Majestic Cafe
by Adam O'Connor
As it is, I already spend too much time down at the Majestic. The place has it all – bowling, bars and several live music venues – all within one complex. And they have some of the city's best pizza at Sgt. Pepperoni's. But it's also nice to have a high-quality dining establishment within the complex too. That way I'm able to have a full, healthy and satisfying meal before I go rock my face off upstairs at the Magic Stick. However, if you're more of the type to not have to go get crazy with the kids at a music venue right after your meal, feel free to just stop down there for lunch or dinner too.
The Majestic Café, as head chef Joey Zainea explains, is all about keeping the theme "local, fresh and seasonal." For instance, they're doing lots of fish currently – it's still warm weather out, meaning lots of fresh fish – not to mention the superb calamari in lemon butter sauce that I happily gobbled up as an appetizer. And for the colder months, they'll be shifting their menu more to hearty foods (pot roast, meats, etc.).
Expect them to change the menu roughly four times annually (with the seasons, duh) and to try to utilize as much local faire as possible. The menu is already extremely diverse – from kafta burgers to crab cakes – simply because they do so many things well.
For the record, they don't just cater to what us carnivores want, either. There's plenty of fantastic salads (I was treated to a fantastic blueberry and candied-walnut mixed greens salad with a champagne vinaigrette and maple dressing), gluten-free baked ziti that you wouldn't be able tell was gluten-free in a million years and more.
For those of you who do happen to prefer meat, however, they more than fill the bill from that aspect, as well. So many restaurants do chicken – buffalo wings, wing dings, boneless cuts, tenders – but the Majestic has their own spin on the dish. Zainea uses leg meat, which tends to be meatier and has a stronger flavor (as it's the dark meat of the bird). He also varies the spices that you can order these little medallions of deliciousness to be flavored with. Cherry ginger, bleu cheese garlic and roaster red pepper caracao are a few of the amazingly flavored chicken chunks that I devoured.
The consistency across the menu should also be noted. They don't have fourteen different options for fish marinade – the recipe they use to prepare their mahi-mahi is the same with which they prepare their fish tacos – and it is in no way overpowering or underwhelming. To which point it should be mentioned that they actually use vegetables to their intended use – as an accompaniment or flavor-enhancer. The avocado that comes alongside the mahi-mahi does a great job of complimenting the fish, not what we're used to experiencing with avocado – a mushy, lumpy and overly-proportioned slice of avocado or guac.
Basically, the utilization of different flavors, entrees, appetizers and ingredients seems to be something that Zainea and the Majestic Café understand fully. It shines through in every one of their dishes, and does the perfect job of delivering a fulfilling dish in every way. | RDW
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