Update: Unfortunately, Classic Café is now closed. Please support Coweta businesses to prevent the loss of great restaurants like Classic Cafe.
Because we were both born and raised in the Deep South, classic southern cuisine is our first choice for comfort food. We associate it with warm hospitality and relaxed family gatherings where everyone brings a covered dish.
Classic Café delivers the essence of southern cooking while drawing in contemporary elements. The restaurant is housed in a cozy two story historic home just off the square in downtown Newnan. The wraparound porch offers outdoor seating with a great view of other historic homes. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and sit outside
The chef uses organic, locally grown vegetables in his dishes, so the menu changes somewhat each season. We started our meal with two very different appetizers. The watermelon prosciutto salad was light and crisp with a drizzle of tangy citrus vinaigrette.
We found this salad the perfect appetizer for a hot summer day. The melon balls were cool and refreshing and harmonized quite nicely with the tart, fruity flavors of the dressing. Unfortunately, the chef was out of the prosciutto, so we did not get to experience the salad as it is normally served.
Our second appetizer was the old classic poutine, a traditional French Canadian dish. This is comfort food at its best. The crisp fries are smothered in hearty gravy and topped with a generous layer of melted cheddar cheese. The contrasting textures of the crispy French fries and the soft gravy soaked ones made this dish a huge hit with us.
Just as we finished our appetizers, the wind kicked up and a torrential rainstorm drove us inside. The distressed golden wood floors, polished French doors and the pumpkin colored walls create the intimacy you would expect in an 1800s house turned into a restaurant. The mac burger is a decadent southern creation of fried mac-n-cheese, apple cider smoked bacon and fresh vegetables all stacked between two beef patties and buns. It was every bit as delicious as it sounds. Their house chips are fresh and crispy with plenty of salt.
We also ordered the pimento-n-cheese croissant, but regrettably they were out of croissants. They were able to substitute wheat bread, which went nicely with the fresh taste of tomatoes and greens. The pimento cheese was perfect. The cheddar was sharp and perfectly seasoned. We chose the fried mac-n-cheese as a side. This was surprisingly delicious. The mac-n-cheese was mild and buttery, and the deep-frying process added a flaky golden crust. Can you get more southern than deep fried mac-n-cheese? It may seem like we went overboard on the cheese, but we have yet to meet a cheese based dish we don’t like.
The service at Classic Café is exceptional. Our server was very courteous in handling the few mistakes and ingredient outages that occurred throughout our meal. After we had paid and it was still pouring, she walked us out to the parking lot with an umbrella, getting soaked so she could help us to the car.
We spotted some tasty looking cinnamon rolls on the way in but were sadly too full to find out if they taste as good as they look. The average entrée is 12 dollars. They do a Sunday brunch and offer catering and special event options. Be sure to follow them on Facebook to keep up to date on new menu items and take advantage of their frequent specials.