By Lindsay LaChapelle | Campus News Co-Editor
Crisp Canadian bacon, salty Swiss cheese and sweet caramelized apples—ingredients that sound suited for a Panini, but are instead stuffed inside multigrain French toast and smothered in whipped cream and raisins. Thinly sliced turkey, plump blackberries and crumbled blue cheese—not toppings for a salad, but slightly eccentric additions to an ingenious omelet dusted with powdered sugar. With a dash of the familiar and a generous helping of creativity, The Corner Café transforms predictable breakfast dishes into unique dining experiences.
Located on the corner of Broadway and Collins Street in downtown Newport, the appropriately named Corner Café draws hungry passersby into the comforting embrace of its eclectic dining room. Clearly a local favorite, the restaurant is crowded with chatty families and young people. Every table is filled, including the two outside tables and the breakfast bar at the back. Despite the large crowd and limited space, the atmosphere is not overwhelming, in fact it is welcoming.
The nostalgic ambiance of The Corner Café is highlighted by the décor. Large oil paintings frame the light green walls and paper lanterns hang from the ceiling. At the back of the restaurant is an exposed brick wall with chalkboards that describe the daily specials. Plush cushioned benches lined with pillows run the length of two walls and add to the seating.
Like the décor, the food is an eclectic mix. The menu consists of dishes influenced by Portuguese, Irish, and West Coast cooking as well as typical American favorites. With reasonable prices ranging from five to twelve dollars, the choices are extensive and portions generous. The café offers a variety of French toast and pancake options, breakfast sandwiches, omelets and breakfast burritos, along with a “healthy zone” for customers looking for a lighter meal.
The Irish fare includes several dishes with “bangers and rashers,” Irish sausage and bacon, as well as black and white pudding. Unsure of what black and white pudding consists of, I consult my waitress. She explains that black pudding is a sausage made from blood, meat, oatmeal, and bread or potato fillers, and that white pudding is the same as black pudding without the blood. Based on her description, I quickly eliminate these dishes from my choices. Blood is not an ingredient I feel comfortable consuming, although I appreciate the café’s use of authentic elements of Irish cuisine.
Not feeling adventurous enough to sample blood sausage, I order two of the café’s specialty plates, the Wooten Sweet Bread French toast and the Portobello Scrambler.
My dining companion and I are shocked by how quickly our food appears on the table after we order. Less than five minutes later, the waitress places in front of me a plate with two thick slices of Portuguese sweet bread, coated in egg custard and pan-fried to golden perfection. Atop the French toast, like the cherry on a sundae, rests a scoop of homemade maple pecan butter which looks more like ice cream and tastes just as sweet.
As maple syrup elitists must often do, I request “real” maple syrup instead of the thick, gelatinous liquid that’s already on our table. The waitress brings to me a tiny bottle of Vermont maple syrup which I proceed to douse my French toast in. Instant satisfaction comes with the toffee-like sweetness of the crusted sugar and butter, reminiscent of that wonderful moment when you crack the top layer of crème brûlée.
In the Portobello Scrambler, a dense, earthy mushroom hides beneath layers of fluffy scrambled eggs, creamy hollandaise sauce, and buttery cheddar cheese. The velvety hollandaise doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the dish, but adds sumptuousness to every bite.
Cut into large chunks, the spice-dusted potatoes that accompany the scrambler are perfumed by parsley, but slightly under-salted. I scour through the potatoes, eager to find some crunch, but am disappointed to find that they all yield effortlessly to the spear of my fork.
The friendly service, relaxed atmosphere and unique bites make up for the minor faults I find on my plate. Extremely satisfied by the overall experience, I look forward to my next visit to the Corner Café. Maybe next time I’ll even be brave enough to try the pudding . . . but probably not.
The Corner Café |110 Broadway Newport, RI | 401-846-606|http://www.cornercafenewport.com|Mon & Tue, 7am-2:30pm; Wed & Thu, 7am-9:30pm; Fri & Sat, 7am-10pm; Sun, 7am-4pm | Credit cards accepted | Sidewalk-level accessible
