Say ‘Voila’ for fresh, creative cuisine with a Belgian signature at Voila deli in La Jolla

By Marti Gacioch

The new European-style deli on Pearl Street in La Jolla opened in July 2013 with owners Laurent and Francine Hebbelinck guiding Voila’s culinary team. The breakfast through dinner menu (served 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) emphasizes fresh, healthy organic salads (with a variety of 30 toppings), ever-changing soup and cheese selections, and artisan breads and pastries.

Breakfast at Voila’s means homemade delights that can take the form of freshly baked cookies and pastries, including Belgian milk chocolate-caramel brownies. The choice of quiches includes ham, fennel and Brie cheese, and Italian sausage with spinach and mushroom.

Organic salads (including tri-colored organic quinoa salad) are the favorite lunch and dinner items at Voila. Customers select their choice of salad base from among spinach, arugula, Romaine, butter lettuce or spring mixes before choosing from the 30 available toppings. Among these are meat, tuna, cheese, veggies, fruit and seeds.

“We have a lot of sprouts — alfalfa, bean sprouts and lentil sprouts — and we have to change things a lot because they are seasonal,” Hebbelinck said. The daily special is a salad with five toppings for $9.99.

“We also sell a lot of homemade quiches and soups, and we try to be creative and change the choices frequently,” Laurent Hebbelinck said. “One day we have Mixed Veggie Soup and French Onion Soup, and another day we may have Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup; our Thai Chicken Soup is also very popular.”

Known for serving only hormone-free poultry, Voila includes organic turkey burgers and the very Parisian French jambon beurre (butter and ham) sandwich on ficelle bread.

Voila has become known for its desserts. “We do a Brussels Pie, which is a Belgian specialty. It’s a rice pudding with vanilla and cinnamon. Also, our Belgian cheesecake is one of the most popular items served; it’s very different from American cheesecake because it’s a lot lighter with a speculaas (biscuit) crust,” Hebbelinck said.

Additional treats include panna cotta, a creamy vanilla dessert; chocolate mousse; and crème brulee with a caramel sauce made on site by the owners.

Many customers stop in for the popular fresh-made smoothies — the green smoothie is made with organic spinach, banana, coconut water, mango, honey, almonds and flax seed. There are also blueberry and banana, and strawberry, mango banana smoothies.

Voila

723 Pearl St. in La Jolla

(858) 729-0969

voilalajolla.com

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