Have you been around New London long enough to remember what the Muddy Waters Café on Bank Street was before it was Muddy Waters?

You're right! It was Mugz, a coffee shop that opened in 1999. The first incarnation of MW opened in 2004 with owners Susan Devlin and Barry Neistat, and late last year, after a glorious run, they retired and sold the café to Dave Preka.

Throughout this long history, it's well documented the place has served as THE early morning stop for everyone in New London except four people — all of whom are witches! Oh, and Eugene O'Neill didn't go there, either. He was too busy writing "A Moon for the Misbegotten" that morning.

Anyway, there's more than coffee and designer tea, of course. Muddy Waters was and is a favorite place for breakfast and lunch, and we thought it seemed a fine time to stop in and see how it's all going now that Team Preka has been in the saddle through one of the most trying times in modern history and the lines are consistently out the door waiting for access.

In a word, it's going really well — and those of you who are shrewd at math will know that's actually two words. Hell, let's keep this going in an arithmetic ratio. It's going really, REALLY well.

Past and future

Preka and his crew of friendly, quick-to-help baristas and kitchen folks have — as he promised — kept the same premise and philosophies used to such success by Niestat and Devlin. Are there subtle differences? Yes. The up-front, counter-size dining area and the backroom space still feature plenty of memorabilia and New London-centric kitsch, though there's a bit more order — in the fashion of my wife making her monthly excursions into my office to straighten the accumulation of my "much needed" treasures.

If you sit in the front room at Muddy Waters, you're either already a Regular with a capital "R" or are about to be and know immediately you'll be integrated into a sort of Illuminati group that will solve every problem in the 06320 — and have whimsical fun doing so.

The back room is quieter, and it's perfect for reading, playing chess, or writing that next great American play (probably called "Another Moon for the Misbegotten").

We're particularly taken with the new, expanded, split level back deck. Fantastic! The tables are protected from the sun by giant, square umbrellas that could easily serve as those hang-gliding kites. Waterfront sightlines are truly fine, and when a ferry or the Coast Guard's barque Eagle is docked at State Pier, you can easily see Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio frolicking on the bowsprit (even though he drowned on the Titanic and you'd think she'd have better sense than to board ANY ship after that).

Trains also chug by, which provides a sense of the world hurrying by while you're luxuriating — and they also provide a bit of a psychological experiment because you can get a sense of which engineers have sadistic tendencies based on how often they blast and sustain their incredibly loud horns.

Ah, the food

Now, about the food. In traditional fashion, the Muddy Waters menu is relatively small and curated with an eye toward providing reliable favorites more than carving any creative paths through the culinary jungle. And that's exactly what Muddy customers want and expect.

For breakfast, there are a variety of baked goods, including muffins and bagels, scrambled egg dishes, oatmeal, yogurt and sandwiches (on choice of bread or bagel).

On a recent Sunday, I tried a ham, egg and cheese on a plain bagel ($5.75), and my vegetarian wife Eileen selected a ricotta cheese, caramelized onion, spinach and egg combo on an everything bagel ($6.50).

A neatly folded pile of lean, smoky ham fit perfectly atop a fried egg with a not-too-runny yolk and a hot bagel coated with melted cheese. Everything was very fresh and required only a few dollops of Tabasco to meet my happiness requirements.

Eileen described the concept of ricotta cheese on a breakfast sandwich as genius. "Your eyes make you think you're about to bite into cream cheese, but surprise! It's softer, and subtler, and sweeter," she observes. Said sweetness is enhanced by the caramelized onions, so the savory components of her bagel were strategically excellent.

Lunch sandwiches offer the typical deli highlights — roast beef, turkey, genoa, tuna, ham & Swiss on a variety of breads — with intriguing options including hummus, peanut butter & jelly, a BLT, a garden burger, and herb-roasted chicken.

On a criminally hot, humid day — but pleasantly protected by those umbrellas and a bit of a river breeze — we enjoyed two superb choices. Eileen chose the tomato, Mozzarella and pesto sandwich ($8.50). She chose a Kaiser roll in anticipation of a potentially messy sandwich but was happily surprised that the structure of the creation was crafted carefully and didn't fall apart.

A layer of pesto on both sides of the roll kept the thin slices of ripe tomato and thick slices of creamy mozzarella anchored in the sandwich. Again, it all felt very fresh and was perfect on a brutal August day. Also, she notes that folks who typically avoid pesto because it's overly garlicky needn't worry; in this version, basil is the star.

I really enjoyed the herb-roasted chicken. HUGE hunks of moist and tasty breast — assuredly just finished cooking in the kitchen — were crammed into my roll (again with the need for solid support). Brittle slices of bacon, leaves of garden-spawned lettuce, Swiss cheese and a smooth touch of pesto made this a stunningly good adventure.

A great selection of Deep River chips and Hosmer sodas kept it local and provided essential side notes for your experience.

On another day, we ordered ahead and picked up lunch. I tried a tuna grinder ($9) and was gifted with a specimen completely competitive with any tuna grinder in the region. White tuna, not too much mayo, thick, firm tomato slices and shredded lettuce. Mellow provolone cheese and a baked-daily roll. I asked for a bit of extra oil, and it was just right. Delicious.

Eileen went with what is a time-honored staple dating back to Susan Devlin's sainted father Hughie's Love Salad — or at least the veggie-centric Lust Salad ($8.50): Iceberg lettuce topped with generous portions of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, green olives, mushrooms, strips of provolone and grated parmesan and that wonderful garlic flavor and aroma that flooded Howard Street all those years ago. A classic derivation of a longtime classic.

As regulars know, Team Preka is performing wonderfully, honoring the Muddy Waters legacy and guiding it into the future. If you're new to the area or just haven't tried the place yet, it's time for your initiation.

Muddy Waters Cafe

42 Bank Street, New London

(860) 444-2232, muddywaterscafenl.com

Cuisine: Classic AND progressive breakfast/lunch fare

Atmosphere: Carefully maintaining the time-honored look of New London-centric clutter but with a bit more order

Service: Always polite and hustling baristas who know it's a tough time for restaurants and appreciate the business

Price: Very reasonable

Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Sat, 7:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Sun.

Handicap access: Steps up from street level

Credit cards: All major

Reservations: No