Friday, January 21, 2005.
Blue Plate Cafe.
One of the few resolutions I made for the New Year that I've fulfilled completely was to write my daily newsletter a day ahead of time, mainly so the subscribers to the new premium edition I'm asking people to pay money for can get it first thing in the morning instead of late in the afternoon. A side effect of that has been that I have a very loose Friday morning now. Making it the perfect day for me to carry the kids to school, and work out of my downtown office.
The early ringing of the school bell makes having breakfast not only possible, but likely. This morning I tried a new place I've been hearing about: the Blue Plate Cafe on Prytania Street near Melpomene. It was much better than I was expecting, in every way. The dining room was bright and sharp, with tall ceilings, big windows, and a floor of small tiles a la Arnaud's. The breakfast menu went all over the place, so much so that I will have to eat there a few more times to get the feel of it.
I ordered the "downtowner" omelette. Downtown? More like Texas: the egg blanket, a disk folded over once, only slightly overcooked, was filled with chili and cheese, and black beans were on the side. It was good and ridiculously filling, even though I only ate half of it. The best part was a large, hot, freshly baked biscuit, dusty with flour and very light in texture. One was really enough, but it was so good that I had most of another.
Service was pleasant, the dining room was well over half-full (I imagine it's packed on weekends), and several people I knew came and went. Prices are typical for basic breakfasts. This will become one of the premier venues for breakfast, I predict.
Jude's social schedule kept Mary Ann in town, so she and I and Mary Leigh went to the new Living Room on Washington at Magazine. While waiting for the girls, I had a martini made with a gin from Scotland called Hendrick's. The bartender recommended it, saying it had a cucumber flavor. Interesting, and good, too.
We had a pleasant dinner. Mary Ann started with the misleading confit of artichoke, which was in reality a whole steamed artichoke with a scattering of roasted peppers and cheese. She said it may have been the strangest thing she's ever eaten, but also that it got better as she ate. I had a cauliflower soup sopped with parsley oil, which looked great and tasted just good.
They did not even try to serve me a steak on a hot cast-iron plate (the manager read my comment about this and said they immediately ordered aluminum platters; it always troubles me to hear that a restaurateur is taking my advice so readily). It was a sirloin strip this time, and more than decent. Mary Leigh had a filet, and Mary Ann the pork tenderloin special.
I'd still say the food here needs polish. But the old (1850s) two-story brick former residence is very comfortable and convivial, and that seems to be attracting at least a small crowd.
