Amour Cafe

Romantic dining is what Café Bel Ami does best.

Café Bel Ami, meaning “beautiful friend” in French, has a reputation for romance. In fact, our magazine’s readers have named it among the best places for starry-eyed lovers to share a pleasant meal and conversation—or to get out of the doghouse—for the past three years. On a recent Saturday night, I made reservations with my girlfriend, Jackie, to see if the fine dining establishment still lives up to its name.

True to form, a group of teenagers dressed in tuxes and prom dresses stood outside the restaurant when we arrived. After a brief wait, we were seated at an intimate table for two in the dining room’s corner, situated just out of earshot from other patrons. The large dining room was packed (always a good sign). A glowing candle at our table and chandeliers provided dim, romantic lighting.

A waiter arrived shortly to take our drink order. An extensive drink list included wine, bourbon, scotch, vodka, gin, and beer, but we chose iced tea instead. As a starter, we ordered artichoke dip, which consisted of a delicious blend of artichokes, spinach and three cheeses that made it thicker than the dip at many other restaurants. Next, we polished off a side of fattoush, a Lebanese salad with romaine lettuce, olive oil and pita bread that’s a staple at many local Mediterranean restaurants.

Since we had a late lunch, Jackie and I decided to split our main course. The entrée selections included grilled chicken filet au poivre, K.C. delmonico steak, filet rossini, London broil, salmon and braised lamb shank, but we decided to try the chicken and shrimp á la Nabil ($14.95), a dish named after chef-owner Nabil Bachi. The rigate pasta is prepared New Orleans—style with bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese in a chili garlic cream sauce. We weren’t disappointed. The dish was cooked to perfection, and the cream sauce added an unexpected kick.

For dessert, we ordered the signature cream custard with melba sauce ($5.25). The dish contained Grand Marnier and a side of biscotti, which made an interesting contrast as we dipped the crunchy bread in a dessert as creamy as homemade ice cream.

Our dining experience lived up to the restaurant’s reputation. The service was excellent, the food was delicious and the quaint atmosphere was reminiscent of a historic hotel. Café Bel Ami didn’t have the flashy, sleek interior of many other fine dining establishments, but it offered everything that makes a romantic fine-dining experience memorable.

About the Chef—Nabil Bachaef
Some chefs stumble onto cooking as a hobby. Others discover it out of necessity. Nabil Bacha, chef-owner at Café Bel Ami, falls under the latter. The Lebanon native taught himself to cook at the age of 12, when his mother died unexpectedly. After moving to the United States for college, he found work as a busboy at Chantilly Grill. But rather than pursue his degree in computer science at Wichita State University, Bacha grew fascinated with cooking. He studied under legendary Wichita restaurateur Antoine Toubia and quickly advanced to head chef at the now-defunct restaurant. In the early ’90s, he became manager at Cessna’s Citation Grill, where he transformed the cafeteria’s menu by adding international food items and offering fattoush salad, an uncommon dish in Wichita at the time. Bacha left Cessna in 1998 to open Café Bel Ami. Skeptics said the restaurant couldn’t survive because of its location a mile west of Old Town. Instead, the eatery built a loyal clientele that craved fine food and service.

Bacha attributes the restaurant’s success to using top-notch ingredients and courteous service. “I do not compromise quality,” he says. “I’m from the old school, from Antoine.” Bacha holds the same standards at his two other eating establishments, Brown Stone Grill (3105 E. Harry St., 316-687-1111) and Go! Steaks (8918 West 21st Street N, 316-721-1400)—a fine-dining fast food biz in northwest Wichita that delivers sizzling steaks and baked potatoes to customers’ doors.

Age: 40
Family: Wife, Tammy; three kids—Devin (13), Dominic (9), Camilla (7); and two pets—Bear and Trisha, a Shih Tzu and Lhasa apso.
Hobbies: “I work so much that I don’t have much time for hobbies,” he says. “I usually spend any time off with my family.” He used to play soccer but tore his Achilles tendon when he was younger. Bacha still enjoys watching boxing, soccer and football. He also watches the Food Network for new recipe ideas.
Cooking Tool: Knife. “If it’s sharp, it will do.”
Music: Easy-listening at the end of a long day. Michael Bublé is among his favorites.
Vacation: Bacha takes two family vacations per year. His family has visited California, Florida and Branson. Bacha hopes to take his kids to Disney World again soon.
Cooking Tip: Don’t be afraid to tweak recipes. “The tools of cooking are like the tools in your garage. You need certain tools for certain jobs, and you need certain spices and oils to enhance a recipe’s flavors.”