MJ’s offers fresh from the farm dining
A little bird told us about MJ’s Café. It’s a new place for a special crowd — vegetarians and people who appreciate the delicate flavors of fresh-from-the-farm ingredients.
The tiny café, tucked into a strip mall near the corner of Government Street and Jefferson Highway, is open for lunch only. Stopping by about 1:30 p.m., we found every seat in the place filled. That’s not too surprising since the café has about five tables and a small lunch counter. Apparently, the “in crowd” has learned to arrive early or to call in their order for a takeout meal. However, most diners don’t linger over long conversations. They dive into their meals with relish and after a few chatty words head out the door.
Everyone gets to speak to MJ — Maureen Joyce — owner, cook and chief bottle washer. She’s a one-woman show, but often gets a little help from her friends. Joyce came up with the idea of creating the small café that allows her to use her culinary talents and still have time for her family. If you arrive during the height of the lunch hour, you’ll find her painstakingly dishing out soup or constructing one of her artisan sandwiches.
Customers pick up a printed copy of the day’s menu, write down their orders, then pick up their own silverware and bottled drinks before waiting for the meal. Joyce fills each order as she receives it, and this obviously creates a bottleneck. We simply picked up our drink and settled in to watch her work.
MJ’s limited menu features only vegetarian and seafood specialties. All ingredients are locally obtained, and MJ searches out seasonally grown vegetables and herbs at Baton Rouge’s Farmers Markets. Therefore the menu of soups, sandwiches and salads changes daily.
Although the soups are different each day, there’s a basic list which varies from time to time, depending on available ingredients. The tomato soup with white beans ($6.99, bowl, or $4.99, cup) was a delicious, mellow soup made with tomatoes, a touch of onion and celery and white beans in a vegetable broth with cream. Similarly priced, we found the pinto bean soup, with a touch of onion, pepper and a slight amount of chili powder, a light, yet tasty version of hearty southwestern soups. The potato soup, a blend of potatoes, onions and leeks in a vegetable broth, was very bland, but it perked up with a dash of pepper.
All of MJ’s sandwiches are priced at $7.99 and are served on your choice of crusty French rolls or you can substitute with sweet potato whole wheat bread. Among the choices are The French sandwich made with goat cheese, pepper jelly and arugula with a choice of apples, pears or strawberries. The Greek has feta cheese, hummus, onions, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.
We ordered the Louisianan, an excellent combination of plump, spicy Louisiana shrimp with peppers, onions, tomatoes and romaine lettuce. Another choice, the Southwestern, may have been our favorite with its blend of a smooth guacamole dressing, tomatoes and several layers of pepperjack cheese and romaine lettuce. The sandwiches are satisfying, but they are not large.
Salads are priced at $7.99, large; or $4.99, small. A guest chose the large tomato salad made with a blend of mixed lettuces, round cherry tomatoes and round balls of fresh mozzarella, all enhanced with fragrant basil and a sweet/tangy balsamic vinaigrette. We also tried a slice of quiche ($4.99; with soup or salad, $10), a new addition to MJ’s menu. The small slice was packed with chopped broccoli, a hearty egg and cream filling and topped with a rich cheddar cheese and baked to perfection.
While we were enjoying our meal, a family with kids arrived and apparently the youngsters had no trouble with their meal. For most youngsters a simple cheese sandwich or a cup of tomato or potato soup would be just fine.
The menu may be simple and light, but MJ’s food is incredibly flavorful. The fresh ingredients allow you to taste “everything” with relish. It recalls a time when all ingredients in home cooking came from your own garden.