Go with the Flo at Florence Griswold Museum cafe

July 30, 2015 12:01 am • Last Updated: August 04, 2015 7:08 pm

One could argue that any food tastes better served al fresco. While the culinary wizards at Cafe Flo at the Florence Griswold Museum hardly need the stately grounds of the museum to bolster the appeal of their fare, patio seating overlooking the Lieutenant River certainly is a nice touch.

Fans of the North Stonington-based Gourmet Galley know just how lucky the Flo Gris is to have its chefs behind the scenes of its five-year-old seasonal, outdoor cafe (this year, it opened May 1 and will close Nov. 1). Factor in the very charming set-up on the Florence Griswold Museum campus and you’ve got half a staycation already planned. On a recent visit, while we finished lunch, at least six children and their families painted en plein air on the back lawn of the museum. It was idyllic — a few easily fixable missteps notwithstanding.

Accessed through the museum’s Krieble Gallery (signage points the way, or ask for directions at the info desk), the cafe was hopping on a recent Thursday. Every table I could see in the cafe’s space — which occupies a veranda around the back of the building — was filled with happy patrons in no hurry to leave; the river view has that kind of effect. Due to either that popularity or too few staffers, it took more time than I’d prefer to get greeted by a hostess and for my very nice waitress to make the initial approach. To be fair, she was working at least half the veranda, which can’t be easy. Still, all was forgiven once I settled into that view and perused the menu.

Menu note: while there are several options, the menu at Cafe Flo is not as extensive as some, so consider viewing it online before heading out. It’s clear this menu was curated by an expert, but you won’t find a basic turkey sandwich or burger on it. The very good salad list could help out those who’d rather not partake in, say, a liverwurst sandwich ($9) or a lobster BLT ($14), two of four sandwiches on the menu. Three entrees include slightly more neutral fare: Roasted Fillet of Fish $14; French Chicken Breast $12; and Petite Filet Mignon $16.

Though at least three special cocktails were available that day — mimosas, sangria and Bloody Marys among them — I resisted temptation and decided to keep alert with a cup of Illy coffee ($2.50). My coffee arrived with cream; I prefer my coffee with milk and requested some. Many moments later, my server apologetically announced that there was no milk on the premises. In a pinch, I’m fine with black coffee (I detest cream in coffee), but it struck me as a bit silly for an eatery to be apparently bereft of milk.

I shook it off and looked forward to my first dish, watermelon gazpacho ($7), which was one of the day’s specials. The cafe could have run out of everything else for all I would’ve cared thanks to this wonderful soup. Immediately refreshing, the amazing texture — light and frothy with the slightest crunch from watermelon bits — was just about as pleasant as the soup’s overall flavor, which was neither too spicy like some gazpachos nor overly fruity. It was a perfect summer dish and is highly recommended.

From the cafe’s sandwich menu, I opted for the Griddled Corned Beef ($12) served on grilled rye bread and layered with a tangy mustard, house-made brined cabbage and Jarlsberg Swiss cheese. I tend to be fussy with cabbage but found Cafe Flo’s to be a crisp and palatable preparation, likely thanks to the brining, which I suspect took some of the sulphuric bite out of it. This is easily the best corned beef sandwich I’ve ever eaten, with absolutely no fatty, stringy bits and balanced so well with the mustard. The accompanying kettle-cooked potato chips (the other option was coleslaw) were an excellent companion.

But the way to my heart, really, is through desserts, and I couldn’t wait to sample the Lemon Mousse ($7), one of four dessert options. I love lemon-y foods and thought the mousse might serve as a great palate cleanser after the flavor-packed corned beef; however, it would be unfair to reduce this wonderful dish to a merely functional thing, because it was absolutely delicious. It was served with a handful of perfect blueberries and strawberries and two dainty caramel cookies — all of which paired well with the creamy mousse. Once again, the chef struck the perfect balance of flavor here, with an ideal creamy to lemon zing ratio.

On another visit, two of us set out for Sunday lunch about 30 minutes after the cafe opened. Hence our surprise when we learned the cafe was sold out of two items we were excited to sample that day: the vegetarian black bean chili and the French Chicken. Luckily, our second-choice soup, the White Bean, Sausage, & Escarole Soup ($7) was a hit. Rich broth, fennel-spiced sausage and the chopped greens married well in a light yet savory concoction. We suspect the beans were finely diced, because we spotted nothing bean-shaped in the soup, but even so, we enjoyed every spoonful of this hot soup on a humid day.

We balanced the soup out with the Artisanal Greens salad ($10), a mixture of roasted beets, candied walnuts (which we ordered and received on the side), warm goat cheese and lemon pepper vinaigrette. This dish presented a winning combination of textures and flavors — think warm, crusted cheese; vibrant greens; robust beets all amplified by the lemon of the dressing. Two of us shared the salad and we both loved it, but if you go the salad-as-dinner route, order one per person.

Since I wasn’t really in the mood for Filet Mignon or lobster, we ordered the Veggie sandwich ($10) and another Griddled Corned Beef sandwich in an exercise of complete opposites. The corned beef was as good as last time, and one could feel semi-justified eating it with the accompanying veggie sandwich, a towering construction of scallions, sprouts, avocado, tomato and cucumber layered with just the right amount of “natural mayo” and Colby cheese on yummy grain bread. I could have dealt with a few less sprouts, but the thin layers of tomato and cucumber added welcome crunch and refreshment to this impressive, well-crafted sandwich.

We topped off the meal with the “shortcake of the day,” a strawberry basil dream on a slightly sweet, crisp and crumbly biscuit topped with fresh whipped cream. We’re not sure how the basil got into the mix, but we know the strawberries were steeped in something special and that it made for a lovely, fresh dessert. It got us talking about great strawberry shortcakes we’ve enjoyed in the past, and before we knew it, we’d forgotten all about French chicken or bean chili.

Post-dessert dessert? A stroll on the lawn before we went home.