FUUD: Nordstrom Marketplace Cafe at Ala Moana Center
By Cat
Ever since the highly anticipated opening of Nordstrom in March, I've been curious to peek inside.
I just never found a reason to venture into the 210,000-square-foot department store that's definitely out of my price range.
Until I found out about the Marketplace Cafe.
My girlfriend has raved about the cafe's selection of salads, so I finally went down recently to sample its offerings. And I wasn't the only one on a weekday afternoon interested in a grilled panini sandwich.
There's typically a line at lunchtime. Notice there's mostly women.
The nice part about standing in line is the free food. This server brought us garlic-cheese crostinis to pass the time.
Nordstrom's Marketplace Cafe, located on the first floor right next to men's shoes and a collection of bowties, is set up like a cafeteria. You grab a tray and browse a variety of delicious options.
Inside the cafe at lunchtime.
The indoor dining area is what most people wait for. But you can bypass the long line if you don't mind sitting outside.
The cafe has quickly become known for its healthy options, from an array of organic salads to made-to-order paninis.
One of the cafe's specialties is this rustic vegetable dish, roasted with garlic, thyme and rosemary ($9.95). Veggies never looked so good!
A popular item: the pesto chicken panini ($10.95), with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, provolone cheese and pesto aioli on crisp country bread. Served with chips.
But the cafe does serve its share of not-so-good-for-your-cholesterol options -- amen! -- like a kalua pork pizza with lomi tomatoes and mozzarella and provolone cheeses ($11.50) or slice of decadent carrot cake.
One of the shoe saleswomen recommended this: the kalua pork sandwich ($11.25), which comes with an Asian slaw and a ginger-sesame aioli atop a toasted ciabatta.
Here's a tray of scones that just begged to be eaten.
So here's what we ate:
My girlfriend ordered the roma tomato basil soup ($3.75 for a cup, $4.95 for a bowl). It comes with a crostini packed with garlic, butter, cheese and oregano.
You can order a side of the crostini at 50 cents a piece. Let me tell you, it was the best, tastiest 50 cents I ever spent!
She supplemented her soup with her favorite salad: the blue cheese and pear salad ($10.50), which comes with organic baby greens, romaine lettuce, blue cheese, pears and candied walnuts topped with a champagne vinaigrette.
I ordered the pepperoni and wild mushroom pizza ($11.25), which came with a roasted garlic sauce, fresh basil, oregano and mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Sounds basic, but oh, it wasn't!
Love the fresh basil!
We split -- OK, I ate most of it! -- a lemon bar, which was more sweet than tangy and the perfect way to end a great meal.
In all, the Marketplace Cafe was everything I expected it to be -- plus dessert! I loved the elegant ambiance, the varied selection of salads and sandwiches, and the wait service (which was excellent, by the way). Sure, it's a pricier than most lunch spots, but it's worth the extra bucks. Think birthdays, lunch dates and that It's-Thursday-and-I-need-to-get-outta-the-office days!
Plus, you can shop for bowties!
I wasn't kidding!
Marketplace Cafe, Nordstrom, Ala Moana Center. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Phone: 953-6100 x 1610.
The Daily Dish
May 16th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Cat
Looks like good food, but $10.50 for a sandwich is ridiculous..... Maybe it is just the price in Hawaii, I dont know. But that seems like way too much money to spend on lunch.
Happy weekend All!
May 16th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Nice fuud pics, thanks. Maybe I'll go to Nordstrom just for lunch one day...the healthy salad and pizza looks so ono. Had no plans or desire to go Nordstrom (bowties not on my shopping list) but fuud might get me there.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Cat, fabulous fuud pix, as usual. Very interesting menu selection -- creative things you don't see often or elsewhere. Gonna try it out! Have a good weekend. It's Friday!
May 16th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Fuud Pixs...
That pizza looks so ono....
May 16th, 2008 at 6:48 am
CAT,
Aaaiiiyyyaaahhh! FUUD Pixs! Tenks! You have made my Friday! After all the heavy blog subjects this week, my mind was going blank! Need da FUUD to make da mind feel GUUD!
May 16th, 2008 at 8:03 am
looks sooo good!!
too bad i don't work nearby
but i do live nearby, so one day i will venture out there and sample thier food!!
you always have the best food pictures cat! i bet you can make mcdonald's food look better than what it actually tastes like
May 16th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Whoa.....you ate the whole pizza?
Gauging from the size of the pepperonis.....it looks decent size. Or is that tiny pepperonis. heh
Fuud looks good but kinda pricey.
Well.....it's Nordstrom.....duh!
May 16th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Yeah, it's pricey, so it's not your everyday lunch spot. But for special occasions — and I like to think Fridays are special! — why not?
I didn't eat the entire pizza... I was saving room for the lemon bar. So I can rationalize paying that price because I wind up eating the leftovers for lunch. So it's like two meals in one!
Happy Friday, everyone!
May 16th, 2008 at 8:11 am
yummy food pics!! the prices are similar to CPK, but again thats not an everyday kind of lunch place. i love the fact that theres healthy and not-so-healthy options to satisfy everyones taste...
and fancy bowties...i seriously don't know a single person who wears bowties...lol!
May 16th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Wow, that rustic vegetable dish looks good. Almost something I would order.
I must be getting old...
May 16th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Yup, definitely not a "manly" kind of eating place.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Cat, it's okay if you ate the whole pizza. You're among friends. We won't judge. Well, maybe "opso" will! Actually the food looks good. They must have takeout, huh?
May 16th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I've passed by several times and even looked at their menu, but, it would only be a place where I would take the wife....if she wanted.
Too upscale for me or my son.
I gotta think twice before I eat lunch at a place that did not serve mac salad.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
looks delish! My mom and I were going to try but we spotted the line from Kapiolani Blvd so we sad NAH, but now that I know they give you food while you wait....well then that's a whole nother ball game!
May 16th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Tanx for the pix, Cat! Looks good. I can't wait to check it out! The salad and soup look uber delicioso! I LOVE tomato soup!! And that crostini looks yummy! Have you tried the Gelato bar? Oddly enough, it's on the 1st floor right by the swimsuit or lingerie section! Hehe! It's like "uh...I don't really want to think about fitting into a swimsuit or sexy lingerie while I am enjoying my gelato!" But it is very good...and the people who scooped it for me were very nice.
It's kinda hard to find -- tucked away behind a wall on the 1st floor, Diamond Head mauka end.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Hmmmm looks good but kind of pricey, need that $$ for my gas tank, shucks!
May 16th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hey Cat, I didn' t know you were so talented.
http://www.hawaiiweblog.com/2007/10/31/aiona-girl
May 16th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
May I humbly recommend you folks try Kimmie's Cantina, the former Red Lion University, former Bedroq, former Sharks, etc. Still got low priced beer. I'm not generally a Mexican food eater, but everything I have tried over hear is very good. And they decorated this place with mural like paintings on the wall and pastel colored tables and chairs. The South of the Border burger is the bomb! Big sucka at $10, comes with fries. Fully loaded with a spiced up patty, topped with a guacamole dressing, pepper jack cheese, fried jalapenos (I passed on this), lettuce, tomato, and CHORIZO! Kimmie also makes spiced-up spam tacos, tender shredded pork chili, and sizzing fajitas, among many other things. Bargain pupu is the HOMEMADE chips and salsa (mild or hot). She makes good chips and gives a generous serving for $2.75. Saw on the menu they also got a few types of Mexican desserts also. Cat, I know you do eat Mexican on occasion, as you headed out to my neighborhood to go to El Mariachi.
May 17th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
If you think about it - grabbing a bite to eat at CPK, Island's, heck - even food from Shriyokiya will rack you up near the amount you spend at Nordstrom Cafe. To me, it's a nice alternative to some of those places. Yes, I agree - I can't afford to eat there EVERY DAY, but every now and then isn't hard to manage.
Anyways - If you want to eat there and avoid the insane line, either wait a few months, or just get there before 11:30. At that hour, there's a line, but only to the door of the cafe. I highly recommend their cranberry turkey sandwich (so yummy) or the panko crusted chicken salad.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:27 am
cat:]
i'm in class now, and i am starving, thanks to your pictures.
i also have an odd urge to shop for unneccesary accessories: bow ties, clips, and food magnets.
thanks for the random motivations.