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Volume CXXXII, Number 10 |
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Broadway lights up Maine Street
KERRY ELSON
COLUMNIST
Preparing for Brunswick's second themed deli, the Foodie shredded her trousers, mussed her hair and rolled in a muddy curbside snowbank. Cockney accent rehearsed and jaunty newsboy cap placed atop her head, she gambolled down Maine Street towards Broadway Delicatessen.
"Allo, Guv," the Foodie declared to no one in particular as she claimed a booth for herself. Though she craved hot sausage and mustard for the main meal and a dessert of cold jelly and custard, the Foodie found no such offerings on the Broadway menu. She settled instead on a Western Omelette with a grilled bialy and a side of home fries.
Other breakfast menu items include bagels and lox, french toast, fruit, yogurt and granola parfait, and eggs prepared any style. Sandwiches, soups, and salads fill out the lunch menu. Although Broadway's ingredient combinations are not unique, the restaurant presents its basic items well. Such an adherence to quality is refreshing at a time when, in the Foodie's opinion, many establishments strive towards novelty at the expense of fine preparation in order to distinguish themselves.
The Foodie considered herself at home in the cozy cave of the deli. She even considered herself part of the furniture, as the brown muck on her tattered rags matched the wood décor. Red vinyl booths line walls replete with children's drawings while one table sits in the deli's front window, allowing happy customers to advertise Broadway's fine food.
The lone waitress brought the requested provisions just as the Foodie's hunger peaked. What glorious food! The Foodie was in rapture. Ham, white cheddar, red onion and green pepper filling provided a sweet and salty counterpoint to the fluffy eggs that enclosed it. The Foodie could see the care with which the dish was prepared; she was charmed by the uneven slices of onion, pepper and ham. Each filling was separately sauteed in order to evoke individual flavors: the ham had an occasional crust, while the carmelized red onion complemented the slightly bitter grilled green pepper. Not in gooey excess, smooth white cheddar acted as an emulsifying agent.
Broadway has also introduced the Foodie to the bialy. This flat, solid, simply-decorated bread was chewy but not as filling as its more rotund cousin, the bagel. Grilled and buttered, it served as the perfect base for an open-faced omelette sandwich. The Foodie was also pleased by the soft, cayenne-dusted homefries; unlike those at Grand City Restaurant, these already palatable breakfast potatoes needed neither salt nor ketchup. The only disappointment of the Foodie's breakfast was her beverage: though she hoped it would be fresh squeezed, the grapefruit juice seemed to be poured straight from a carton. Alas.
Although not as impressive as the omelette, a fresh turkey sandwich at lunchtime was also prepared with care. The wheat bread was dark and nutty, while the turkey was tender and warm. Unlike Big Top Deli, however, Broadway doesn't seem to be equipped to prepare dishes to go, so prospective patrons should plan on eating in. The Foodie's sandwich, enclosed by tinfoil on a paper plate, quickly fell apart and was cumbersome to carry.
It's clear the Foodie and Broadway Deli are going to get along. The waitress at Broadway is the friendliest the Foodie has encountered at any restaurant on Maine Street and the deli's prices are reasonable. She might even go to Timbuktu, and yes, come BACK AGAIN to try another Western Omelette.
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