$6-$9 Lunch Entrees
$12-$16 Dinner Entrees
Looking for the perfect lunch place? Search no more! F.I.G. (Food is Good), a snazzy cafe with a sophisticated menu, never fails to draw a crowd, whether casual or professional. This is not, however, an establishment for a business lunch, but a place to gossip! The food is as chic as the decor, with walls the color of key lime pie and a modish red and white striped awning adorning the entrance. During high-volume times, such as workday lunch, service may lag a bit behind demand. Servers, however, are invariably hard working and thoughtful. You won't be late returning to work, but you might cut it close.
F.I.G. is known for innovative ingredients, creative combinations and playful presentations. Take their entree house salad with smoked Gouda, buttermilk dressing, bacon, red onion, grilled chicken strips, and tortilla crisps. F.I.G. layers these ingredients like a trifle in a tall, oversized glass. Once brought to the table, it is poured out onto a large plate for enthusiastic consumption. I have yet to finish one of these salads. For a hedonistic person like myself, that's saying something.
Their tomato and fresh basil soup, optionally topped with cheddar and bacon, is zestfully savory without being overly acidic. The Greek pizza appetizer, with its homemade crust, light pesto base, grilled chicken, mozzarella, goat cheese, spinach, and toasted walnuts, is one of the best things I've ever eaten. The sweet potato fries with Asian dipping sauce are fun and nutritious.
Most of F.I.G.'s selection are healthy, like the Napa Valley chicken salad with grapes and pecans ... not to mention the goat cheese salad with mixed baby greens, sliced almonds, dried cranberries and chevre with a balsamic vinaigrette. However, the half-pound Black Angus Bama burger, while certainly not cholesterol-free, is thick, juicy, and completely satisfying. Or try the fanciful Fried Green BLT with fried green tomatoes, bacon, lettuce and creole mustard on a Kaiser roll.
I had one disappointing experience at F.I.G. My Rio chicken wrap arrived without the promised cashews, avocado, Thai mayo, and tomato tortilla. I can understand leaving out or substituting one ingredient, but four? Luckily, the staff graciously fixed the mistake. After all, it's not what happens, but how wait-staff responds that matters most. Or maybe what matters most is the dessert that follows such a mishap, such as the Chip-A-Roo. When eating those two warm chocolate chip cookies, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup, a misassembled Rio fades into the distant past, and one enters a state of anoesis. This is my newest word. It means "a state of mind consisting of pure sensation or emotion without cognitive content." Yep, that about sums it up.
I have always had positive experiences with F.I.G.'s inventive and well-priced daily specials. In fact, F.I.G.'s prices are competitive, overall. Their most expensive entree, the filet mignon, is only $16, compared to most restaurants' range of $24 to $32. For a more commonplace point of reference, F.I.G.'s side salad is a mere $1.99. Beverages, however, may present a hidden cost; F.I.G.'s drinks are served by the bottle ... ergo refills are, lamentably, not free.
Perhaps F.I.G.'s greatest appeal lies in the diversity its of menu options. Whether you are male or female, laid back or flossy, informal or fancy, you will love F.I.G.
4 Kudzu
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