Mocha Bleu is a cute place of, yes, mocha and blue in a busy shopping area on Queen Anne Road. It’s a great spot for medium to fine dining, to enjoy a coffee or patisserie. Mocha Bleu also features the first – according to Abenaim – authentic cherry wood burning kosher oven in the United States.
“There was nothing like this. There was a demand for it. People wanted a dairy restaurant (vegetarian), and we wanted to do something different, so we filled a niche,” Abenaim said.
Yes, Mocha Bleu is different. How different? Well, when I entered on a bright, sunny Tuesday morning, Yanni played over the sound system. At night? Hip Hop filled the cafe. The spot seats 150 which, on Saturday evenings, fill quickly. Lines around the block to get in are normal.
“Even in 2009, when we had a snowstorm of 10 inches we were sold out,” Abenaim said. Can you tell Abenaim, who owns Mocha Bleu with his wife Hila, is proud?
Mocha Bleu is a step above a “let’s just stop in and get something place,” and many touches below a stuffy, upscale atmosphere. There is an ambiance here that makes you want to stay longer than just for a coffee or pastry in their coffee bar – and you can do that if you wish. But the soothing blue wallpaper of the lounge and bar, mocha-colored walls, the clear, see-through chairs in the main dining area, as well as the blue glasses, invites you to linger.
There are some very popular entrees on the Mocha Bleu menu, but one stands out. “Our Chilean sea bass (sea bass with herb mashed potatoes, asparagus, and citrus beure blanc) is out of this world,” says Abenaim, and I’m not about to argue with him. And then there’s that wood burning kosher oven. There are ten varieties of pizza, in addition to calzones, strombolis, soups, appetizers, salads, sushi, pasta and seafood dishes.