Port Cape: It's a jubilee!

Port Cape: It’s a jubilee!

When I exclaim “50 is fabulous” with gusto, some would assume I’m talking about birthdays and life in general, and they would be right.

I’m not rich. I’m not famous. I’m not in the best shape of my life, and on any given day there’s a 50/50 chance of things going right or wrong. However, as far as being on the up side of the earth, I’m batting 1000 while fully embracing the gift of being able to find and celebrate the roses amongst the thorns.

Inspired by Southeast Missourian business writer Christopher Borro, I traded my plan to try something new for a long overdue return visit to Port Cape Girardeau restaurant for my very own pre-half century celebration.

While the Pig Chips and any burger on the menu are my usual “go to” options, I’d been eyeing the muffaletta and the Cubano sandwiches for some time and mentally committed to trying one of them this go round.

However, true to the stereotype, after setting my eyes on the menu I lapsed into a bout of indecisiveness and intuitively ordered the brisket and pimento cheese sandwich. Port Cape has been in the business of barbecue since 1974, and failure to pay appropriate homage could be considered sacrilege by some, I silently justified.

My server, Chase from Charleston, set the platter on the table in front of me, and I knew I’d made the right selection. When ordering, I’d asked Chase if the brisket and pimento sandwich was “substantial.” I was hungry and wanted confirmation I would be getting my money’s worth. Well, I can confidently attest that, in addition to fabulous flavor, the smokey brisket layered between thick slices of Texas toast slathered with pimento cheese will keep your average diner satisfied for hours. My sandwich also came with the choice of one side, and though I selected fries as an afterthought, they turned out to be the epitome of the standard classic.

Despite being full, I wanted to answer one question: who has the best bread pudding in town? Some swear by Port Cape, others claim allegiance to a nearby restaurant (which shall remain nameless). Anyone who knows me knows that Port Cape has unfortunately not been my numero uno. I explained this to the owner, who took no offense while also pointing out an important fact: one version uses rum sauce, the other an amaretto sauce, which makes for a subtle flavor difference. That made sense — I tend to prefer rum. When my steaming hot dessert arrived drenched in amaretto sauce, I discovered something else: it wasn’t the rum vs. amaretto that made the difference. It was the freshness factor. I’d only ever had the other bread pudding in the restaurant. I had the full experience. My prior Port Cape bread pudding experience had been via a “to go" order, meaning the sauce had cooled and absorbed into the dessert. This time, I was able to spoon the sauce over the bread pudding and dip individual bites into the sweet mixture elevating the flavor experience. I’m happy to report that my new favorite bread pudding is whichever slice is on the table in front of me.

I left pleased with my choices, however, in the interest of “journalism”, I returned the following week to put the New Orleans born Sicilian-American muffaletta sandwich to the test.

The salami, mortadella, smoked ham, provolone, Swiss, olive giardiniera and roasted garlic mayo stuffed between lightly toasted slices of a split Bianco roll added to the menu by Doc Cain’s son, left me longing for a return trip to NOLA. The salty olive mixture and stack of cold cuts paired perfectly with the acidic sweetness of my Coca Cola on the rocks.

Talk about finding the roses — there were no thorns to be found on my visit to Port Cape. Happy early birthday, Port Cape and cheers to 50 more years of serving as an anchor to the downtown food and entertainment scene.

Mary Ann Castillo has mroe than 50 years of eating experience with no plans to stop.