The Gabardine is a polished American bistro with elements that make it more casual: epoxy-lacquered wood tables, white walls, patterned white tin ceiling, mis-matched dishware, and a chalkboard. I stopped in recently and enjoyed some lunch in this bright and airy space.

After some debate, I ordered the grilled cheese. I also opted for the smoked ham option and thought it added a nice saltiness to things, but that the ham didn’t come up to the front. I’m nit-picking though. This was a quite satisfying sandwich. I also liked the tomato-onion chutney. And while I know it’s grilled cheese, this wasn’t over-loaded with too much cheese and hit the right bread-to-cheese ratio. Came with mixed greens in a light vinaigrette. All very good.

For dessert, I got the burnt marshmallow ice cream sandwich. Nice toasty-tasting ice cream (from Greg’s Ice Cream), thin chocolate cookie wafer, all sitting on a dollop of dulce de leche (I think). Was happy to have ordered it.

The space is cozy with a max of 30ish seated (by my lousy counting skills), and maybe 6 at the bar. Menu includes a ploughman’s, mac ‘n’ cheese, daily soup, and more meaty options. The menu isn’t extensive, but has a decent breadth of selection. Minor gripe: They offer a London Fog on their coffee/tea menu but is unable to offer me Earl Grey as a tea selection. Sigh. Despite lacking my tea of choice, I look forward to checking things out more thoroughly on a future visit.

[mappress mapid=”18″]

More at The Gabardine

[flickr-gallery mode=”photoset” photoset=”72157626005319632″]