Physically, the Southie location is almost the opposite of the one in the South End – modern and spacious yet still a bit on the loud side particularly when the cafe filled up by 6:30 – but remember, this is a neighborhood joint, in the best possible way. We began with cocktails – I had the “Eastern Promise” and Katrin had the “Pegu Club”, the iconic cocktail from the original Pegu Club, not the icon of the emegent cocktail culture in Soho. My drink was perfect – Beefeaters, Lillet Blanc, Chai Tea Syrup and Peychaud’s – well balanced with depth and a spicy finish. On the other hand, Katrin’s was too sweet – the Orange Curacao overwhelming the lime juice. However, she did manage to finish it . The wine list is short but entirely serviceable. Some may not find it overly exciting, but I was impressed with the range of varietals being offered. And by the way, the mark up on a bottle wasn’t painful. We began with the Steamed Pork Shumai – a very attractive presentation of four tasty dumplings. This was a good starter to share. My entree was the Crispy Duck Confit and Smoked Fennel Sausage with White Bean Cassoulet and Cranberries. The duck was crispy, moist and tender; the sausage, though, lacked flavor; the beans were perfectly cooked and the cranberries a good fruit foil to the duck. Katrin had the Slow Cooked Lamb Ragu with House-made Papparadelle with Mascarpone, which she pronounced to be fine. We ended the meal with a shared chocolate pudding that adequately satisfied our sweet tooth. Service throughout our visit was excellent – the staff here is extremely friendly yet still professional. We had arrived in need of restoration (will anyone get this pun?) and left feeling able to brave another day of the Wine Expo. As I stated earlier, Franklin Cafe Southie, like the original cafe, is a neighborhood bar and restaurant. Perhaps as Franklin Cafe further expands, they might consider my neighborfood – Franklin Cafe Malden? Now that would make me happy.
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