“Here’s to the ladies who lunch,” proclaims legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. This is what runs through my mind surveying the crowd as I endure the 30-minute wait for a recent weekday lunch at Wildflower Cafe. The casual yet upscale atmosphere clearly lures oodles of gal pals to nosh and share the latest news from up and down the adjacent Pinellas Trail.
Tucked away under the oak trees in Clearwater, just northeast of what will soon be the remains of the Belleview Biltmore, this charming café is shrouded in the back corner of a Wedgewood-blue office building fronted by a bank off S. Fort Harrison. But as you approach from the rear parking lot, colorful plants, a covered deck and a curved blue cloth awning with white wrought iron curlicues welcome you.
Even though the cuisine is simple on the surface — after all, it’s just breakfast, salads and sandwiches since the café shutters in the mid-afternoon — there is a a sense of finesse and attention to detail, as if Martha Stewart were watching and directing the whole operation via Skype.
On my earlier breakfast visit, I’m barely in the door when a smiling server takes my order for fresh-squeezed OJ, coffee and ice water. Practically before I can draw my next breath, another member of the service team delivers my beverage trio gleaming in clear footed glassware, the tall water glass looking like an elegant bud vase topped with a lemon wedge. The same notable tall glass shuffles back and forth as innumerable servings of iced tea and fresh lemonade topped with mint pass by.
The “Wildflower Triple” scrambled eggs are the deep yellow that only comes from cage-free, farm-fresh eggs. Paired with applewood smoked bacon and crisp, round mini Belgian-style malted waffles dusted with powdered sugar, it’s a wonderful way to start the day. The coffee is robust and the plate is carefully garnished with perfect ripe, sweet twisted orange slices, strawberries and a sprig of mint, the eggs sprinkled with a mince of fresh parsley. Details.
My luncheon starts with vegetarian tomato basil bisque, which is really a misnomer as most soups using that designation are strained till smooth and infused with cream. Wildflower’s menu staple is instead a rustic purée from canned tomatoes with dried basil — at least that’s how it tastes. This is not a bad thing per se, it’s just that the rest of the menu bursts with freshness. The soup is fine, with a decidedly sweet note to the finish. They serve it with a small pack of New England oyster crackers that, for me, are a welcome addition. There’s also a soup du jour, but I skip that to report on what I know you can get.
The Vermonter is a salad of field greens and baby spinach with sharp Vermont white cheddar, Applewood smoked bacon, sweet Fuji apple, dried cherries and roasted pecans served in a huge angled white porcelain bowl like an acoustical shell, as if the greens were going to jump up to sing and dance with the accompanying muesli bread and the signature whipped honey butter.
Island Breeze Turkey is an inspired sandwich creation. Wheat bread with curry mayo holds the crisp leaf lettuce that wraps the turkey with provolone. The center is stuffed with a shredded carrot salad with sweet mango chutney, toasted pecans, and golden raisins. It is flat-out delicious.
The decidedly deep-dish quiche is a breakfast, brunch or lunch item served with fresh seasonal fruit or a splendid field greens salad topped with crisp shredded red cabbage, julienned carrots, and crunchy slivers of red radishes. I choose the traditional Quiche Lorraine over the daily special. Superstar chef Thomas Keller dismisses the American habit of quiche cooked in a pie pan and waxes eloquent about the importance of custard at a proper 2-inch depth, French-style. Wildflower is the rare place that does it right.
The menu proudly announces an affinity for fresh-baked goods, all made in-house. In fact, the café dessert choices all come from the adjacent market where you may hang out in the A/C awaiting your table. The market offers gourmet jellies, honey, citrus, cheese and some takeout salads and quiche. The display case that catches your eye upon entry is filled with dessert porn: whole cakes or huge slices, cupcakes, scones, and cookies. My table opts for a splendid, moist toasted coconut cake with cream cheese frosting and a big dried cranberry, oatmeal and pecan cookie sprinkled with sea salt. Both are traditional but tremendous. My food obsessions began with desserts, so I am rarely really happy with the sweets I encounter; I’ve learned to lower my expectations. Wildflower, however, really delivers.
There are limits to just how much sugar even an addict can take. I’m already plotting a return visit for a sampler of red velvet, mint chocolate, and lemon raspberry cupcakes. The raspberry scone is a round, flat affair with textured edges and a center of jam, sort of like a pastry version of a high-performance tire. I’m used to English tea where I have control of each delectable scone bite; still, this is a good effort. It just doesn’t make me forget the cake or cookie. I’ll also be back for Sunday brunch.
I hope the line isn’t too long, but I can always hum Sondheim while I stare at the sweet treasures behind the glass.
1465 S Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater. 727-447-4497, wildflowercafe.net
Breakfast/Brunch $6.50-$10.50, Lunch $3.25-$11, Drinks $2-$6 Desserts $1.75-$4
