For the past five years, I’ve been invited to judge a meatball contest held at Maggiano’s Little Italy. It’s not easy tasting about 20 different meatballs but I always enjoy taking part in the fun. The meatballs are not prepared by professional chefs, culinary students or a band of nonnas—Italian for grandmothers! They are cooked by area firefighters who develop their own recipes, take great pains in the presentation of their dishes and tell funny stories about how they caught the cooking bug. These men and women are darn good cooks.
I heard about Robert Plummer, a retired firefighter who recently opened Palate Restaurant with his wife Blanche. It is located on Spring Garden Street, just across from The Spaghetti Warehouse and down the block from the delightful Sazon, the South American BYOB.
It’s always a good idea to call a new restaurant to find out if credit cards are accepted and if they have a liquor license. The woman who answered the phone sparked my interest and my taste buds. She told me about menu items such as shrimp and grits, chicken and crab potpie, short ribs and a host of other dishes. Our appetites whetted, Edward, my mom Berthe and I set out for a taste.
Decorated in warm colors of red and soft gold, Palate immediately put us in a cheery mood. Large mirrors reflect the soft lighting. Wall sconces also project light in the room so we did not have difficulty reading the menu. Jazz was playing softly on the sound system.
A woman showed us to a roomy table and gave us menus.
"Are you Mrs. Firefighter?" I asked with a smile.
"Yes I am," she replied as she opened our wine. "My husband is the chef and I designed the restaurant."
The menu is best described as bistro American with French and Italian influences. The American South features prominently in a number of dishes or ingredients.
We began dinner with a bowl of New England clam chowder ($6), the pot pie ($7) and shrimp and grits ($8).
The potpie is made to order and takes about 15 minutes, we were told. We did not mind this short wait.
I always know when New England clam chowder is made from a commercial soup base, and Chef Plummer’s was not. He used fresh stock and fresh cream along with bites of tender clams, celery and onion. For an interesting Southern twist, he substituted sweet potatoes for Idahos and the result was simply delicious. I thought the soup needed a bit of salt, but this is a matter of personal taste. Two slices of French bread on the rim of the soup plate were a nice touch.
I adore homemade potpies, as they are a beloved food of my childhood, even though the ones I grew up on came frozen. If there were an award for potpie, Chef Plummer’s would easily win. First, he blends stock with vegetables along with pieces of chicken and then adds crabmeat to the mix. It was slightly thickened before he poured it into a ceramic crock and covered it with rich flakey pastry before baking. When was the last time you saw potpie on a menu? Edward opened the pastry with his fork, took a bite and pronounced it perfect. It was properly seasoned, and I thought the addition of crab may not work, but it sure did.
The first time I ever sampled shrimp and grits was on a beautiful September morning in 1989, eating outdoors on Shem Creek, just outside Charleston, South Carolina. The shrimpers just brought in their catch and they were on our plates within minutes. This Southern breakfast staple is made with bacon. The drippings are mixed with spices and reduced to form a gravy. Chef Plummer’s version is not as complex. He cooked the grits and placed them in a warm martini glass. He then added three small shrimp which were seasoned and grilled and placed them on the rim. The shrimp and grits martini was topped with bits of crisp bacon. I especially liked the contrast of textures in this appetizer.
From the entrees, mom selected the crab cake ($19), Edward ordered short ribs ($18) and I opted for chicken Cordon Bleu ($17). We all agreed that the crab cake was first rate, brimming with sweet lump crab and little filler. Some red peppers added color and texture. The plate contained a pile of out-of-this-world juicy jumbo fried onion rings and perfectly cooked asparagus.
Edward and I found the short ribs tender but the portion could have been bigger. They were properly braised but required a bit more seasoning. Whipped hot homemade mashed potatoes and asparagus accompanied the entrée.
The chicken Cordon Bleu was the only disappointing dish. A boneless chicken breast was stuffed with Fontina cheese and thinly sliced turkey ham, coated in crumbs and baked in the oven. The crumbs were burnt and the inside was a little dry. The French add butter to the filling, which adds flavor and moisture. Mashed potatoes and fresh green beans accompanied my entrée.
There were eight people dining at Palate and Mrs. Plummer took care of all of them, since she said her server called out that night. Still, the service was fine. None of us had to wait for our meal.
I was happy to see that Palate is not another Italian BYOB. A few dishes may have to be tweaked, but all in all, it was a delicious evening.
Two tips of the toque to Palate Restaurant.
Palate Restaurant
1033 Spring Garden Street
236-6061
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Wheelchair accessible
Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday
