I had a simple egg breakfast with eggs cooked under easy, ‘home fries’ and rye bread. To start the bread was great, fresh and toasted to perfection, non greasy but it did come pre buttered. The home fries consisted of yams and potatoes along with various spices, once again non greasy and non burnt at all; cooked so that they were soft yet still somehow toasty.
The eggs were a little browned on the exterior yet they retained the proper amount of moisture without being excessively greased yet again. The yolk was great, slightly solid on the outer layer and the last 70% of the yolk which formed the core was runny yet not fluid enough to spill everywhere once bitten into.
I had the Absolut Boody Mary and it was great as well, mixed by an experienced mixologist based of off the drinks flavor to alcohol ratio. A solid buzz off of one no doubt! And I’m no weak drinker! This brings me to the servings…
Size-​wise the portions were perfectly adequate, I could have eaten more because it was so good but I was left quite fulfilled. The silverware was scratched and worn but that is to be expected, everything was spotless and if I had to lick the plate I would have done so. The glasses were surprisingly clean, brand new if I may, the ice was amazing, perfectly clear and obviously treated water based off of the taste.
Pricing was fair, $ 8.50+tax for my egg breakfast and $ 8 for my Bloody Mary! I would eat hear again and again without hesitation!

We were introduced to La Cuisine through our wedding planner (Josh Chalmers of Earth 2 Company — also awesome!!!) for our wedding Sept 2015 at Barberry Hill farm in Madison CT.
From the very beginning La Cuisine stood out. We were choosing between 2 other caterers and chose La Cuisine for their creativity, professionalism and of course, the amazing taste of their food! We told them from the start that we didn’t want typical «wedding» food and that we wanted to incorporate my Chicago background and my husband’s English background and they came up with alternatives and ideas that were amazing and we might have never considered. We were trying to decide between a heavy apps reception and a sit down family style dinner (and they NAILED both menus!) and in the end we went with a modified family style — i.e. the guests chose their protein and the sides were passed family style.
This was the menu we ended up with:
Cocktail hour: Mini roast beef sandwiches, french fries with malt vinegar and an aioli dipping sauce, veggie samosas, and a bruschetta with ricotta, honey & pear and a local cheese board
Dinner: Starter was an AMAZING fall salad with goat cheese and roasted butternut squash. For the main, guests chose between a braised boneless short rib with a bbq reduction or a butter poached monkfish. Both were served over a crispy potato cake. Passed sides were baked mac & cheese, seasonal grilled veggies, and fresh baked corn bread with honey butter.
Late night snack: «grown up» grilled cheese sandwiches with a choice of: Bosc pear, fig and blue cheese, smoked mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto, or pepperjack, bacon and chipolte mayo.
The food was AMAZING and every single one of our guests told us how much they loved the food — people are STILL talking about it! And not only was the food amazing but so was the service! Every server was attentive, polite and professional — a very special thanks to Brenda who made our night!!! Our planner also told us that the owner of La Cuisine personally stopped by our wedding and was working on the line in the cook tent (oh because by the way did I mention they cooked all this amazing food in a TENT?!) because he wanted to make sure our even was perfect — and it was! That level of care and attention to detail is clearly what sets them apart from the rest. Thank you THANK YOU La Cuisine for making our wedding perfect!!!

Ordered my first corporate lunch for 25 today and was not disappointed! Justin and his assistant were timely and smooth with setup. And the food was wonderful! Fresh breads, flavorful meats and delicious spreads. The pasta primavera salad was a hit (I’m having my second helping now).
We were very pleased with today’s lunch (and tomorrow’s — thank goodness for leftovers!) and look forward to doing business with La Cuisine again.

I’ve been here more times than I can count. And I have never been underwhelmed. La Cuisine is an ideal lunch or brunch spot (or both!) with good service, hearty food, and vibrant ambience. Every time I come in here, people of all ages are laughing. You can’t help but to be happy at this place. When you’re here, you’re a local and you’re family.
Though I’ve tried almost everything, I’d personally recommend the pesto chicken sandwich, literally any omelette you can’t go wrong, and the chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes. But like I said, just about everything here is dee-​lish.
They also cater. It’s my mom’s secret weapon to the perfect Thanksgiving ;)

The food is good but it used to be better. They used to have a Cuban sandwich on the menu to die for and the French fries were awesome but now I seem to only get the edges and skins. The market salad is fabulous and I will continue to get that.
I find the counter and wait staff just ok. They’re not very friendly — almost like they’re doing me a favor. This is multiple people and one woman in particular that is either an owner or manager. Sometimes she’s nice and sometimes…
It’s cute and I’ll continue to go but it’s not as great as it was a few years ago.

DELICIOUS ! Staff is very efficient and nice. I love how some of their food/​drinks comes from local businesses. I have never had a bad meal there. Jessica is their best worker. Very sweet. Deserves a raise !

I used to go to this place very often and also bought food to bring home — it started to decline in quality some time ago. I went Sunday with two guests and could not believe how rude the service was. The breakfast burrito was TERRIBLE. I ordered a beer and waitress didn’t know how to pour so the foam spilled all over the table — also it was quite warm. I guess they close early, but instead of coming over to tell us, one of the waitress yelled at us across the length of the room «we are closed». What a shame I used to love the food and people there — will not be going back

Have been several times and have enjoyed everything! The food is fresh and flavorful. Must have driven past for years, never realizing that it was more than just a catering place! An added bonus, the prepared food to go… Excellent! Will be back often!

Found this gem on Unilocal after being lured off I-​95 to another diner. Fresh fresh fresh. Clean and comfortable surroundings. Red pepper, goat cheese and sausage omelet served with roasted sweet and regular potatoes, high quality wheat bread and a prefect size thimble of jelly. Corn beef has should be on your to eat list — homemade hi quality and delicious. Server Elizabeth was a delight. I’ll be back.

Loved it here! Stopped in for a quick breakfast after a wedding and was surprised at how wonderful it was. Everyone was very friendly and although there was a wait it took maybe 5 minutes to get a table. The food was wonderful, I highly recommend the scones. They were huge and delicious.

I’ve been here for lunch a few times over the past weeks. Food is really good. The servers are friendly, and everything tastes so fresh! I always get take-​out because I’m on my lunch break, but it seems like a great café to sit down and eat in. There is always a little crowd, and the items in their case seem to change regularly which adds to the fresh feeling and the ambiance. My favorite dish so far was a crab cake sandwich that was on their specials menu, but I’ve also tried their Asiago chicken sandwich and it was delicious. I’m really picky about my fries, too. The ones I have had there have been hot and crispy. Give it a try next time you are on the shoreline!

Great place for lunch. Food is fresh and always have special items for the week. Great service.

Ugh, really bad food. Place looks nice and apparently enjoys a nice reputation.
Came here for breakfast turns out to be a huge mistake. Eggs were terribly rubbery, and the Swiss cheese had the crusty clear edges on it which is means they don’t wrap the cheese and store it properly.
Menu says home fries, I got left over oven roasted potatoes from the deli case that no crusty love that usually defines a home fry. There is a difference.
I feel absolutely ripped paying the inflated bill. No actual service to speak of. The waitress asked «how was everything?» But wouldn’t acknowledge that we left everything on the plate. Just going through the motions.
This place will not get a single cent from me, and will get very bad word of mouth from me to friends and the industry.
The four stars here is dubious to say the least!!!

Just wanted to share the wonderful experience we had with La Cuisine, who catered a party for my mother’s birthday. We weren’t sure where to start when looking for a caterer in Branford, as we live in Florida and were traveling to CT to celebrate with family.
We called around and spoke with several companies but once we spoke with Tim at La Cuisine, we knew he understood what we were looking for. He went above and beyond in answering all of our questions (and we had a lot, being from out-​of-​town!)
They provided an amazing lobster bake at our rental house and our guests loved the food. They got every detail right and we couldn’t have been more pleased. And the CAKE WAS AMAZING! My mom said it may have been the best cake she’d ever had. (Chocolate mousse with whipped cream icing — so good!) It was definitely a party to remember and we are very thankful to the staff at La Cuisine for making it happen.

Every. Item. Is. Wonderful.
Oh, and the staff are pretty much as friendly and as helpful as you can be, even at 7:30AM!
Well done folks, well done indeed.

Wonderful place! Staff are friendly, the place is very clean and most importantly the food is delicious !!! We had corn beef hash and eggs for breakfast and my husband had the poached eggs with spinach and mushrooms !! A wonderful stop of 95 on our way back to NYC!!! Will be back for sure!!!

I have loved this place for years. It is by far my choice for best breakfast in the area, always. Everything is as local as possible, it is fresh, and service is also fantastic. Their seasonal menu options are stellar, including the summer skillet for breakfast, YUM!
Try the OJ.
Just go here you will not regret it.

Excellent choice for breakfast and baked goods. With this track record, I’m sure it’s great for lunch too, and I’ll have to make my way in one afternoon.
I stopped into La Cuisine on a Saturday morning for a brunch double date and was impressed with everything about this place. First, it didn’t really look like a restaurant from the road, but there was a giant sign with just two words on it: crab benedict. We had plans for brunch here anyway, but if we were just driving by, we probably would have turned in. My friend ended up getting the crab benedict, and the bite I tried was delicious. I built my own omelet with goat cheese, sausage, and asparagus, and it was wonderful — tons of gooey, flavorful goat cheese, nicely balanced with the quality sausage and asparagus that was cut into small, easy-​to-​eat pieces, with everything evenly distributed throughout the fluffy omelet. The guys of our party each got an order of hot cakes with a side of homemade corned beef hash. (Of course, they were obligated to share with their girlfriends.) The hot cakes were so good. Made with whole grain, they were fluffy, yet substantial, packed with flavor, and served with real maple syrup. The corned beef hash was out of this world — tons of corned beef, crisped up in all the right places, with potatoes, onions, and great seasoning.
There was plenty of space to sit inside, and even on a busy Saturday morning, we didn’t have to wait for a table. We were seated in a sunny area in a side room, and it made for a lovely brunch experience. On our way out, we grabbed some cookies (I was hoping for a chocolate croissant, but they were out). The cowboy cookie, which we saved for later, was incredible — filled with oatmeal, corn flakes, butterscotch, chocolate chips, and wonder. All of the baked goods and prepared foods look good, so when I come back again, I’m sure I’ll leave with more things.

Most breakfast sandwiches are not much more than a means to get you through the morning and tide you over until lunch time comes around. Not the case here with their Breakfast Buddies, as they’re called at this cute establishment. The ones here are really something special.
A Breakfast Buddy is listed on the menu as an English muffin, fried egg, cheddar, and choice of ham, bacon or sausage. At first glance it doesn’t seem all that interesting or exciting — a standard option, but let me tell you something… the one I had this morning with ham was seriously one of the best breakfast sandwiches I have ever had.
What made it so damn delicious? The English muffin ain’t your regular Thomas’, it was a spectacular fluffy beauty that held together a perfectly cooked egg, melty cheddar cheese and a flavorful thick piece of top quality ham. It was not a breakfast sandwich that I’d soon forget about. I «mmm…“ed my way through the entire thing.
I’ve driven by La Cuisine countless times and when I stopped in to pick up the breakfast buddies today I was surprised to find it to be a charming café inside with tables full of patrons enjoying their weekend brunch. I guess I had always fixated on the word «catering» on their sign during my drive-​bys. Glass cases filled with gorgeous pastries (chocolate croissants, hot cross buns, muffins) and cookies first welcomes you and as you walk toward the counter you pass the market case that has tasty-​looking offerings like Asiago chicken.
Beautifully decorated Easter cookies in shapes of carrots, bunnies, and eggs caught my eye when I was in today. Sugar cookies aren’t my favorite so I didn’t get those, but instead went with one chocolate chip cookie and a white chocolate and cranberry cookie. The cowboy cookies were huge and tempting, a similar concept to «everything but the kitchen sink» cookies, but I had to pass them up as I had to save my sweet tooth for some cupcakes I’d be picking up from a cupcake bakery later on in the day.
The chocolate chip cookie definitely had yum factor but the cranberry and white chocolate cookie stole the show with a magnificent combination of sweetness from the white chocolate chips, tartness from the cranberries, and bursts of bright freshness from orange zest dispersed throughout the round piece of heaven.
Can we go again tomorrow?
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4÷15÷12 Update:
We dined in for breakfast today. We arrived at 11am and, surprisingly, it wasn’t as busy as it was when I came in to pick up the Buddy’s last weekend. There were others there but also plenty of tables open. Since I had a huge snack (part of last night’s leftovers of pot roast) prior to coming I wasn’t very hungry so I ordered a single chocolate chip pancake, a fruit salad and an orange juice. Everything was amazing.
The o.j. was fresh squeezed and I enjoyed every last drop. The fruit salad contained cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple and grapes and there was a good-​sized portion of it served in a bowl. The pancake… oh, the pancake. One bite and I regretted having only ordered one. The base is a beautiful, fluffy, buttermilk pancake and it was laden with a generous sprinkling of bittersweet chocolate chips that were crunchy on the parts that hit the griddle but burst into melty, heavenly chocolate with each bite. Glorious. My man got the corned beef hash with scrambled eggs and that came with toast. The corned beef hash is made in house and had huge chunks of flavorful meat. Scrumptious. This place? A new favorite breakfast spot.
Love x a million.