The new and improved Steffens Restaurant: A review.

Based upon the T&G article to ensure future T&G advertising by Steffens, I went there for lunch today. I arrived about 1:15. The place was absolutely packed. Cars were parked out on the street and in the grassy lot to the right of the place. I decided to go on in. Had to wait about 15 minutes to get a table. Much was made in the paper about the new diner-like decor. It is very pleasant, but had you not read the article, "diner" is not the first thing that would spring into your mind, even if you had ever actually been in a big city diner in the Northeast or upper-Midwest, as the overwhelming majority of Camdenians never have. Still, it is lighter and cleaner looking than when Delmus and Trellis sold it. The "very retro" accent drop lights are very irritating. The have very bright bulbs inside of the cylindrical glass and chrome fixtures. The fixtures hang down into the upper portion of your line of sight. They are completely superfluous insofar as the original recessed fluorescent tubes are still in place, in use, and more than adequate. I would strongly suggest going to a 15 or, at most, 25 watt bulb in those low-hanging accent lights. Otherwise, the renovation was a much needed improvement. The three waitresses were all old-timers who had worked for Trellis. However, what was quite noticeable was that they were all in much better moods and much more attentive to their customers. No doubt, they are making way more money than when they were about to starve in the waning days of the old ownership. The customer base has changed dramatically. It still appears to be all local and mostly pre-NSBKB residents, but a bit more upscale than before. I literally did not recognize a single customer, save Mr. and Mrs. David Rainer. Not one of the old gang of ne'er-do-well, aging, James Dean wannabes that used to festoon the counter nursing a bottomless coffee cup was anywhere in sight. The prices, however, are still very reasonable. I had occasion to meet the owner, Linda Cagle, but more on that later. The menu will be familiar to long time Steffens patrons. Virtually everything you've been used to for many years is still there. However, there are also a lot of new items to be found. The wording on the page that lists the daily special needs to be reworked. She says that each dish comes with your choice of three sides or two sides and a dessert (as before), but then lists only two "daily vegetables" for each respective day. The uninitiated would not know that you can actually choose from the much wider selection of "daily" vegetables listed on a prior page. The waitresses realize the problem and explain the oversight verbally. I had the roast beef and gravy dinner with mashed potatoes, green beans, pickled beets, and rolls. It was all delicious as I remembered it. I would bet that at least one of the old cooks is still there - and that's a good thing. There was a sign on the wall which proclaimed that their "fiery dog" chili had been voted the first or second (I forget) best chili in Camden during last year's chili cook off. Well, as you can imagine - especially any of you who have actually made my "Jay's Killer Black Bean Chili," I had to sample a cup. The chili was made with black beans and kidney beans - the latter being an authentic chili no-no. Real chili is made with - you guessed it - chili beans. There was chili powder and minced garlic thrown in, along with ground beef, into very watery chopped tomatoes. Way too thin and watery for my taste and missing several indispensable chili ingredients. Nominally better than typical canned chili, but not by much. Save your money. So, I had just finished analysing the chili when the owner, Linda Cagle, walked up to my table and very cheerily asked how I liked the chili. I told her that it was not bad (by which I meant not all that bad, but toned it down), but mine was way better. I told her to "fear not" because I was going to give her my recipe before I left. Well, suffice it to say that she did not take it well, She replied rather snarkily that they had won the contest and had no intention of changing the recipe - "at least not this year." Then, thinking better of it, she assured me that she would like to see my recipe though. NOTE to restaurateurs (and humans in general): don't ask me a question if you are not prepared for an honset answer - the only kind I give. So, when I got my bill, I gave her my blog address on the back of the bill and invited her to adopt my chili recipe. I overheard a conversation in which Mrs. Cagle told another customer that she had actually bought (as opposed to leased) the old, grungy, St. Marys Seafood building from the Williams. I'm really looking forward to a good restaurant for breakfast in St. Marys. Cruddle House, is of course, no option for self-respecting Homo Sapiens. Given that she owns it, I do hope that Mrs. Cagle will rip out the existing restrooms and replace them with spacious, wheelchair friendly ones. And watch that lighting - don't make your customers squint. Oh, and by all means, check out those glare-blocking, yet see-through window shades they have at IHOP. Those things are great. Oh, and please, deep six the kitchy port holes for real, plate glass windows. In conclusion, both the food and the service at the new and improved Steffens are very good, reasonably priced, and well worth a visit and continued patronage. I'll be back - albeit in disguise. Just be forewarned that while doing a very good job, the owner is sufficiently new to the restaurant business to have not yet quite figured out how to take and profit from sincere constructive criticism. Proceed with caution.