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Me 'n U970 State St. New Haven 06511 Edwards Street 203-789-1833 By TOM GOGOLA New Haven Advocate February 17, 2006 In a Gumpian reverie, I recently concluded the obvious: That bacon is as bacon does. At Menu, bacon is everywhere, and it does great things. Menu, which is to be written, egads, "Me N U" and pronounced "Me And You" (but not by this paper), is the newest restaurant to alight on State Street, having thrown open its humble diner doors a month and change ago in the suds-drenched shadow of nearby J.P. Dempsey's. This brightly lit, unassuming eatery already looks to have become a locals' favorite. During a recent weekend visit, a smattering of local luminaries came through the door, seeking out the joint's big breakfast plates and country coffee: James Velvet, the Pencilgrass crew, to name but a few bold-face sightings. They're coming for a number of reasons: The lure of the new. The fact that Menu will make you an egg sandwich to go, a rare enough thing on State. The welcoming booths, smiling service, and humongo cups of bracing, superhot coffee. The breakfast platters with their little wedges of cantaloupe, just so's you can feel healthy. And the buzz on this stretch of State is that the nearby legend of meta-marvelous pancakes known as the Pantry has gotten so popular that it was only a matter of time before another breakfast joint stepped in to handle the overflow. As anyone who has run the Pantry gantlet knows, lines out the door characterize the place's weekend scene; the home fries and the fruit-filled (and -topped) pancakes are the estimable old-timer's eternal draw, and, for better or for worse, the word got out long ago. Yes, it may be worth your while to stand in line for two hours in the rain for the Pantry's fluffier-than-thou fruity pancakes. Maybe I'll join you some time. But today, I'm going to Menu. Besides, the meat-happy short order gurus at Menu say freak all that fruit. The house-special pancakes, for instance, feature bacon in all its glory: Bacon is cooked in the pancakes, and strips of bacon top the pancakes. Menu offers an equation for the artery-annihilatin' ages: Maple syrup + bacon = bliss. So you think I'm exaggerating the baco-bit at this breakfast-and-lunch-only joint (Sunday being breakfast only)? Consider the crab melt. It is served with bacon. The three-cheese grilled cheese? Add bacon for a buck. "Matt's Lunch" special, a barbecued pork tenderloin sandwich, features bacon along with the cheddar cheese and mushrooms. A breaded chicken cutlet served with provolone and pesto mayoyes, it comes topped with bacon. Howsabout the "Me N U Burger? The house throws down a classic combo: onions, mushrooms, pepperjack cheeseand bacon. I tried the "pastrami dreams" sandwich the other week. The pastrami was lean, as advertised (if a little on the dry side) and I liked the caramelized onions that came with the sandwich. But I loved the bacon. Menu can get pretty crowded pretty quickly on the weekend, Pantry-style, but if you can earlybird it through your hangover, the place does open at 7 a.m. I've been a couple times around 9 a.m., and this is a purely anecdotal observation, but it does appear as though the masses start arriving around 10. I popped in this past Saturday, early afternoon, and the place was jammed to the rashers. So I ordered a double-egg with bacon sandwich to go, with a to-go cup of the stomach-scorching coffee. Well, then. When I left and opened the sandwich a block or so down State, I immediately realized, with a combination of rage and horror, that the sandwich had no bacon on it . This was a sad, terrible moment, but we all make mistakes sometimes. I'm over it. Fair enough: Menu isn't all about the bacon. The joint also serves roasted-veggie wraps (sans bacon) and tuna sandwiches (bacon optional), a quintet of salads (none with bacon), and standard snacks like onion rings, chicken wings and mozzarella sticks. And there are daily specials, too, called "Mom's Corner" on the chalkboard. Stuff like escarole and beans, steak and eggs, pasta fagiole, frittatas. It's all served on Wal-Mart's house-brand tableware, for added down-hominess. (That's a compliment.) Then there are the footlong hot dogs, split, grilled, and served four ways: There a plain doggie, a cheese dog, a German Dog (it comes with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese) and the Bull Dog. I had the latter two for brunch last month, unrepentant pig that I am. So, what do you think is on that Bull Dog? Pepperjack cheese, melted. Nice. And? Bacon! Hours: Tue.-Sun., 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Mon. Map | Printer-Friendly Page | Email to a Friend
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