Metro Pulse/Restaruant Rover/Scrumptious

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Scrumptious
218 South Calderwood Street
681-1406

by Connie Seuer

It was about a year and a half ago when a colleague and I ventured out to lunch at a spot in Alcoa that she gave high marks. "It used to be right..." her index finger pressed against the glass of the car window, "...there." She pointed to an empty storefront in Midland Plaza. In absentia was Scrumptious, a town favorite for sandwiches, burgers, soup, sausages, sweets and such. It closed, obviously, rather abruptly, leaving many in the vicinity with a growling stomach where a regular noonday repast had been. But there's good news: Scrumptious has returned.

Oddly enough, the restaurant returned its shingle to the Midland Plaza shopping center (but a different storefront), and on my first excursion to the place I enjoyed the company of that same colleague who'd originally introduced me to Scrumptious. As I never had the benefit of eating at Scrumptious numero uno, I'm at a loss to compare the second incarnation with the first. However, I do know that this second take is a good bit larger than the original, its dining room seats about 120, more than double that of the first restaurant.

I sampled Scrumptious during its first few weeks of being reopened, and if my experiences serve as any bellwether, then the extra room was a smart move. A steady stream of patrons kept the counter busy while a congenial queue took form. For those in a rush, there is a potential wait to order (I only experienced this once, and it was brief, but I noted other diners had a lengthier wait in line) and a bit of a wait for food to reach the table, so be aware. But in all fairness, the Scrumptious team is still getting their legs back after being on hiatus. I expect the pace to pick up. But that said, lunch shouldn't always be rushed. I recommend making a point to call up a friend you haven't seen in awhile, or a client you've wanted to catch up with, and take them to Scrumptious. You'll have a true opportunity to gab a bit and a good lunch to boot.

While making your pick from the menu, do not—I repeat, do not—skip dessert. The cooler case that forms part of the order counter is filled, and topped, with a bounty of sweets. These are all scratch made, from the layer-after-layer-after-layer cake to the brownies, chess bars and cookies. Order your dessert while ordering the rest of your meal and challenge yourself not to break into it until after lunch. This is a true test.

On my first visit to Scrumptious, I followed the advice of the aforementioned colleague and ordered the chicken salad sandwich ($5.49). This version (as an establishment's chicken salad is as unique as one's fingerprints) featured grapes, pecans, large shreds of chicken, with the matrix provided by a modest amount of fat-free mayo. Served on a very round, very cute seven grain bun (all the breads are made in-house as well), the salad was light and tasty—an ideal little lunch. Some plain potato chips come with the sandwich, or you can upgrade to crunchy fries for a buck more.

Generally speaking, plates at Scrumptious are spare. For all the clamor and devotion to the place, this is a no-fuss operation. Order a sandwich and you'll get a white plate, a sandwich, and some chips. Order sausages, you get a white plate, a pickle, and sausages. Service is friendly and certainly at the ready if you need something, but as I said before, its a no-frills production. Scrumptious is a family-run establishment that takes care of business.

A subsequent visit tempted me with Dr. B's Pastrami ($5.49) with chips. The Dr. B came with plenty of pastrami, a slice of Swiss and some plain yellow mustard on fresh rye bread. I also ordered the vegetarian black bean burger ($5.49) to see how it would stack up against others' tries at meatless, meat-like foods. The taste—spicy black beans and corn—was good, yummy in fact, but the texture was overly soft. And texture, as any vegetarian would agree, is the trickiest thing about meat replacement items. The French fries I ordered to accompany the burger were good enough to order and eat by themselves ($1.79).

My next visit, when I'll hopefully get to have Heinrich in tow, we'll be sampling some of the handmade sausages offered by Scrumptious. The menu claims they hail from German friends living in Cincinnati, so my curiosity is piqued. Polish sausage, Italian sausage, grilled brats, and smoked metts all make the list ($3.69 - $3.89) and come with your choice of kraut, onions and peppers, horseradish or mustard.

I'll also be trying a new dessert the next time I visit. And the next time, and the next time. There were so many varieties of sweets it was a real decision to select just one. I've sampled the chocolate chip cookie—theirs features some nuts in the mix and is a moist, chewy delight. A super-rich, layered brownie combined chocolate chips, coconut, moist cookie-brownie and butterscotch chips, among inlays of a decadently sweet nougat. A restaurant that makes all its own breads and all its own desserts is a tough find these days. Scrumptious will certainly be getting more of my sweet-tooth business.

So welcome back, Scrumptious. I'm glad to have gotten a second chance.