Sunday, March 28, 2010

Lunch at Kenn's Broome Street Bar

The Diner Divas, out in SoHo on a blustery Friday afternoon, decided to see what was cooking at an ole fave, Kenn's Broome Street Bar.

First shown to a table where one of the chairs seemed too close for comfort to some stairs, we were instead seated at another table we preferred. Tea for Diva2 and ginger ale for Diva1 showed up promptly as we contemplated the menu.

Diva2 settled on the "pigwich," a grilled ham and Swiss cheese sandwich on pumpernickel bread, with a side of chips. Diva1 raised her eyebrows a bit at the mention of grilled Swiss cheese given her recent experience with grilled cheeses at Big Daddy's, but Diva2 was unfazed, noting only that yes some cheeses grill better than others. After inquiring about the soup of the day, Diva1 ordered a soup and half-sandwich combo: ham and brie with mustard on pumpernickel with a cup of cream of tomato soup.

The soup arrived in a coffee mug on a plate, half sandwich at its side. Both were delicious, the soup not your grandmother's smooth creamy bland concoction but with something -- Diva1 knows not what -- with a bit of heat in the blend that made for an interesting soup experience. The half sandwich was just right, not overstuffed; the mustard was served on the side, which Diva1 appreciated.

Diva2's grilled cheese sandwich was also a success: the folks in the kitchen here know how to grill the Swiss to perfection. The side of chips was plentiful if a bit uninspired; they were the kind with ridges.

With sandwiches eaten and with time on our hands, we each decided to order apple pie for dessert. I was happy to note that the pie drought was apparently over as the waiter asked if we'd like the pie a la mode and would we like it warmed? Yes (for Diva2) and no (Diva1) for the a la mode, and a yes all around for the warming.

And then we sat back and waited. And waited. And waited. While we'd been munching our sandwiches, the place had filled to capacity; our waiter was busy. So we waited some more. We reminded the waiter we were still waiting. He apologized, indicating all those filled tables. We joked about piemakers going out into the forest to kill trees for their apples ...

Finally the pie arrived. It was not simply warmed, but quite hot. Nonetheless, we dug right in, Diva2 remarking that the cold ice cream helped mitigate the heat of the pie. And while Diva2 would have preferred the crumb topping to have been crisper, Diva1 noted sadly that there was no caramel drizzle, no powdered sugar. And both -- as, mind you, they each polished off their plates -- noted that the pie could certainly have been juicier.

Still it was a pleasnt, if long, lunch. We'll have to go back for more sandwiches and to try some other desserts.

Broome Street Bar on Urbanspoon

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