Le Central

I met some girlfriends for brunch this weekend at Le Central. It was my first time eating here and I am so glad we did!  The waffles and other pancake like stuff are wonderful and they have bottomless drinks for $9. The egg sandwich plates looked great too. The syrup was delicious and their orange butter on the waffles is amazing.  I'm told the mussels are one of the best things there but unfortunately no one got any try.  The service took a little longer than I would have expected but they had a full house when we went and big tables so I think they were just really busy. Also, the parking lot is $5 (cash only) and it a little tricky to find but it's off Lincoln St.

I brought the hubby here to experience a cooking demo at the end of January and we had a great time!  We learned how to brine anything, how to make a Hollandaise that won't break, and how to whip and fold egg whites into submission.  At the end of the demos, we were treated to a fantastic meal of rosemary and honey brined pork chops and chocolate lava cakes for dessert - YUM!  That, plus the warm and inviting atmosphere, friendly professional service, and fun interactive cooking demos all added up to a perfect date night!

Have been here more times for dinner than I can remember, mainly because I used to live a block away. Went for brunch a few weeks ago for the first time and was pleasantly surprised -- I think this is where they definitely do meals right. Got the French toast (Pain Perdu) and was not disappointed, although the side of fruit contained several pieces of obviously overripe (i.e. mushy and falling apart) cantaloupe. This seems to capture the essence I've gotten from this restaurant a few too many times: things can be good, but also sloppy.

Dinner has always been hit or miss, and I'd be shocked to find out if the chef(s) ever consistently taste what they send out. A friend of mine once asked to send something back -- I believe it was a salmon dish, which I remember tasting and agreeing that it was pretty bad -- and the waitress rolled her eyes and sneered at him as she took the plate away, but did eventually return to take his order for another dish that turned out to be halfway decent.

Long story short: your money is best spent on brunch -- a time when the service also seems to be friendlier -- and the onion soup is usually pretty tasty. And while I can't eat the mussels, all my friends have raved about those as well.