Thursday, April 24, 2008
A restaurant disguised as a coffee house
Larry Bly
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The name, Brambleton Blend, does not reflect fully what you'll find when you enter Roanoke's newest coffee shop. It's far more than coffee. To me, this is a restaurant first and a coffeehouse second.
They have their own special Blends, and I like them. There's a counter with various coffees and I've tried a goodly number of them, except for the decaf that I ignore. The Blend will hand you a whopping oversized cup and you're on your own. The coffee is full and robust, but not bitter. I've not had any coffee that's stale. With the Sunday morning crowds, there's not a chance that that will ever happen.
But mostly I like the Brambleton Blend as a full-service restaurant. I think the kitchen could pre-prep a few items to save them some time when things get cranking, but they're getting there ... slowly.
For breakfast I recently tried "signature Blend sausage gravy" as a side. It was rich and creamy and slightly different than any I've had before. Somewhere in there was an herb or spice that I could not identify, but it gave the gravy a distinctively different twist. I also had a perfect eggs Benedict, served with a side of home fries. Benedict is a true test of any busy kitchen. The eggs should be runny and often that's a problem with heat-lamps, but not at the Blend. It was perfect. As was the hollandaise. I can spot canned or packaged hollandaise from50paces. This one was lemony and light, just as it should be.
I also tried the buttermilk biscuit (a respectable bread here) and a frittata (not all in the same sitting, naturally) that features an impressive selection of fresh fruit on the side. The menu brims with enticing offerings not normally seen: an egg and sausage "Barcelona burrito," a Greek burrito (eggs, sun dried tomatoes, olives, chives, diced potatoes and spinach and feta cheese), something called "angels on horseback", which is half-dozen fried oysters wrapped in bacon and served on toasted wheat. Now that's a breakfast!
Offered, too, are quiches, bagels, Scotch eggs --hard boiled, coated with sausage and bread crumbs, deep fried and served with homefries. These things are painful to make at home. I once made Scotch eggs on my TV cooking show years ago and it was a disaster. I've never seen them offered anywhere else.
A friend and I gave the lunch menu a good workout. I started with Miso soup. For my taste, it could have been a bit bolder, but it was a classic preparation with big pieces of mushroom floating on top. They also offer a roasted garlic soup that I must try. This is one kitchen that's not afraid to throw the garlic to dishes, and I love it.
My friend started with a listed appetizer, the proscuitto wrapped melon, with a light yogurt dip on the side. He certainly got more than his money's worth. The melon slices were oversized and there was enough proscuitto to feed a mob. Perhaps they could ease back on this presentation and save some food costs. It was wonderful, but nearly too much for one sitting. Thinner slices of proscuitto would have been more to his liking.
Go figure ... you give them a huge helping and they still complain!
Other appetizers include a salmon quesadilla, nachos, smoked pork eggrolls, salads.
For lunch entrees, we tried (and traded) two panini sandwiches. First: the Adrian's cappi ham, cappicolla, proscuitto, salami, sopressata, grilled onion, mozzarella, oregano, with a balsamic vinaigrette. Wow! You'll be impressed with this bold, and oversized sandwich, as we were with the "Franklin": cracked peppermill turkey, smoked gruyere, sweet onions, sautéed in balsamic vinegar. The kitchen isn't stingy about the meat, just like New York delis. There are a handful of other pananis, burgers galore, Thai chilies, ground buffalo burgers, chicken, including a heavenly "hot and sweet chicken," grilled and topped with ginger and peppers.
For the vegetarians, four items for consideration, none boring: rice noodles in mango broth, veggie Sautee over Israeli cous cous, crispy tofu served with tamarind, and a fresh veggie burrito. Vegetarians should not feel slighted with these offerings.
Dinner is kept simple with a splash of straightforward specials and a menu that starts with a sundried tomato duck pate or a smoked duck breast served with homemade salsa and crustinis. Six or so entrees fill out the bill: rib eye with rosemary mashed potatoes; duck confit with citrus ginger glaze (they seem to have cornered the market on duck); smoked chicken in spicy barbecue sauce, served with veggies and sweet potato gnocchi and pickled fennel; jumbo shrimp with spicy mangos and fried rice; grilled rock fish; and yellow curry vegetables. Desserts are bananas Foster over French toast or a mango panna cotta, each only $5.
The service staff is young and inexperienced, but they make up for it by being attentive and pleasant. My waitress wondered aloud if I actually knew what Miso soup really was. I told her that I thought it was that soup that looks and smells like dishwater. She laughed and said, "That's exactly what I think." But I assured her that Miso is quite lovely and she needed to give it a try sometime.
The kitchen is open, so you get to see all of the action. This was once a Pizza Hut, and it's a wonder how they manage to get so much food out of such a small space.
It's obvious that much thought was given to this excellent menu; and the prices are reasonable. A good value for the money, this Brambleton Blend.
Brambleton Blend
3334 Brambleton Ave.
Roanoke, VA 24018
540-725-2008
