As I entered the Blue Lemon, I was impressed by it's clean lines and ethereal sky blues, mint greens and sand tones. Large panes of etched glass hang from the ceiling which separate the space, but do not chop up the venue.
Then, I noticed the line to place your order. I am not someone who is a fan of this type of service. To me, part of going out to eat is being waited on. But since I was with three other people, I got in line and ordered.
I ordered the butternut squash soup, which was delicious. It had some sweetness to it, but was balanced by the garnish of crumbled bacon (which they should let their patron know about, had I been a vegetarian, I would NOT have been happy) and homemade garlic croutons. The texture was also perfect, although it was basically pureed butternut squash, it had a lightness that made it work in the summer. I appreciated that. My friend Shirley ordered the chicken noodle soup. It tasted like fresh vegetables from the garden! The pasta was perfectly cooked and the chicken had a smokiness to it. All in all, delicious!
I also ordered the artichoke heart and tomato panini. To be fair, the menu said it came with 'lemon aioli' but for me, the lemon was too strong and overpowered any other flavor from the artichoke hearts or fresh tomatoes.
Although we were ignored by the servers when we walked in, we managed to be done with our lunch within 45 minutes. I'm not sure if that says quick service, or 'ladies' that eat like wild pigs!
Over all I think that despite it's great decor and delicious soups, The Blue Lemon would not be high on my list to return.
