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Printed From Acorn-Online.com Redding Pilot by Justin Reynolds
Khalid Gourad wants Wilton residents to spice up their day. Mr. Gourad, a Redding resident, recently opened Casablanca Cafe — which serves Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-flavored food — at 5 River Road. “I wanted to bring something a little different to Wilton,” Mr. Gourad said, adding that in addition to the food served, his cafe will offer a place to relax. Mr. Gourad said his establishment is very different from a deli, and he expects people to find the ambiance of Casablanca Cafe to be very inviting and relaxing. Customers may bring in their laptops and surf the Web since the cafe offers free Wi-Fi. Mr. Gourad, who said he has worked in the restaurant business in various establishments ranging from the super fancy to fast food, is excited to bring something new to the area. “I want to give a taste of something that is not usual in this area,” he said. “Put it this way: There is not a lack of Italian or Chinese” restaurants in this area. “This is a concept that I think the environment could use.” Casablanca Cafe is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., serving breakfast, sandwiches, soups and salads. “We serve pressed sandwiches, paninis, healthy salads; we tend to focus on eating healthy,” he said. Casablanca Cafe offers platters of shish kebab, falafel, hummus or koufta — ground beef with Moroccan spices and cilantro. Platters are served with couscous and green salad. Sandwiches are served on seven grain, sourdough or ciabatta breads. Two options are a grilled chicken sandwich with fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic aoli, roasted red peppers and arugula on ciabatta, or an albacore tuna with red peppers, celery, carrots, scallions, red onions, cilantro, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on seven-grain bread. The cafe also offers pressed sandwiches, such as a grilled chicken and feta cheese sandwich topped with sun-dried tomatoes, grilled zucchini and spicy mayonnaise on sourdough. “Bulgarian feta is an awesome cheese we’re introducing in the area,” Mr. Gourad said. “I think people who have Bulgarian feta will never go back to regular feta.” No matter what time of day it is, the cafe will also serve breakfast. “You can get a muffin at 3 p.m.,” he said. Casablanca Cafe serves omelets, bagels, muffins and Danishes, as well as a European breakfast staple, Nutella and Edam cheese, served on grilled seven-grain bread. The cafe also offers salads, vegetarian tapas platters, soups and desserts, such as baklava. Mr. Gourad said he and his wife had lived in Wilton for five years before moving to Redding about three years ago. Before opening Casablanca Cafe, Mr. Gourad was a partner in Wilton Food Company. His new cafe occupies the location previously filled by Wilton Food Company. “I’ve always wanted to open up a place of my own,” Mr. Gourad said, adding his two partners at Wilton Food Company, both chefs, decided they wanted to pursue a catering business. Mr. Gourad is also proud to offer a full line of coffee offered at Casablanca Cafe. “It’s not a deli, it is a cafe that serves very good coffee,” he said. “We serve Briani’s Coffee, the chosen coffee of the Italian Culinary Institute. It is very fresh and brewed in small batches.” The cafe also serves espresso, lattes and cappuccinos, he said. As a Redding resident who frequents Wilton, Mr. Gourad is pleased at his new location. “This location is very convenient for me for where I live,” he said. Mr. Gourad said everything on the menu is under $10. “We’re planning for it to be a very comfortable place for people to come and hang out,” he said. “Like our motto says, ‘We want you to come in and spice up your day.’ ” © Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers |
