Gott Lunch?

After a popular debut in October 2008, Gott Gourmet Cafe has quietly moved into its sophomore year as the casual eatery that everyone seems to like but no one is talking about. The cafe on the corner of Magazine and 8th has an interesting menu filled with things like ancho-honey slaw, blue corn flour crusted oysters, and chipotle cream cheese. Very Bobby Flayish, in my opinion.

Most hunger stricken diners zero in on the St. Patty's Day Massacre immediately. This "classic Reuben with a twist" has corned beef, swiss, horseradish cheddar, french fries, slaw, 1000 island and creole mustard on pumpernickel. Lots of flavors going on there, perhaps a bit too many, but I can't say that I dislike the sandwich. The fries are handcut (A for effort), but whether incorporated in the sandwich or served on the side, my order never comes out hot and crispy (C for execution).

The cochon de lait cuban is not a bad choice, with juicy shreds of braised pork matched with Dr. Pepper glazed ham. My only suggestion is to ask the kitchen to put the slaw on the side, as it is an unnecessary addition which can make things messy. If you want to feel good about ordering healthy but don't necessarily care about the calorie count of your dish, look no further than the Gott Salad. Greens and seasonal berries (blueberries right now) serve as the foundation for panko crusted fried brie and candied pecans. The Chicago style hot dog is the city's only worthwhile replica of that Windy City icon.

Gott Gourmet Cafe - Par

Lovin's What I Gott

After missing out a few weeks ago, The Folk Singer and I finally tried Gott Gourmet Cafe for lunch last weekend. While we did not explore the menu that deeply, what we did eat I really enjoyed. Especially the Gott Salad. And that's saying a lot because when have I ever said that the best part of a meal was the salad?

This mix of greens, grape tomatoes, pecans, and seasonal berries (strawberries and blueberries in this case) was awesome in it's own right. But oh no, it doesn't stop there. The salad is then topped with panko fried brie, sliced open so that the cheese oozes out like molten lava.

How awesome does that look? TFS swapped the raspberry vinaigrette for the orange-honey sherry vinaigrette, so keep that in mind if you are so inclined.

I had the St. Patty's Day Massacre which featured the house braised and pulled corned beef. Ian McNulty opined that this sandwich has just too much going on, and I think that I would have had the same experience had I not ordered the sandwich sans french fries. But the combination of corned beef and cole slaw held up well as a twist on the classic reuben.

Overall the food was good, with innovative dishes and descriptions which did not stray so far off that one had to spend 10 minutes trying to decipher each choice. Both the pulled pork wrap and Chicago style hot dogs which passed by our table looked very enticing, so I will have to try those out next time. And don't forget that Gott is BYOB. According to The Folk Singer, a perfect pairing with the Gott Salad would be a nice chilled glass of J Pinot Gris.

Gott Gourmet Cafe - Birdie.