Lunch at Victorian Pantry

Civilizations have passed and still I haven't posted. I apologize, it's just that when the temperature plummets and butter takes a whole day to come to room temperature, I have no desire to bake. I kind of like it now that it bounces from 50° back down to 20°, but at least the sun is out. It reminds me of this, actually:

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud because
No cloud was in the sky.
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.

That always gives me the impression of a barren land, which is what I think when the sun is bright and it's freezing.

Anyway, one such Saturday my mom and I decided on lunch at Victorian Pantry, no doubt one of our favorite spots. The coffee's always ready, the variety is great if you don't know what you want, and it's not the typical cafe-bistro fare.

What you see there is a cup of Rosemary Gorgonzola Soup with a slice of the VP's signature, award-winning focaccia.

The soup was excellent, nicely flavored, smooth but not completely pureed, and the pieces of Gorgonzola provided an intriguing, slightly salty flavor that rounded out the soup. This definitely was not your typical Campbell's [Condensed] Tomato Soup.

Next was the signature focaccia and a side of Cumin Pea Radish Salad. The focaccia is an herb-flecked crumb studded with green olives, onions, and red peppers. The crumb is buttery and seems to melt as you chew it, and definitely isn't heavy in any way.
What I never before appreciated until typing this out was that the topping includes green olives, which most people abhor by default. Olives (green or black) on pizza? I should be locked up! But now I see that I'm not alone in the world for my appreciation of olives.

More people need to make salads with peas. Not the canned variety, but at least the frozen kind because it's only slightly sweet, bright green, and pretty much the best thing ever. Anyway, this salad, contrasted by pieces of radish, was a cool contrast to the soup, with a lively cumin flavor.

Other honorable mentions include two cinnamon rolls (I refuse to stop at VP without buying a cinnamon roll), multiple cups of coffee, and an oatmeal cookie.

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Victorian Pantry, Inc. Bistro & Catering
226 W. Cleveland Road
Granger, IN. 46530

Phone: 574/271-7881