#127: Blue Mountain Cafe

Date Visited: 18 May 2012

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Andy

Experience: Blue Mountain Cafe is a locally-owned, Caribbean restaurant specializing in authentic Jamaican cuisine. They are located in historic downtown Leesburg, on South King St. next to Windy City Red Hots. Prior to opening, the renovation of the building was also blogged by a local guy! I don’t really know much about Jamaican cuisine, so I will leave it to others to judge whether it’s authentic or not. On this Friday evening, the weather was beautiful, so we sat outside in the patio.

To start off, we ordered a couple of Jamaican Patties: beef and chicken. They were very different, and I liked the beef one the best; it had a bit of kick to it. Wendy called them “meat pastries” and Andy called them “Chicken Pot Pie Pop Tarts!” For drinks, I got a Red Stripe (of course!), Wendy got a Jamaican Ginger Beer (very gingery!), and Andy had a water (how boring!)

For my main course, I tried the Goat Curry, which came with red beans and rice, and fried plantains. The goat had a lot of bones in it, but the meat was quite good, sort of the consistency of pot roast. Wendy and Andy both got the Jerk Chicken. Wendy got hers with white rice and mixed vegetables, and Andy got white rice and fried plantains. Each plate came with three pieces of chicken, marinated in Jamaican Jerk spices (I asked one of the owners what was in it, and she said she was forbidden from revealing the secret!) I got one piece Wendy couldn’t finish, and it was succulent and delicious. The portions for all our meals were generous.

To finish, we had a couple of sorbets: strawberry and orange. The strawberry one was served in a hollowed-out lemon half, and the orange one came in a half-orange; unique! Andy said the strawberry one tasted like a “Strawberry Starburst” - I think this is because some of the lemon juice gets into the sorbet, to give it some extra kick. It was refreshing way to end the meal.

The service at Blue Mountain Cafe was excellent and friendly. In our experience, the food was rather average overall, and the Yelp reviews tend to confirm this. However, there are lots of items on the menu we didn’t get to try, so go check ‘em out!

Location: 26 S. King St., Leesburg, VA, 20175, 571-209-9099

Web site: http://bluemountaincafe-bmc.com/

Total bill: $73.75 + $15.00 tip = $85.75

#126: Melt

Date Visited: 4 May 2012

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me and Wendy

Experience: Melt has been open for about a month now. They are located in the Bellewood Commons shopping center, in the location recently vacated by Quiznos. Other restaurants there include Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Red Kabob, Papa John’s, and Josefina Market. Melt is owned by Debbie and Steve Hancotte, and Debbie makes it clear to inquisitive guests that this is NOT a chain! Melt has an extensive burger menu, categorized into “All-American Premium Beef Burgers” (Classic, Bacon, Bacon/Blue, Create-your-own), “Additional Gourmet Burgers” (Crab, Tuna, Lamb, Turkey, Veggie), and “Kicked-Up Gourmet Burgers” (Tex-Mex, Paris, Hatch Chile, Diner, Caprese, Swiss). There are also lots of sides, milkshakes, malts, floats, and endless other options.

We got one order of the Serious Melt Fries (“Our Delicious Crispy Fries topped with melted Tillamook Cheddar Cheese”) to share. My first reaction was what a generous serving size it was. Taste-wise, there was something about the combination of their perfectly crispy fries, and this particularly silky cheddar cheese, with a little pepper, that made these perhaps the best cheese fries I’ve ever had. Next time, I think I’ll try the Decadent Fries (“Seared Foie Gras & Crumbled Bacon”) - wow.

I ordered the Bacon/Blue Cheeseburger (“a Bacon Cheeseburger with Imported Gorgonzola Blue Cheese, Balsamic Glazed Onions, Crispy Bacon, Fresh Lettuce, Sliced Red Ripe Tomato and a Touch of Our Own Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing”). All Melt burgers are made of “aged, hand trimmed, 100% Angus Beef,” and I thought the quality was noticeable. Melt cooks all burgers medium-rare to medium unless you request otherwise. This is another gourmet touch that was executed perfectly - this is the way burgers are meant to be cooked and eaten! The Gorgonzola Blue Cheese was a thick slab (maybe ¼”), not a thin, wimpy slice. They also manage to keep the bacon crispy (mmm... bacon)! Which brings us to the bun - they bake them fresh, on-site, twice daily, and are unlike any other burger bun I’ve ever had. Deelish!

Wendy got the Paris Burger (“our Premium Beef Burger, Char-Grilled with Roasted Garlic, topped with Melted French Brie, Balsamic Glazed Onions, Baby Spinach and a Smear of Dijon Mustard”). She noticed that when you squeeze down on the bun, your fingers don’t just go right through it. She also appreciated the “wonderful combination of different tastes.” The Melt burgers are huge, and with the medium-rare cooking you might think the juice would be going all over the place. As we were finishing, Wendy noticed that there was hardly any grease dripped onto our plates. This is high-quality beef, cooked right!

On top of the food quality, the atmosphere and service were delightful. Debbie came out to check on us and chat a bit, making us feel right at home; she is a very perky lady too! If it sounds like I’m gushing over Melt, well, I guess I am; it was so refreshingly good in many ways. You can check out the Yelp reviews which confirm this. We felt that Melt totally lives up to their byline of “Gourmet Cheeseburgers.” You do pay a bit of a premium for this experience, but it is good value. We felt quite pleasantly full when we finished. Go visit Melt right away!

Location: 525 E. Market St., Suite J, Leesburg, VA, 20176-4171, 703-443-2105

Website: http://meltgourmetcheeseburgers.com/

Total bill: $30.05