Now, I know there was more than just me that ate there every week, however I think people noticed that my mother and I would always get lunch together on Fridays. I didn’t realize how much so until I missed a Friday, and everyone asked if my mom and I were alright.
There is a new café in Queens County though, at the Riverbank General Store and Café in Mill Village. The Queens Association for Supported Living took the store over almost two years ago now, as fundraiser for the association as well as a place for their clients to work. The café portion opened last year, and is quickly gathering a following of it’s own.
Good or bad, the Riverbank Café is going to be compared to the Woodpile. There are similarities as well. Patrons of the Woodpile will definitely see some similarities with the Riverbank’s menu. There are weekly specials and daily soups. The main menu has sandwiches such as tuna, chicken, or egg salad, Ceasar wraps, BLT and a Club Sandwich.
You’ll see some familiar faces from the Woodpile at the Riverbank Café too. Debbie Melanson is back as the cook, and our server that day was Lisa Paul. However it’s not fair to say it is the same.
I went with my mother and sister last week, close to 1 p.m. It wasn’t packed, but by no means it was empty either. The atmosphere is almost worth the trip along though. Just outside the window the Medway River rushes past, and across the way is lined with trees and homes. I suspect in the fall the view from the café will look spectacular when the leaves start changing.
All three of us ordered the club sandwich, which I can only describe as amazing. To me, the chicken is the key in a good club sandwich. It seems so many of the restaurants out there think hiding dry, rubbery chicken in mayonnaise is the way to go. There is no fear of that at the Riverbank Café.
Debbie has put her own flair on the sandwich, with juicy and well seasoned chicken and a roasted garlic mayo that adds a whole new dimension what some might mistakenly think is a boring sandwich. It was so good, none of us noticed the missing bacon until Lisa found it still in the microwave. By then, we had all finished our sandwiches. I think it’s a testament to how good a cook is if they can leave out a main ingredient, and still have an awesome meal.
All of us had dessert as well, my mom ordered the banana cake with cream cheese frosting and my sister and I got the caramel chocolate nut bar. The bar was a good size, though we both polished them off quickly. It was just the right amount of sweetness after our meal. There were no complaints from my mother either.
My only complaint really is it’s too far to slip out for a quick lunch. There’s not much they can do about that though, and you’d lose the wonderful scenery anyway.
So if you have an understanding boss, or you are the boss, I highly recommend going out to the Riverbank for lunch during the week. It may be compare to the Woodpile for now, but I think patrons will quickly find it stands on its own.
A green onion update
A few weeks ago I wrote about growing green onions at home. Since then I have discovered they don’t grow indefinitely, even if you give them plant food. I think I managed to get three or four harvests out of them before they stopped regenerating. While I still think it’s not a bad idea to grow them at home, I’ll need to buy fresh ones from the store when they run their course.
