| Palooka Grille Delivers a Knockout Punch of a Lunch | ||
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 06/14/2002 | |
| The Palooka Grille is a throwback to another time, when burgers were cooked on the grill to order, slathered with cheese and served on a toasted bun with heavily salted fries. Remember when hot lunch meant tender sirloin tips over hot buttered noodles and breakfast was a homemade banana muffin? This tiny cafe, which functions as an in-house cafe for workers in the South Temple Medical Plaza, serves comfort food without apology. Who needs to apologize when the daily special -- sirloin tips, fish and chips or shepherd's pie -- runs out before lunch is over? The grill is owned by Carolyn and Sam Millward, with son Connor helping out during the summers. For three years, the Millwards have been re-creating the look and food of an earlier time: The narrow room sports a black-and-white tile floor and is decorated with antiques and posters from the '30s and '40s. With its short hours -- the Palooka Grille is open only for lunch during the week -- it never will be a destination restaurant. But it functions well as a workplace cafe with fresh, filling food. The menu is good-sized for a place this small: a dozen sandwiches, several salads, homemade soups and a lineup of daily specials that changes every week. The food is homemade, cooked to order, reasonably priced and reasonably sized. While many diners take their food back to the office in a Styrofoam box, just as many crowd the cafe's dozen tables, seemingly not minding the grill smoke that filters through the place when the burgers start frying. And these are excellent burgers ($5.50 to $6), layered with pastrami or bacon or grilled onions and moistened with flavored mayonnaise. They all come with thick, crunchy fries and a cookie or slice of whatever cake is featured that day. The deluxe cheese is the purist's burger: a beef patty, topped with cheddar and jack cheeses, iceberg lettuce, onion, tomato and a dab of mayo mixed with Dijon mustard. Flavorings are bold: The Black Jack burger is mixed with Cajun spices and topped with Roquefort mayo, while the Campfire gets grilled onions, mushrooms, Swiss cheese and mayo flavored with smoky chipotle peppers. The crusty roll that completes the Palooka burger is almost too much bread, but the grilling gives it an irresistible flavor. The daily specials are probably the cafe's most popular items, and for good reason. They taste like something Mom would make. The sirloin tips are a classic: strips of beef, with just a hint of gravy, smothering a serving of noodles bound by butter and melted cheese. With its side of mixed vegetables, this is food from the '50s, and likely to evoke nostalgia. Salads ($2.75 to $6.26) look more up to date, in large part because they are built with good greens. The Margarita version boasts fresh, bite-sized romaine, all but invisible under its load of sliced, grilled chicken, chopped tomatoes, carrots and olives. It looks spectacular, too, in an oversized bright blue bowl with colored corn chips tucked around the inside. The dressing is a blend of sour cream and salsa that adds flavor, creaminess and tang. Most of the sandwiches ($5.25 to $6) are classics, like roast beef and cheddar with horseradish mayonnaise, or a French dip with grilled mushrooms and onions. All feature vegetables of one sort or another, from sliced cucumbers to sprouts, and come with those delicious french fries. A green salad or soup may be substituted for the fries for $1. Traditionalists may be disappointed by the turkey "club," which is not the usual three-decker affair and comes with only a thin smear of guacamole. But the turkey, bacon and Swiss cheese are quality ingredients and fill the bread to overflowing. Every meal comes with a sweet treat: a homemade cookie or a slice of whatever bread or cake the Millwards have cooked up that day. The banana-chocolate muffins are excellent; so is the banana-coconut bread. Here's a tip: Show up early to cash in on the daily special. Diners can also call ahead and reserve their lunch, another reason the daily special often runs out. The Palooka Grille serves up a taste of another time, when boxers past their prime went to "Palookaville" and nobody had to worry about how many fat grams were in lunch. It helps us remember why home cooking feels so good. Palooka Grille 508 E. South Temple (in the South Temple Medical Plaza) ph: 363-8880 * Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. * Prices: Nothing over $7 * Liquor: No * Reservations: No * Child's Menu: Yes * Takeout: Yes * Wheelchair Accessible: Yes * Outdoor Dining: No * Parking: Lot behind the building * Credit Cards: All major Anne Wilson is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Anne welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at wilwrite99@aol.com. |
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