Friday, April 7, 2000

Wrap up your lunch hour at Alley Cats

By Pamela Percival
Special to the Reporter-News

Instead of the usual sandwich for lunch, the chef at Alley Cats is “wrapping” up something different.

The specialty of the house at the new Alley Cats downtown eatery is a selection of wraps, made from herb-seasoned tortillas wrapped around generous helpings of tasty ingredients. The other house specialty is the atmosphere, which includes large, colorful wall murals inspired by the “Top Cat” cartoon character and created by local muralist Ruben Ortiz.

My favorite Alley Cat entrée is the “El Gato” (Spanish for “cat”) wrap, a blend of spicy chicken meat, black beans, shredded lettuce and fresh pico de gallo – all packed in a garlic herb tortilla. An order includes two large wraps, enough for two small appetites or plenty to satisfy one large appetite.

Other wrap choices include the less-filling “Caesar the Cat” (herbed chicken, Parmesan cheese, lettuce and tomatoes in a pesto-seasoned wrap) and the “Tom Cat” (sliced roast beef, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and purple onions in a tomato flavored wrap).

Alley Cats chef/owner Jimmy Tomlin opened the restaurant with his wife, Christy, last October as an outgrowth of their busy Top Cat Catering business. Tomlin’s previous food industry experience include six years as executive chef for Marriott Management systems, which manages food service facilities for Hendrick Health System, and 12 years in the Fairway Oaks Country Club kitchen.

Besides the wraps, which Tomlin says his customers prefer about “three or four to one over our sandwiches,” Alley Cats offers a salad plate, offering three choices from its selection of creative salads, ranging from fresh fruit to cheese tortellini paired with pepperoni, bell pepper and onion.

There are also sandwich selections, plus daily specials ranging from vegetable lasagna to Cajun-baked catfish. On one visit, I tried the “Fishbone Friday” special — shrimp quesadillas made with herb-seasoned tortillas. The generous portion of quesadillas included non-fishy tasting shrimp and was accompanied by terrific pico de gallo, featuring fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions and cilantro. My only complaint was that the quesadillas were a bit too greasy for my taste. One of my lunch companions tried the soup of the day, a mild and tasty clam chowder.

My other lunch companion, my 5-year-old son, was pleased with his individual-sized cheese pizza ($3.25). The lady who took our order went out of her way to suggest kid-pleasing items not listed on the menu.

For dessert, we sampled a big, rich chocolate brownie ($1.25), which was so soft and fudgy that it resembled fudge candy. Other delectable dessert offerings include giant cookies, bread pudding ($2) and a tasty brownie pastry topped with raspberry filling.

Alley Cats also serves breakfast, with choices ranging from fresh baked cinnamon rolls and muffins to ham and egg croissants or Belgian waffles with fruit sauce and whipped cream.

The restaurant is primarily self-service – place your order at the counter and help yourself to the drink fountain.

Pam Percival is a contributing food writer to the Abilene Reporter-News. For previous restaurant reviews and a complete directory of Abilene restaurants, visit www.EATabilene.com.

IF YOU GO ...

Alley Cats, 427 Pine (672-5744), is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Breakfast selections are served until 10:30 a.m.

Breakfast and lunch specials change daily. The restaurant offers a free fax service to provide weekly listings of its specials. Most lunch entrée prices are in the $3.25 to $5.25 range.