I couldn’t be happier that I discovered The Bluebell Cafe. It’s so under the radar, but there isn’t one thing we tried that wasn’t incredibly delicious. I love the food, I love the atmosphere, and if I had any criticism, it would be that perhaps the wait staff could have been a bit friendlier and engaging. Not that there was anything wrong with our server, but it just seems like given how great everything else is, the cherry on the cake would’ve been fantastic service as well. That’s a minor point, though. Once you discover the place, you’ll go back again and again.
Their menu is quite large and they serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. I had had my eye on going there for brunch for a while. I think that’s actually the peak time for this place. People love the egg dishes and breakfast foods and from what I’ve seen and heard, it’s all for good reason. But on this occasion we opted for dinner. The place is dimly lit (not too dark), really cozy, nice, spacious, and has pleasant ambient lighting. The tables are comfortable and spaced a comfortable distance apart from one another. There’s also a large bar in the middle of the dining room. It’s really a mix between a nice pub and a nice cafe.
We were between several dishes, but in the end, we narrowed it down to the beef bourguignon, grilled chicken Caesar sandwich, lamb shank (special), and crab cakes.
Beef Bourguignon – whipped potato, pearl onions, carrots, and celery, slow braised in a red wine sauce. Now I have to say I was quite skeptical of ordering this classic French dish at this cafe. It’s a nuanced dish and the sauce is incredibly important. But oh.my.god., they hit a home run here. The beef is so tender, the flavor profile of the sauce was so developed, the vegetables were fantastic. I wanted to literally lick the plate. I took some of the extra bread and soaked up as much sauce as possible, but I really just wanted to lick the plate.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwich – grilled chicken breast, Caesar dressing, romaine hearts, parmigiano reggiano, served on a French baguette. I opted for it to be served in a spinach wrap instead. I was also a bit skeptical about ordering this dish. As much as I love Caesar salads and sandwiches, it can just end up being so mediocre. Wow was this one delicious. They put just the right amount of Caesar sauce in the wrap, the chicken was great quality, the romaine hearts were crisp and fresh, and the cheese was the perfect accent. It was such a light sandwich, which is surprising because when you think of a Caesar salad or a Caesar wrap, it’s normally anything but light. But the dressing wasn’t heavy. It was such a great portion, too. Really stuffed with chicken. I ate every last bite.
The sandwich is served with your choice of fries or salad and I opted for the salad. The salad is amazing. Normally when a dish is served with a side salad, the salad is really sad. It’s lettuce with a few tomatoes on it. This wasn’t! This was so legit. Mixed lettuce and spinach with shredded carrots, green beans, tomato, cucumber, pickled onion, and olives. I could’ve literally ordered the salad on its own as an entrée. Just great.
Griddled Crab Cakes – served with sauce remoulade and tomato-black currant confit. While I didn’t try these myself, our table loved it. There were two good sized cakes, served with a side salad. Good for two people to share as an appetizer.
And we also ordered the lamb shank special, which I again didn’t try, but it seemed to be as well regarded as the beef bourguignon. It was served with sautéed greens and whipped potato.
There wasn’t a single miss and there is still so much on the menu I want to try. To name a few, I had my eye on the oven roasted chicken, but was told that takes at least 20 minutes to prepare, the grilled ahi tuna steak I hear is a great hit, and the hummus-veggie spinach wrap sounds fantastic. I just honestly can’t wait to go back, but the tough choice will be whether I try something new or order the same things again. Decisions! And brunch is a must try, too. I highly recommend this place!
