Blue44, Take 2

At a neighbor's insistence, we tried Blue44 again and I have to say the neighbor was right. It deserved a second look after a rather desultory experience last spring when it first opened. Perhaps it is the new chef, or simply hitting their stride.

The menu had a number of appealing items on it, but I started with something that does not appear on the menu and which was really terrific -- the gumbo soup. The chef is from New Orleans and this is a flavorful, spicy concoction with big chunks of chicken and andouillet, hot peppers and onions and, presumably, gumbo filet. It is offered, when available, as a soup of the day, and that's one diem that should be carpe-d at every opportunity.

Then the dilemma of what to do next, because it is a filling starter. One in our party who also had the gumbo wisely chose another starter, a homemade merguez on baguette. It was a modest portion but looked very tasty. Another gumbo eater wisely chose the half-sandwich option available only for the grilled cheese of the day -- in this case with braised beef as well as cheese between the toasty bread. This looked more ample and surely would have completed a meal for a normal appetite.

I rather unwisely, from the point of view of quantity, chose the black velvet chicken, a sandwich so named because a breaded chicken cutlet is topped with a truffled goat cheese and a fig jam on baguette. The chicken needed salt -- and this is hard to correct on a sandwich -- but it was a great combination and I managed to do it justice by leaving some of the bread. I will say that the baby back ribs ordered by another in our party, smoked with a dry rub and glistening with a non-tomato sauce, looked very tasty -- and were devoured with great relish by the lucky recipient. It means that I will have to go back again soon to try them.

It was rainy Saturday lunch so that even though the restaurant was surprisingly full, it was not overcrowded or noisy. The decor and ambiance are pleasant. There is a certain amount of distraction and noise that will be unavoidable in a family-friendly neighborhood restaurant, but I think it can be a good target late on weekday evenings or for this type of Saturday lunch. The quality can compete with Buck's and the menu offers a great deal more variety.