EXTRA, EXTRA! Eat All About It!
By Brooke A. Brown
The Bluegrass Kitchen recently unveiled an updated Supper menu, and I’ve had the pleasure of trying several of the new items (most of which first appeared as a daily special over the course of the last year). Don’t worry – the Perfect Chicken is safe and sound.
On the appetizer list, or “Tapas (little dishes)” as the BK menu has it, new items include Organic Red Lentil Hummous, Fried Green Tomatoes, Prince Edward Island Coldwater Mussels and Fresh-Cut Shoestring Fries (served with a zippy organic chipotle ketchup). The mussels make for a fantastic meal and leaves one with plenty of room for a dessert (or two). And the fries are simply wonderful, especially when served alongside…
…The 1/2 pound, all-natural, West Virginia pasture-raised beef hamburger served with your choice of caramelized onions and smoked gouda or homemade pimento cheese. As a self-proclaimed burger lover, the site of this addition to the “Sandwiches, Etc.” section of the menu made me extremely happy. And my happiness level only increased upon taste-testing the burger (I went with the caramelized onions and smoked gouda option).
The real stars of this new menu are located under the “Entrées” section. Homemade enchiladas of roasted poblano peppers, black beans and jack cheese stuffed into organic corn tortillas. Olé! Beefsteak Mushroom Pasta, which features braised portobello mushroom with a light, smoked gouda and roasted garlic créme served on – get this – handmade pasta ribbons. Ooh la la! But the dish that I cannot wait to have again is the Catfish and Grits – blackened and dry-heat cooked catfish served with cheesy grits, seared kale and red pepper cream sauce. This one deserves – and my Tennessee roots allow for – a good, old-fashioned Yee-haw!
I think it’s worth noting the variety of organic, vegetarian and locally raised, all-natural products that the Bluegrass incorporates into its menu. It goes to show that quality, healthful foods can be offered at an affordable price. I realize I go on and on about this place and should probably get out more, but the fact is the Bluegrass Kitchen is hard to beat. My only complaint is that the restaurant is not wheelchair accessible. I’m assuming because the restaurant is located in an old building on an historic street that they’re somehow exempt from accessibility laws. I don’t know, but I’d love to invite my friends Esber and Carol Lynn to the Bluegrass Kitchen someday.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: I recall having a conversation with Keeley Steele almost six months ago n creating some sort of front door ramp. What happened with that, Bluegrass Kitchen-ites? I, too, have wheelchair-using friends who’d love to
dine there and have heard unhappy comments about the access issues.)
IF YOU GO: The Bluegrass Kitchen, 1600 Washington Street, East, Charleston, W.Va., (304)-346-2871. NOTE: Be sure to try them for Brunch on a Saturday or Sunday. That menu’s been updated, too.
June 11th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
So is it just me, or is the Bluegrass always crowded now? Good for them, I say.
Oh yeah, one more thing: the daily lunch menu features a killer Buffalo Chicken sandwich. Had it yesterday for the first time and it was scrumptious!
August 20th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
[…] I first blogged about the Tricky Fish back in April of this year (you can read that post by clicking here). Overall, I was optimistic about the possibilities held within the Washington Street beach-shack eatery, especially considering the wild success of owners John and Keeley Steele’s other restaurant, the Bluegrass Kitchen. And on subsequently tasty visits since, that optimism has proven to be bang on. […]