Eye on...Food - The New England Emporium

Local Concept a Hit; Food Misses the Mark

We’ve all heard the familiar refrain to EAT LOCAL!  To feel good about yourself, BUY LOCAL!  Stop global warming, SUPPORT LOCAL FARMS!  Well, the family was looking for a pick-me-up, and we stumbled across The New England Emporium in Main Street Market in Middletown.  Having walked through this space dozens of times as a cut through from my favorite parking lot, I finally felt the urge to walk in and grab some Chowdah or whatever else New England had to offer.

The menu and the eatery space are both expansive, the latter with cool exposed beams and ductwork, with plenty of seating for all comers.  In the center of the space, there is even a nice big couch for those freeloaders that want to order a coffee and spend their afternoon studying, sipping or napping, while the rest of us work for a living.  The space also includes a nice little shop with everything New England that you can imagine...teas, coffees, sodas....who says we don’t make anything good in America anymore?  After browsing the New England shop, my self esteem was soaring and my tummy was rumbling.

The breakfast menu includes your usual eggs, omelets and pancakes, along with crepes, the specialty of the house at New England Emporium.  Although the Parisien Breakfast Crepe seemed geographically challenged at the New England Emporium, I thought I would give it a shot, along with a simple Three Cheese Omelet.  The crepe itself was well-made, although the innards consisted of thinly sliced deli ham and thinly sliced swiss cheese. Not memorable, weakly flavored and certainly not hearty enough for this New Englander in the heart of winter. The omelet was even less dynamic, consisting of an oddly thin egg coating around the mozzarella, provolone and parmesan, and can best be compared to an airline omelet after your red-eye into Logan Airport (from Paris, of course).

The Signature Sandwiches came calling next.  Feeling a little craze, I went for the Chicken Curry Craze....certainly made with that signature curry seasoning that those Mainers produce.  The curry and jam idea worked, but unfortunately, the iceberg lettuce was a bit too literal, as it was actually frozen, and the tomatoes were mealy at best.

My wife ordered the Panini Brielle, an enormous sandwich piled high with turkey, apple jam, brie cheese on top of a croissant.  A food coma on a plate, complete with apple donut filling.  I had to laugh when she commented that it was a little heavy.  A little heavy...Thanksgiving dinner is a little heavy....this sandwich was Sophie’s Choice.  On the bright side, she fell asleep on the ride home, so I got to listen to my station.

The highlight of the meal was absolutely the Fluffernutter sandwich, with extra Fluff.  It brought me right back to my childhood days and eating lunch at my best friend's house down the street.  Their Mom stocked that wonderful Marshmallow Fluff, an exotic topping for a sandwich for me as a child, as I generally who had to resort to Smucker’s Grape Jelly for my own peanut butter sandwich.  A sundae topping on a sandwich; does it get any better for a 12 year old?  And I could drink Avery Cream Soda anywhere, anytime.  Made with healthy pure cane sugar, not that high fructose stuff, Avery’s consistently complements both Fluffer and Nutter.  

The folks at the Emporium were also friendly, bringing the food to your table although asking you to do your own busing, which seems fair.  And did I mention local?  My wife commented that she had soda from New Britain in one hand and chips from Rhode Island in the other hand - her arms a virtual Rt. 6 connecting the 2 wonderful destinations.

To recap, the food was definitely creative.  This visit just seemed like good gameplan, poor execution.  And the menu is so enormous that maybe we missed the specialties...their grown-up grilled cheeses, dessert crepes and gelato.  

So would I come back to the New England Emporium?  Maybe.  Even with the inconsistency, the menu is diverse and creative, the space is welcoming and the people are great.  Best of all, I supported my fellow New Englanders from the tip of Maine to the shores of Greenwich, all for a reasonable price.  And that made me feel great about myself - something money can’t buy.