Comfort cuisine

Dave Michaelson is the owner of the Cozy Cafè in Ferndale, known for its down-home menu. RACHEL E. BAYNE HERALD PHOTO

Cozy Cafè does homestyle-cooking right

Stacee Sledge

Jun 27, 2002 I get lots of much-appreciated tips from readers in the slew of e-mails I receive each week. Many of the places you tell me about end up on my list and eventually in this column.

When Tom from Custer wrote about the Cozy Cafè in Ferndale, he described the cuisine as "gourmet at homestyle prices." Sounds like the best of both worlds, doesn't it?

It is.

The first incarnation of the Cozy Cafè opened in May 2000 in a quonset hut on Third Avenue. A year later, owners Dave and Dianne Michaelson moved the eatery to its current spacious dining room, just a mile off Interstate 5.

The décor is simple, comfortable and punctuated by personal touches. Original paintings created by Dave Michaelson's maternal grandmother line the walls, while two guitars, a violin and a mandolin belonging to his father and grandfather further decorate the high-ceilinged space. Forest-green-and-white gingham curtains surround the large window that looks out over Ferndale's Main Street.

Cozy Café

Location:
2034 Main St., Ferndale 

Phone: 380-5926

Serving: Comfort food prepared with care, including hearty breakfasts, classic lunch favorites and dazzling down-home dinners.

Menu items sampled: Chicken and dumplings $7.95
Steak Diane $13.95
Chicken fried steak $9.95
Strawberry shortcake $3
Crème brulee $3
"Lickety-Split" banana split $3.50

The menu is detailed so much so, it's delivered to each person in the form of a three-ring binder. Inside is a list of homestyle breakfast, lunch and dinner items ranging from corned beef hash and eggs Benedict to specialty sandwiches, chicken cordon bleu, and pan-poached king salmon. You'll also find the history of the Cozy Cafè and the Michaelsons' extensive backgrounds in the food industry.

The four of us marveled over the selections, which reminded us of our Midwest roots. After much debate, we settled on steak Diane, two orders of the Saturday special chicken and dumplings, and chicken-fried steak.

Our server, Lynda, was enormously helpful and friendly. When she saw that the four of us had drained our water glasses rather quickly, she left an entire pitcher for us with a congenial laugh. She seemed genuinely interested in our satisfaction and made us feel welcome and well taken care of.

My friend Wes and I chose simple salad starters of crisp iceberg lettuce topped with tomato slices, homemade crunchy croutons, black olive and slivers of carrot.

My husband and our friend Patrice each selected a soup. Patrice enjoyed a thick, salty split pea soup, while my husband happily emptied his bowl of stockpot soup, full of potatoes, white beans and veggies in a delicious dark broth.

My steak Diane was prepared exactly to my specification. A tender filet mignon was wrapped in a slice of bacon and covered in the classic sauce of sautéed onions, brandy, butter and a smidge of Dijon mustard. The accompanying heap of flavorful roasted red potatoes complemented the steak nicely. The plate was rounded out with perfect petite peas (not a trace of mushiness) and a warm, soft, chewy roll.

The chicken and dumplings won raves from my husband and Patrice. Dave has developed a fabulous cake-style dumpling, soft yet chewy, without the chalky center one sometimes finds. Tender white chicken meat mingled with the dumplings, all doused in magnificent gravy. This was comfort food like none other, served up with the freshest-tasting green beans I can ever remember in a restaurant, and two triangles of Texas toast.

Wes is a Midwesterner with fond (and usually funny) memories of childhood food experiences. The happiness Dave's chicken fried- steak brought Wes was unbelievable; I've never seen a person so content with a restaurant meal.

Patterned after a simple Amish recipe from the 1800's, tenderized beef was dipped in egg and milk, dredged in seasoned flour and cracker meal, then fried to a faultless golden brown without tasting greasy.

Served alongside were green beans, a warm roll and, in Wes' words, "a mound of perfect mashed potatoes that rivaled the mountain in 'Close Encounters.'"

The amount of food we'd consumed was really more than we needed; for future reference, we noted that the Cozy Cafè also offers petite portions. But we were having such a fabulous experience on this first visit that we ploughed ahead, each ordering dessert. Strawberry shortcake, crème brulee, and "lickety-split" banana splits arrived, each one beautifully presented and tasting even better than they looked.

The price for four of us to eat such an amazing amount of food was staggering in and of itself: $46. We couldn't believe it and we couldn't wait to come back.

As if the Cozy Cafè didn't already strike me as just what the doctor ordered (well, the doctor who prescribes creamy, buttery comfort foods in moderation), the menu also lists gluten-free items. It's not an offering you often see, and many people will appreciate knowing the Cozy Cafè caters to this crowd.

Hours of operation are limited to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As Dave told me several days after our meal, "If I'm not back there, we're closed." This is part of the secret of the Cozy Cafè: consistency. Dave admits, "It's very difficult to be the only cook here. But the customers benefit from this unique situation, because if you come back two years later, you're going to get the exact same thing." Which is exactly why the Cozy Cafè tops my list of favorite new restaurant finds.

Visit the Cozy Cafè Web site at www.ourcozycafe.com to peruse their menu in detail.

The Fine Print: I dine on my own dime. The opinions herein are mine alone, not The Bellingham Herald's. Agree? Disagree? Please drop me a line at StaceeSledge@hotmail.com.

 

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