49.5 F
Clarksville
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeArts/LeisureBlondie's: Franklin Street eatery booming in the heart of downtown

Blondie’s: Franklin Street eatery booming in the heart of downtown

blondies-exterior.JPGWhether you want a bit of handmade honey and nut cream cheese on your breakfast bagel or a slice of delectable carrot cake for a midday dessert, a little downtown eatery called Blondie’s is the place to go. Sandwiches and coffees are their specialties.

When thinking deli sandwiches, one often thinks of “Dagwood’s,” those heaping stacks of fillings scrunched between slices of bread. Blondie’s, while serving ample sandwiches, does it with a lighter hand, a delicate touch that is nonetheless filling and satisfying.

blondies-painting.JPGApart from its wonderful food, Blondie’s has a little something extra to offer its patrons: a chance to sit outdoors in a small atrium, a terraced garden spot with cafe tables, plants and a bit of shade, shelter from the summer sun. It’s not big, but it’s enough. It almost classifies itself as one of Clarksville’s best kept secrets.

Inside this year-old dining spot, you’ll find brick walls, high ceilings with dark overhead beams, soft lighting and a ceiling fan pushing comfortable cool air down, and comfortable seating with some tables overlooking Franklin Street and others neatly spaced along the narrow hall that leads to the outdoor patio.

Posters and pictures abound: vintage movie stars, a bit of Norman Rockwell, and a print of that famous World War II era “kiss” photograph celebrating the end of war. There’s a wonderful painting of the bistro itself (pictured above right), done in brick red tones that captures the essence of Blondie’s interior.

As for the menu, we’ll start with breakfast. And bagels. Served plain with butter, with sweet strawberry jelly, plain cream cheese of a flavored cream cheese: honey and nut (which melts in your mouth in a subtle sweetness), summery cucumber dill, and a strawberry cream cheese that almost qualifies as dessert.

Then there are the cinnamon rolls. Fragrant. And blueberry muffins. Or Danish with raspberry or cream cheese.

Breakfast sandwiches are popular fare, and come with fillings of sausage, ham or bacon — each with cheese, served on a bagel or fresh, flaky, buttery croissant.

Lunch is a selection of sandwiches served on your choice of San Francisco style sourdough, a delicate wheatberry, a hearty rye or a tomato-basil wrap. As for fillings, one might opt for ham and cheddar, turkey and swiss, sliced chicken with mozzarella, roast beef and swiss, of a veggie special with cucumbers, swiss cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Blondie’s Club Sandwich melds ham, turkey, bacon, mozzarella, honey mustard, lettuce and tomato into a mouthwatering sandwich that requires nothing but a hearty appetite.

A Grilled Blondie is sliced ham and turkey with swiss, with a dab of pesto butter sauce served on a delectable Panini bread. Okay, I’m hungry again.

Lighter fare includes a salad with turkey, tomatoes, onions, grated mozzarella, craisins and pecans on a bed of lettuce (raspberry vinaigrette or Italian vinaigrette are the dressings of choice). A side salad can be ordered to accompany any sandwich.

Blondie’s also serves a homemade soup of the day at $2.95 a bowl.

blondies-garden.JPGIf you need a respite from downtown shopping, come in, take a seat and head to the desert section of the menu, but be prepared for some tough decisions: the carrot cake is mouthwatering, the chocolate cake and homemade (still warm from the oven) cookies melt on your tongue, and the scones are crisp and tasty. Milk shakes are thick enough to be considered dessert.

Coffee, a specialty item here, takes up an entire page on the menu, beginning with the coffee of the day. Then, Expresso. Cafe au Lait. Lattes (flavored or not). Breve. Mocha. And a range of flavoring syrups that include Amaretto, Hazelnut, Kahlua, Caramel or Vanilla Creme (sugar free, believe it or not) , French Vanilla, Marshmallow, English Toffee, White Chocolate … so many coffees, so little time. A selection of juices and bottled water is also available.
All items are available as carry-out orders and can be ordered ahead by calling 931-645-9725 or by faxing your order to 931-645-4472. While that may be convenient, it’s much more fun to drift over there, take a seat, savor the menu and the aromas, and dine inside, or on the patio.

Blondie’s, located at 135 Franklin Street, is open Monday through Friday from 7-5 and Saturday from 8-5.

Photos by Debbie Boen

RELATED ARTICLES

4 COMMENTS

  1. I would have eventually said that this is my most frequented restaurant on Franklin Street. I agree that the food is great, and the service there has usually been equally great. But my recent experience there was most repugnant.

    I don’t know who “Blondie” is, or how she got her reputation in the community. I am new here, and probably around for only a short stay. Whoever she is, I do not believe that she deserves to maintain a place of business if she is going to behave the way she did during my last visit.

    I can fully understand jesting and playing around behind the counter, especially in good fun. However, when I walked in, after a brief hello, I started ordering. “Blondie” then started mocking me. I thought it was in jest at first, and asked in a sarcastic tone, “Is there a problem.” She just rolled her eyes and sneered at me like I was some sort of lower life form.

    No order for me. And never again. I am totally perplexed as to what went wrong and what convinced her she can treat people that way. I suggest that anyone that has any dignity about them avoid this place. I would hate for anyone else to have to feel compromised like this for no apparent reason. I personally will not provide financial support to any business owner that has such a pretentious demeanor.

    Shame, shame, shame Blondie. You have good food, but your attitude will be the death of your business.

  2. I would like to respond to the comment made by Spelunker. His comment is a fabricated lie about an event that never happened. What did happen…he is a homeless man who was staying at the Salvation Army Shelter and wanted to camp at Blondie’s during the day because we offer free wi fi. We did not welcome him in the restaurant when he tried to come in before we opened. Clarksville think twice before you offer free wi fi. Next time we will call the police. Blondie’s is still a friendly and affordable cafe. The courtyard is beautiful and a great getaway for lunch!

  3. Lovely Cafe! The staff was very friendly and helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken salad sandwich. The potato salad will keep me coming back for more. My friend tried the special of the day which was roast beef and swiss and it looked delicious. We enjoyed our time spent in the courtyard.

    We have found a new favorite place to hang out!

Latest Articles