home.made: Thoughtfully Delicious

home.made should change its name to Better Than Homemade, because it is.

A friend and I recently ate lunch there. I only wished I could have sat at the table for the rest of the afternoon, drinking tea and watching customers.

The lunch menu isn’t extensive: a few sandwiches, salads, soups, appetizers. But everything we had was just delicious. It’s a bit spendy, yes, but well worth the money.

For a “starter,” we had butterbean hummus. It came with watermelon radishes, crispy celery, carrots, cucumbers and homemade crackers. Who makes their own crackers? They were perfect. The butterbean hummus was so plentiful that half was left, and so yummy that I hoarded and hogged it at home.

My friend’s veggie plate came with a small skillet of warm cornbread that thankfully wasn’t sweet but was light and tasty. The root vegetables were roasted to perfection—cooked, but still slightly crunchy.  The plate also included the best mac ‘n cheese I’ve ever tasted and a small container of barbecued peanuts. We didn’t care for the peanuts, but some people apparently do. 

My spinach salad was big enough for a nest of bunnies, with apples, pears, blue cheese and pralined pecans. I was greedy. I didn't share. The balsamic dressing? You could drink it. Happily.

My goal for 2014 is the eat at home.made as often as possible. It's one resolution I won't mind keeping. 

home.made is on Baxter Street, between Bulldog Sporting Goods and The sultan Restaurant. Besides lunch, home.made also holds a supper club.