Known for its seasonal menus, dedication to local ingredients and attention to detail, Table Kitchen and Bar may not seem like the first stop for a quick bite in the middle of your workday. But Table’s penchant for slow food doesn’t mean they can’t dish up a fast—and delicious—meal on your lunch break.
“The food is slow until we cook it,” sous chef Kevin Dragon says with a laugh.
Since opening in April, Table has served dinner Tuesday through Friday and recently started a Sunday brunch, showcasing a constantly changing menu of fresh, locally sourced dishes. The idea to add lunch sparked with the changing seasons this fall and came together quickly, according to Dragon and sous chef Sean Root.
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“It’s only been in the works for three weeks to a month. We came up with a template for a lunch menu and what we thought was a good spread of things, a certain number of sandwiches, a certain number of salads and entrees and stuff like that,” Dragon says.
The newly launched lunch menu follows Table’s signature style with elevated Cajun favorites and New American classics infused with exotic flavors. Though more casual and geared toward faster service, Root’s and Dragon’s menu still takes care to integrate local growers and sellers.
“We have a huge benefit [with the lunch menu] because we have a really good amount of super local and regional products. It’s really about letting the ingredients stand out. The stuff that we’re getting is just magnificent,” Root says.
Perhaps the top selling dish on the new lunch menu is the grilled cheese with tomato soup, a classic comfort dish that sees high demand as the weather grows cooler. Dragon says they steered away from the typical Italian cheese to give Table’s sandwich a unique flavor with cheddar, Brie and smoked Gouda. The tomato soups packs a subtly spicy, curry-esque kick, and the rosemary focaccia of the sandwich ties it all together with an herby heartiness.
Other menu standouts are more Cajun-inspired, like the massive hot andouille po-boy made with D & J’s sausage, Napa cabbage slaw and Creole mustard, which packs a spectacular flavor profile—if you can get your mouth around it. Also notable is the red bean cassoulet, a take on the classic Louisiana lunch special of fried chicken and red beans with an Iverstine Family Farms chicken leg over popcorn rice, andouille and stewed red beans.
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As with all of Table’s offerings, the lunch menu is striking in its freshness and creativity, and it won’t stick around forever. With exceptions for the grilled cheese, the Table burger and the BLT, the lunch menu options will change by season just like the rest of the menus. If you miss your window before winter sets in, though, don’t worry.
“We’re going to have some great cold weather crops, root vegetables and meats,” Dragon says. “We’ve got some good stuff and really hearty entrees coming.”
Lunch is now available at Table Kitchen and Bar from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.