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As a lifestyle, Les Carb makes strong argument

As a big fan of pasta and potatoes, I felt like a vegetarian visiting a steakhouse when I walked into Les Carb Market's Cafe and Coffee Bar.
This whole Atkins-Palm Beach-carb-counting diet has gone way past being a fad. As the sign on Les Carb Market reads, cutting carbs has become a "lifestyle."

So, why would anyone who doesn't buy into this lifestyle want to eat the food at Les Carb?

Because it's very good.

The meals are prepared daily by Robin Joyce, who owns and operates A Catered Affair. The menu includes salads, side dishes and entrees, all packaged in individual containers that can be nuked in the microwave at the cafe, or taken home. The selection varies, and some items sell out quickly. Regular Les Carb customers know to shop early.

OK, so it's a stretch to call a place a restaurant when they're just microwaving your meal. (And, they have just one microwave, so prepare to wait if there's a crowd.)
It's hard to find fault with the end product, even if it does come in a plastic dish.

The cafe space is actually in the back of the store, right next to the door that leads to the just-opened East Memphis outpost of Midtown Yoga. (Remember, this is a lifestyle. Log onto www.midtownyoga.com to check the class schedule.)

There are just a few tables, and a scale in one corner. (A definite first for any eating establishment I've ever visited.)

After browsing through the display case and comparing carb counts - listed on the outside of each dish - I tried the chicken enchiladas at one lunch. They're made with low-carb tortillas (just three carbs each), and smothered with sour cream and shredded cheddar.

Before I started eating, I looked around for some hot sauce and was disappointed there wasn't even a bottle of Tabasco.

The big surprise was that the enchiladas didn't really need that liquid pepper. They were well-seasoned, loaded with chunks of chicken in mild green chili sauce. The wheat tortillas had a delicate texture. It was a wonderful dish.
I also sampled a sausage stuffed portobello. That mega-mushroom was loaded with cheese and bits of mild Italian sausage. Again, the seasonings hit just the right note.


The feta chicken was fine: a skinless, boneless breast topped with a marinara sauce and the tangy cheese.

I think that dish is just meant to be paired with the excellent Italian spinach, which was more like a casserole. Other low-carb sides include marinated asparagus, stuffed zucchini, marinated green beans, grilled veggies, sweet and sour cabbage.

Les Carb offers a weekly meal planning service, with customers cherry-picking from Joyce's list of entrees: chicken fajitas, sausage-stuffed peppers, beef kebabs, chicken satay with peanut sauce, crab cakes with remoulade, spicy meatloaf, stuffed eggplant with scallops, mushrooms and peppers, and more.
Besides the tasty food, Les Carb has another big drawing card. The owners used to have the Coffee Connection, so the post-meal brew is great.
I ordered an Americano (espresso with hot water) to go with my low-carb chocolate chip cookie. (Which was light and crumbly and not as sweet as your typical cookie, and, can I get another, please?)

You can order your latte low-carb (with low-carb milk) or "loaded" with 2 percent. In addition to doing coffee drinks, Les Carb Cafe and Coffee Bar sells beans by the pound from various roasters.

I'm still not ready to give up my noodles or baked spuds or crusty baguettes. But these terrific low-carb dishes gave me pause. If it all tasted this good, maybe this is a lifestyle worth considering.

- Leslie Kelly: 529-2594
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