Jekyll & Hyde's Café & Grille

Deliciously schizophrenic

by Margaret LeRoux

Jekyll & Hyde's Café & Grille 256 Park Ave 799-4933 Hours Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. No alcohol Cash only handicap accessible

A pair of buddies with opposite approaches to eating teamed up to open Jekyll & Hyde's Café & Grille, the new breakfast and lunch spot on Park Avenue. John Greene took classes in nutrition at UMass in Amherst and is into health foods in a big way; as for his friend Jonas Merrill, a business major, give him a Philly cheese steak or Buffalo wings.

They both have their say on Jekyll & Hyde's menu where you can get a grilled veggie burger ($4.95), a plate of chicken and broccoli over ziti ($5.95) as well as burgers with bacon, cheese and onions ($4.95), and Buffalo chicken with fries ($5.95).

Other dishes on the healthy side of the menu include: roasted eggplant parmesan ($5.95), grilled sirloin tips ($6.95) and grilled turkey dogs ($4.95). Wraps, at $4.95 include: Southwestern mango chicken, turkey, roast beef, Greek salad and low fat ham and cheese.

On the other side of the menu are sandwiches such as meatball and cheese ($3.95), BLT ($3.49) peanut butter and jelly or marshmallow fluff ($2.95) and roast beef ($4.49). You can get breakfast all day here too: including oatmeal, omelets and French toast. If you're in a big rush, they'll toast you a Pop Tart along with a coffee to go.

Besides a schizophrenic menu, Jekyll & Hyde's is also not your ordinary, table service café. Instead, its approach is upscale fast food. You enter, grab a menu and walk over the large white board where the day's specials are listed. Place your order at the counter, and pay; then take a seat at one of several tables in the light and airy dining room. There are a couple of overstuffed chairs and a sofa; on a cold winter day, it's tempting to curl up with a book and several refills of their strong coffee.

But I was here to dine with a couple of friends who were looking to expand their lunch time horizons. It took only a few minutes for us to get in the healthy versus not-so-healthy spirit, as we chose sides on the menu. I was tempted by the opportunity to have breakfast -- it was a rushed morning with no time for anything but coffee -- so I went for French toast with bacon, a bargain at $3.49. One of my friends chose a daily special, veggie stir fry over rice ($4.99), the other played it safe with a tuna salad ($4.49). A cooler near the counter contains juices, and sodas; coffee and tea are available too.

Within a few minutes our selections were brought to us by one of the very pleasant staff who, when she heard me say I wished I'd ordered coffee, offered to bring a cup to the table. Extra service you'd never get at most fast food places.

I enjoyed every bit of the French toast, three thick, eggy slices topped by a generous mound of butter. Two slices of bacon and a container of warm syrup were on the side.

The tuna salad rated a "fine" from my friend; it included salad greens, an unusually ripe (for this time of year) tomato, and a side of balsamic vinaigrette.

The veggies in the stir fry, while fresh and crunchy, needed more oomph. The ginger was barely noticeable; we wished the kitchen staff had been more bold with the seasoning.

It wasn't until we were leaving that I noticed another feature of the Jekyll & Hyde menu -- burritos. Burrito and wrap places abound in most college towns; students line up for them in Boston and Amherst. They appeal to budget conscious eaters who appreciate the value of a meal in a sandwich. A few days later I persuaded another friend, a burrito connoisseur, to join me in assessing Jeykll & Hyde's offerings.

We chose a grilled veggie ($3.95) and grilled chicken ($4.95), ordering them "loaded" but without hots. This means the basic veggie combo and chicken slices with rice and black beans were supplemented by: lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream, onions and cheese. We declined the addition of hot peppers, though we added a side of fried zucchini sticks ($2.95) and a strawberry smoothie ($3.49).

We ended up with a meal that would easily feed four people. The burritos, a steamed tortilla, bulging with all the goodies inside, are huge. Thankfully, they're cut in half and wrapped in foil; if you used both hands you can eat them without too much mess. We did our best, but were only able to finish half; they made extremely good leftovers the next day.

The chicken had a smoky flavor that wasn't overwhelmed by all the other ingredients. My friend was impressed that the veggies included broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini and peppers, and that they were still crunchy, not limp like other burritos he's had. He rated Jekyll & Hyde's version right up there with the best Amherst has to offer. Alongside were served homemade fried tortilla chips -- we gobbled these right up. They're available as an appetizer with fresh mango salsa (($1.95).

We both loved the zucchini sticks -- lightly battered and fried, they had a delicate flavor; unlike most fried veggies, these still tasted like the original vegetable.

The strawberry smoothie did double duty as a fresh tasting beverage and dessert.

Later in an interview, Greene explained that Jekyll & Hyde's is aiming for a college audience. (Are you listening, all you students who complain about the lack of places to hang out in Worcester?) He and his partner are still tinkering with the menu and plan to expand it to include dinner soon. Later hours might be the move that will bring students to upper Park Avenue; right now the lunch crowd is drawn largely from businesses in the area. Jekyll & Hyde's is a welcome addition to this neighborhood; my suggestion is to pay it a visit.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at
feedmefeedback@hotmail.com

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.