Saturday, March 31, 2007

A review of Melba's: Beautiful...

Briefly…

Went here on March 16th. It’s a beautiful little place with mirrored walls and a candle light at every table. Everyone’s smiling… Seemed as though we were silently invited to come in and get comfortable, like family.

I arrived, a bit earlier than the rest of my party, to find several people at the bar and people just sitting and enjoying the atmosphere. I found out later that one of the people at the bar was “Melba,” the owner of this lovely little establishment and Sylvia’s daughter. Aside from the coat check lady, the young woman who had been bartending came to greet me at the door, followed shortly by the waitress.

As I sat, I was able to look around and take in the warmth. I made a few calls and mused that this might be just the spot to share a moment with a special someone. Oh no! The little dancing flame went out on my table, Melba immediately noticed took care of it herself.

Fast forward…

We ordered… The food wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I can’t really rag on it, it just wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted it to be like my Grandmother’s cooking. Overall it wasn’t bad, not at all, actually. The Buffalo wings were as could be expected. The Buttermilk Fried Chicken was well done, well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The “Tres Mac and Cheese,” wasn’t my deal at all. I think it was the pepperjack cheese that killed it for me. I just wish the menu could have been a bit more diverse.

I noticed, also, that Melba remembered faces. She was greeting her return visitors with a kiss and a hug. Not just people that have been there many times, but even a group that had been there just once before. I also noticed that it may be common for people just to stop in to say hi.

Overall I had a great experience and I will definitely go back the first chance I get. Warm, cozy, like home should be.