A La Carte is really just that, a gourmet caterer and cafe that sells individual items you can mix and match to form anything from a snack to a five-course meal. With warm pale yellow walls, oak-colored tables and chairs and a red apple border tracing the very top of the cafe, A La Carte has a homey ambiance that speaks volumes about its food.

A sampling of eight salads, a few vegetable and starchy sides and about a half-dozen entrees are prepared daily at A La Carte. The menu changes daily (and can be found on the website) but features specialties such as butternut squash and blue cheese risotto and pork medallions with an artichoke and red pepper sauce. Alongside the freshly prepared items is a freezer stocked full of entrees (like chicken vesuvio and roasted corn and poblano chile tartlettes) perfect for bringing home and popping in the oven for a quick dinner.

The desserts at A La Carte are by far the most aesthetically appealing, to the point where you might not muster up the willpower to even glance at anything else. There's no menu, so it's pure luck as to what's available day to day. If you're timely enough to wander in on a strawberry rhubarb tart day, pat yourself on the back, get over the sticker shock and gobble one up.

Centerstage Reviewer: Laura Brown