by MATHILDE RABBAT

The kind of art they make at the Caffe Art Java isn’t the kind that hangs on walls or is prominently displayed on pedestals. You can’t hang it, wear it or even keep it for very long. So exactly what is it that puts the “art” in this café? It’s latte art and it’s in your cup.

With a full kitchen and full menu including the more usual breakfast fare—from crêpes and omelettes to more refined sandwiches and even soufflés—this joint’s more than just a coffee shop with style. Since I hadn’t had a soufflé in a while, I ended the drought by indulging in Le Chèvre, a big bouffant of a goat cheese soufflé. Very tasty and as fun to eat as ever, though it could have been cooked a bit more evenly so that slightly fluid innards matched the consistency of the firmer yet fluffy perimeter. It was quite a treat nonetheless. There are other soufflés up for grabs, like the cheesy fontina and caciocavallo, another à la champagne crabe and caramelized onion (which was cooked to perfection), one with fresh fruits du jour and the one I have my eye on for next time, the chocolate. All priced at $10, they come served with fresh fruits and absolutely delicious hash browns.

The café has tried to inject sandwiches ($9–$10) with a little innovation by combining ingredients in unusual permutations, such as the one found in Le Berger. Sliced braised lamb and slices of mango make unlikely bedfellows—they’re in turn combined with tomato slivers, then covered in mayo. While they score points for originality, I’m not so sure this combo really works, especially when combined with a diced eggplant, chickpea and mushroom salad spiked with pesto, further accompanied by an asparagus quintet drizzled with sesame oil. Though both the salad and the veggies are interesting on their own, the combo of all three very different dishes is too much of a roller coaster for the taste buds.

Under the salad heading ($11–$13.50), you’ve got your more traditional Mediterranean offerings like La Traîneuse, a niçoise made up of a pile of arugula leaves, a few slices of avocado and tasteless tomato, resting on a bed of tasty hash browns and toped with a balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette with a hint of pesto. Nice and refreshing, despite a few yellow leaves, and I could have probably done without the uneventful trio of plain tomato halves under melted brie that surrounded the mountain of arugula.

Other than the strudels, that sadly were unavailable when I was there, they also do wraps and gauffres, but it’s the pain doré that caught my eye. Besides the aforementioned soufflés, this is one of those elements you don’t often encounter in your run-of-the-mill breakfast joint. According to the menu, these little treats are made with choice bread and organic eggs ($7). These warm, sublime but very filling little cupcake-like desserts incorporate either fieldberries and blueberries (Le Jean-Louis), banana, vanilla and peanut butter (Le Massif), or simply rose water (Le Coquet).

After the meal, it was time to see if La Marzocco was La Maserati of coffee machines or just another pretty face. With its rather imposing stature and red shiny exterior, it looks more like a convertible from a ’50s rat pack flick than an espresso machine, only this baby’s been updated with the latest bells and whistles, such as double stainless boilers (one for brewing and the other for foaming) apparently resulting in perfect H2O temperatures, along with several other features to bring you to coffee heaven. At this place, no cup of joe is complete till it’s been christened by the barista with a foamy design, usually a rosetta of some kind. How-to videos prominently displayed on flat screens show you just how they do it. Turns out it really is all in the wrist after all.

TIPS? QUESTIONS? COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEF? E-mail eattothebeat@gmail.com

Caffe Art Java
ADDRESS: 837 Mont-Royal East
PHONE: 527-9990
HOURS: Every day from 7 a.m.–midnight
BEST FEATURES: Out-of-this-world Afro-sporting soufflés, nice pain doré, great coffee with fancy designs that’s all it’s cracked up to be.
ALCOHOL: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Resto yes, washroom no
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Debit only
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: Around $20 after taxes and tip
RATING: *** out of ****