Soooo.... what do you do about something called “The Benton Park Cafe”? I am deeply suspicious of the word gentrification and breakfast places, in such places tend to be insipid faux comfort food places. They tend to disappoint in authenticity and true comfort and although I enjoyed the experience and will go back, the Benton Park is a mixed bag. But the bag is pleasantly mixed.
It is in an old building at the corner of Arsenal and Lemp. It has been beautifully restored with hard wood floors and a new paint job and it is sparkly clean. The hardwood floors unfortunately lead to it being really noisy even when there are only a few patron and when the run their coffee grinder it is almost deafening. The patrons their on the morning of my visit including two gentrifying couples (God bless them) each with a small child and though charming it also added to the noise factor. I am well on my way to being a grumpy old man. The place has a nice little web site you might want to check out at: http://www.bentonparkcafe.com/.
The place sports it’s own slinger with gravy substituting for chili. As to my typical concerned I can say the following:
1. Iced Tea: Brewed and fresh
2. Potatoes: Interesting. Combination of two cuts or potato and two cheeses for a small casserole. Really good and interesting. Nothing crispy but worth trying.
3. Sausage: The offer the heinous turkey sausage and also pork sausage but alas... links not patties.
4. Cream Gravy: Winner. Spicy with sausage and served with “beer biscuits”. This is hallmark of the breakfast.
My notable dining companion had french toast which came with hot maple syrup and was promised some type of “cream sauce” to put on it but there was a glitch. The service was good and attentive and friendly with our waitress being a nice combination of not too old and too bohemian for her own good. She was pleasant and had her hands full working the floor and cleaning up after peoples kids but over all made it a better dining experience.
It is not a cheap breakfast but my propensity for ordering side orders always makes it pricier. I would recommend it as a place to take the wife or girlfriend rather then a place to hunker down with what remains of the Post Dispatch (that is another rant yet to come) and kill a 1/2 hour before work. Good food, nice atmosphere. Give it a whack and get a pretzel at Gus’s across the street when your done. Then go on a brewery tour. That sounds like a good Saturday morning.
1 comment:
Gravy looks proper but gravy can never stand in for chile in a slinger as it is too rich. Links rule, patties are often too dry. Never go with any fancy sausages, however.
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