Isabella's Cafe Offers International Experience
Decatur/Kirkwood restaurant brings new flavors
By Kalin Thomas
From Decatur Patch
When you first walk into Isabella’s Café the first thing that you notice is the upbeat international music playing. Then you notice the aroma of international spices, like curry. But with a name like Isabella’s you’d think this was an Italian restaurant; however owner, Wambui Maina, is Kenyan.
“I named the restaurant after my mother. She was one of the first female physicians in Kenya. It was a way for me to honor her,” said Maina. The restaurant, which opened in July 2010, is in an old 1920’s building on West College Avenue at the edge of Kirkwood. The space Isabella’s is in used to be a coffee shop that closed around 2008 and stayed empty for two years. “I love Decatur because it’s like a foodie town. People look for innovative menus and support local restaurants. I thought this space was the perfect place to open my eclectic restaurant,” said Maina.
The eclectic menu offers American dishes with a twist, as Maina adds the flavors she loves from her native Kenya and New Orleans – where she first lived when she moved to this country at age 13. Dishes like the Kenyan-style Chunky Beef Stew over Basmati rice, Chicken Masala, chipotle-maple black beans, and cheeseburgers made with Isabella’s home-made pimento cheese are a hit with diners.
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