Morgans Restaurant

Sara Liss8/25/2011

The goods: Mainland favorite Morgans Restaurant migrated over the causeway this summer to establish a second location in the old Joe Allen space.

Ambience: Owner Barclay Graebner quickly revamped the old Joe Allen space with a fresh coat of lavender paint and white tables topped with butcher block paper and colored pencils. The layout hasn’t changed, but the room has brightened with orchids, glass chandeliers and mirrored walls.

The grub: Modern American. Expect straightforward renditions of classics – salads, sandwiches and pizzas. And reserve the weekends for brunch – the team is famous for their brioche French toast and eggs Benedict. Prices are neighborhood friendly with most sandwiches and salads $11-$15 and mains under $20.  They’ve retained a few Joe Allen menu staples like the La Scala salad made with salami, provolone and chick peas and the Rice Krispies dessert.

Dinner service includes a complimentary basket of fluffy ciabbata bread with whipped butter. Daily  breakfast (which starts at 8am) includes  an egg white tortilla and crab cake with poached eggs and asparagus. There are nine sandwiches on the lunch menu, all of which are generously portioned and served with fries, coleslaw or a springy mix of house salad. The turkey burger is jazzed up with mango relish and bacon while the steak pita is topped with feta cheese and a mint sour cream dressing.

Pizzas are extremely thin and available with bbq chicken, goat cheese and roasted vegetables. Mains comprise comfort food like meatloaf, roast chicken and a vegetarian curry stew. Desserts include a $12 plate of a dozen cookies (chocolate chip, oatmeal and cranberry), berry cobbler, bread pudding and coconut cake.

Verdict: Morgans gives the former Joe Allen space new life with comfort food and a brighter look.