THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 1996 TAG: 9604180050
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: RESTAURANT REVIEW
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
A SHOP THAT once sold hammers and nails now serves casual meals, cappuccinos and chocolates in a handsome, two-story building on a downtown Franklin corner.
The former hardware store, turned-undertaker's, turned-department store, turned-sporting-goods store, has been beautifully renovated. It opened in January as The Main Street Eatery. Downstairs, the setting is coffeehouse casual; upstairs, a more formal mood prevails.
Light from windows overlooking Main Street bathes the front section; soft woods and cool colors enhance the airy atmosphere. Excellent lattes and cappuccinos invite lingering. And a large selection of coffees and gourmet chocolates to eat in or take out gives the small-town shop a big-city flair.
The first floor has two levels; a slightly elevated and partly partitioned section is more private than the tables by the lower-level window.
The second story, accessible by elevator or stairs, is the Southampton Room. It features a long bar, elegant accouterments in creams and burgundies, and handsome tall windows and tin ceilings - pleasing reminders of the building's turn-of-the-century heritage.
We sampled a variety of menu items downstairs. Most were standard American dishes in reasonable serving sizes at affordable prices. Notable were the friendly servers, the specialty coffees and the tasty desserts. Moderate prices and friendly atmosphere are the drawing cards here.
Chicken-wing appetizers were superior to the fried calamari, which was coated in a pasty mix. The wings, however, were zesty. Sage dumplings were a bit too heavy in the acceptable Brunswick stew, and salads were satisfactory.
Best bets for dinner: A swordfish dish in marinara sauce and a thin ribeye steak cooked the way we ordered it. Catfish was flavorless, pork loin dry. By the time we realized that, instead of the listed onion rings, baked potato had been served with the steak, we were ready for dessert.
And dessert was excellent. Short crust distinguished the pecan pie; peach cobbler had a beautifully browned biscuit topping. Creamy cheesecake was the crustless variety, and chocolate truffle cake was tasty. Even the somewhat dry carrot cake was redeemed by a pleasing flavor.
Other dinner options were grilled ocean perch or chicken breast, fried crab cakes, several sandwiches and dinner salads. Also open for lunch, the Eatery has a Sunday dinner buffet for $7.95.
This new restaurant is still evolving. When we made our reservation for the upstairs area, we were not told of the limits of the menu. Instead, after we had been comfortably ensconced in the elegant setting, we learned there was no printed menu in the fine-dining section and that there were only two appetizers and three entrees to choose from. Shrimp was featured in both an appetizer and an entree. Dinners average $18 and include soup and salad.
When our server, who could answer no questions about food or wine, brought four rolls for our party of five, we moved downstairs to the more casual area and its broader menu.
Improvements are in the works, according to owner Landon Browning. An expanded printed menu is in production. Banquet facilities are available in the delightful upstairs area. And the retail section of the coffeehouse features specialty coffees and teas, gourmet chocolates and Virginia wines.
For preserving a historic structure and for bringing a comfortable, affordable coffee shop and a genteel dining room to downtown Franklin, the Main Street Eatery is to be commended. MEMO: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of two or
three, unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot pays for the
reviewer's meal and those of the guests.
Online reviews: Previous restaurant reviews are available on the Fun
page of Pilot Online at http://www.pilotonline.com/
ILLUSTRATION: BILL OF FARE
The Main Street Eatery, 119 N. Main St., Franklin. (804)
562-1001.
Cuisine: American standards and designer coffees downstairs;
upscale limited menu upstairs.
Atmosphere: downstairs, a casual contemporary coffeehouse with
fresh beans and specialty blends as well as meals. Upstairs, a
dressed-up dining room with floral trims and polished woods.
Prices: lunch $5 to $7; dinner starters, soups, and salads $2.95
to $6.75, sandwiches and main dishes $4.50 to $10.95. Children's
menu $1.75 to $3.95. Sunday dinner buffet, $7.75 adults, $4.95
children under 12; free for children under 2. Southampton Room main
dishes $16 to $19.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10
p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Reservations: recommended for upstairs dining.
Smoking: 50 percent.
by CNB