By Marty Rosen
Special to The Courier-Journal
I knew exactly what I wanted: the stuffed bell pepper. The menu promised a fire-roasted red bell pepper stuffed with rice and grilled chicken, topped with mozzarella and cheddar, served on a base of black beans and a fried tortilla.
That's what I wanted. And that's what I told our waiter.
 The stuffed bell pepper at Appleby's Cafe and Wine Cellar is all stuff with very little bell pepper. By Bill Luster, The Courier-Journal |
As the name suggests, Appleby's is divided into two attractive parts. The walls throughout are rust and olive. French posters lend a bistro feel. Gas-burning fireplaces warm both rooms. In the cafe, the floor is carpeted, and the tables are draped with black cloths; in the wine cellar, the tables are bare, and the floor is painted concrete with a worn, rakish look. In the wine cellar, soft blues pumps from the sound system (and some nights there is live music).
I sipped Guinness ($3.30) from one of those cool pint cans with the widget that simulates Guinness on tap. The effect might have been better had the Guinness been served with a pint glass, but I didn't care, really. Visions of stuffed peppers danced in my head.
My wife, Mary, and I munched on salads: a flat-flavored Caesar ($6.50) and a very fine baby spinach salad ($6.95) served with a tangy hot bacon dressing (I recommend instructing the kitchen to withhold the ill-conceived garnish of cinnamon almonds and pineapple tidbits).
As Mary sipped wine, we appreciated the large pour, the reasonable prices (Clos du Bois Sauvignon Blanc, $6.25/$24), and the presence of Indiana options (from Oliver Wines; $5.50/$20) on the short list.
And we appreciated our waiter's prompt, friendly service.
Then came our food.
Sharp-eyed guy that I am, I immediately noticed something lacking in my stuffed pepper ($14.95). I think anyone would have noticed it, because the thing that was lacking was the pepper. There was plenty of the stuff, but of the stuff-ee, if you will, there was nary a sign — just a few shreds of sautéed red bell pepper teasing me from the top of the heaped rice, beans, chicken and cheese.
Thinking I might be in the presence of a pepper both stuffed and buried, I poked and prodded — but to no avail. Perhaps my pepper had been pilfered!
I asked our server, "Is this a stuffed pepper?"
"I'm not sure," said he. "I've only been here for a week and haven't ever seen the stuffed pepper."
A more experienced server supplied the authoritative answer: Concerned that peppers are short of stuffage capacity, the chef had eliminated the pepper. "That way he can give you more of the good stuff," said our informant.
And perhaps the "good stuff" would have been good enough — had I had a taste for rice, beans, chicken and cheese on a fried tortilla.
Perhaps the same reasoning applied to the missing sun-dried tomatoes in Mary's white wine pasta ($9.95). Or the absence of anything smacking of garlic or white wine in what was alleged to be a garlic white wine sauce but was instead a light cheese sauce that tasted quite a bit like ground parmesan.
Noticing a plaque on the table that mentioned homemade desserts, I asked our server about them. He checked — and reported back that the desserts weren't homemade.
I'd have been happy to pay with Confederate scrip, if I'd had any.
On a solo return visit, though, things matched up: My blackened salmon was decidedly salmon. And it was decidedly blackened. In fact, it was very nicely blackened — crusty and fiery on the outside, silky and moist within.
Someone in the kitchen knows how to cook. Now, if they can just figure out how to write an accurate menu.
Freelance restaurant critic Marty Rosen's review appears on Saturdays. You can e-mail him at cjdining@gmail.com
Appleby's Cafe and Wine Cellar
210 Spring Street, Jeffersonville, IN
812-283-3663
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