Casper&Gambini's is truly my home away from home. I like this place and I have always loved it's positive energy ever since it opened in DownTown a while back. I spent a lot of good times there - first dates, meetings, family gatherings and I even spend New Year's eve there once. Yes believe it or not.
Anyway, my point is that Casper has always been there... But I have always preferred the idea of the place being a stand alone and not within a mall. The closest one to my house today is their ABC branch. I meet up with my friends as much as my time allows it. I like it cause it has a vast menu of various dishes from salads, to sandwiches, to panini's and a large selection of light dishes. First comes that bread basket, well I can't say basket as it comes in a metal box shaped bowl. I miss their olive bread though, they used to be unique - tasty and fresh. Now the bread basket comes with exactly the same amount of bread pieces as the people sitting on the table.
I always order their Edamame before starting. They have a unique way of presenting them with a side bowl of soya sauce mixed with diced onions. It's very tasty. But guys, please make the Edamame plate bigger. It's too tiny. It's definitely not an order to share! I usually let the people with me talk and tell me what's new with them and I munch the plate away, alone. I know sneaky. But not because they are the best Edamames in town, just because I am hungry and the plate is too small to share. I usually order their Light Pasta Tuna Salad, which was removed from the menu, then I got hooked to their Cob Salad that comes with pieces of Roquefort cheese Yum. I loved it, but that's also no longer on the menu...It's frustrating when you come to a place knowing exactly what you're going to eat and you actually came to have that specific meal and it's no longer on the menu. Do you know what this does to a person especially when they are hungry? I told the waiters about my concern and they told me that they can do it for me as long as they have all the required ingredients in the kitchen. They often do so for their loyal customers. I asked for it a few times, but then I started to feel bad and thought I must find a new favorite salad. The last time I went, I tried their Crab Salad - I don't know the name of the dish to be honest, the same goes for all the plates ordered. The crab salad is OK, but not great - they should add a bit more crab to the salad. The dish looks tastier than it actually is. I liked the idea though that it had the Japanese feel in the dressing used.
My friend ordered their chicken quesadilla that came with sour cream and guacamole. I think one of Casper's problem is their chicken. It's too dry. It's more boiled than grilled. I don't know if I am making sense. But I think if their chicken is grilled a bit more and have that charcoal taste , it would definitely taste better. My sister ordered their mushroom burger. This is an interesting burger as the mushrooms are ground together with the meat. Fresh and tasty. I tried a small piece. After that, we all shared the Pain Perdu. The pain Perdu at Casper is the best I have ever had and trust me, as it's my favorite dessert, I try it everywhere. Two thick pieces of bread soaked in the tastiest mixture, they caramelized with sugar on top. Caramel can be added to it. This plate is perfect to share. Served with vanilla ice cream on the side. It's worth going to Casper just for that and their Cafe Latte which I can't express enough how much I love it. One of my friends tried their pancakes layered cake. It was honestly not as tasty as it looks, neither was their red velvet cake.
No matter what, I will still go to Casper and try to experience other items on the menu. But guys please don't keep changing.
