This lunch is now a week old, but I wanted to share it before it is forgotten! For years I have been walking by Court Square Tavern on my way home from the gym at lunch time. Nearly everyday there are the best cooking smells imaginable wafting out of the door! Garlic, sizzling seafood, bacon, bread. You name it. (Onions too I’m sure!) Mazen was at preschool on Thursday, so Matt and I scheduled an early lunch date for ourselves. We were in the mood for something cozy on a cold winter day. We decided it was the perfect time to give Court Square Tavern a try.
I warmed up with a cup of decaf tea before perusing the menu and specials board. Cream + sugar too.
The menu was so tempting and full of comfort foods – from smoked salmon to soups to lots of kinds of bratwurst. It felt very much like the pubs I went to in England. (Matt says they have a good beer selection in the evenings.)
Matt and I couldn’t decide what to order and were both tempted by the smoked salmon, so we shared the smoked salmon plate to start. Loved the assemble-it-yourself style.
I had a filling bowl of split pea soup with chewy bites of ham and rye toast.
And Matt had the bratwurst – with the best mustard ever! We found out it was Dietz and Watson’s Black Forest mustard. Must buy!
Happy Friday!
Melissa says
Mmmm. That looks delicious! I love smoked salmon!!
LSS says
I know you’re reconfiguring the blog a bit–I’ve been reading for a long time and will follow along no matter what–so I thought this might be a good moment to make a request. Occasionally, especially when you eat out, I’d love to hear not just about what you ate, but *why* you made the choices you did. Was it just what looked best on the menu, or were you also thinking about a good balance of whole grains, vegetables, protein, fat, etc? Do you think back to your previous meal and ahead to your next one when you order (or prepare a meal at home) or do you think about each meal alone? Thank you – your choices are inspirational, and I’d love to know more about your thought process not just in general, but specifically for the meals you post.
KathEats says
I will try to add more commentary! I decided on a cup of soup because I wanted something warm and filling that wasn’t tons of calories. Although split pea can be made with cream, it’s usually a little lighter than other creamy soups. I knew I’d want a little something more too though, so we chose the salmon so I could get some protein + carbs on the side.
Hannah @ eat, drink and save money says
I’ll have to remember that mustard. I’m love lunch dates, they are so much cozier than dinner dates and less crowded too.
Livi @ Eat, Pray, Work It Out says
Mm good mustard is the best!
Liz @ I heart vegetables says
I love split pea soup! That looks like a cozy lunch spot 🙂
Kaila@HealthyHelperBlog says
Oh that smoked salmon plate is CALLING MY NAME!! Loove all the fixins too!
Linda @ The Fitty says
Looks so cozy! I’ve never been to a tavern to dine before.
Tamara Dabic says
I love split pea soup and that one sure looks delicious!
Stephanie says
Looks like a nice, cozy lunch spot.
Although I despised mustard when I was a child, I’ve really developed a fondness for it. That flavor sounds interesting so I looked it up, but I can’t seem to find any information, not even on the Dietz & Watson website. Perhaps it is called something else? Can you describe the flavor beyond “the best”? Sweet, smoky, spicy, etc? I’d love to try something new!
P.s. I love the idea of hearing the “why” of your food choices, especially when eating out. I rarely consider nutrition and just think about what I think would satisfy my current craving. It seems hard to even consider nutrition for restaurant dining since they don’t list all ingredients or nutritional info.
KathEats says
Now that I did some hunting around, I think our server must have misspoke and told us the Bratwurst name. This is puzzling because we were clearly talking about mustard and she went to look right at the mustard label (I saw her!) So I am not sure where the miscommunication went, but there must have been one.
Stephanie says
Thanks for the reply despite the remaining mustard mystery 🙂
Nora Dennehy says
Why did Karen move to San Diego?
KathEats says
She loves it there and has been drawn there for years
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom says
Looks like a great lunch, and sounds like a cozy spot at this time of year. I need to try it! 🙂
Jeanie says
The photo of the soup made my mouth water!
Kristen @ Change of Pace says
I think sometimes we forget about food like this when we prepare meals at home. My meals are always either asian or mexican ha! Those or based on convenience. Maybe I’ll add some English pub food to my weekly meal plan! Googling that mustard now 🙂
Jenn says
Any fun plans/food for the Superbowl?
KathEats says
We are winging it (and I don’t mean chicken wings! Haha!)
Julia says
I love split pea and ham soup in the winter. I made it this week. I make mine in the crock pot and there is no dairy in it.