Southern Surprise at White Wolf

We often look for excuses to eat at the White Wolf Cafe, and my Mom visiting us this week made a good one.  She likes this place as much as we do.

A funky (do people still use that word) cafe in the middle of Orlando's Bohemian/Antique district, White Wolf started as an antique shop itself and visible price tags tell you that much of the decor is still for sale.

Cloths never hide the polished marble table tops (sides left rough) and that, along with the tile flooring, means there is nothing to dampen the busy restaurant noises.  To me this is just auditory decor, but it could bother some in my age bracket.

My wife ordered the Moroccan Salad, chunks of chicken breast tossed with bananas, raisins and nuts in chopped romaine with a sweet curry dressing.  She asked for the croissant in the picture, it usually comes with wedges of pita.

This is our mutual favorite and we often just order one to share - at White Wolf you always get more than you can eat.  

We didn't share this time, though.  My surprise was one of the specials on the chalk board - Country Fried Steak with sausage gravy, eggs and potatoes.  It's always been on the menu, but I had never noticed it amongst items like the aforementioned salad, Citrus Salmon Salad, kabobs and lasagna.

They call it country fried but I'd say chicken fried steak.  Wrapped in a thick but light, flaky crust, it was better than Grandma used to make, and I loved hers.  The gravy was loaded with sausage flavor and just the right spiciness.

I substituted grits for the potatoes and as good as the place is, they don't understand this dish.  It wasn't seasoned at all, and a second issue is visible in my picture.  Tell me what you think it is in the comments and check back in a couple of days for my upcoming post on grits.

Mom had the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, which was excellent despite not being a real Philly - no Cheese Whiz.  That's okay, I don't keep it in the house either.

The next day we had leftovers for lunch, with the wife and me splitting the remaining salad and steak.  Still yummy.