Coffee Corner grows culinary panache

Montpelier - “I like flavor,” proclaims Marci Kelley, chef/manager of Coffee Corner, Montpelier’s cornerstone diner. She’s speaking of flavors of the palate, of course, sweet and salty and all that, but she might well also be speaking of local flavor, of the people who stream through the door all day long.

“The variety of people who come in here is amazing,” she says. “Artists, lawyers, accountants …” For this range of patrons, Kelley creates classic diner fare and updated twists on old standbys, all geared toward local products and a healthier spin on the greasy spoon.

“I think people need to see flavor around here, rather than just the greasy spoon standbys like potatoes and eggs,” she says, explaining her experimentation. “I’m trying to make the specials more innovative. I like to please people’s palates.”

And she is. On a recent weekday the specials board featured omelets with chicken apple sausage, onion, bacon and provolone; crepes with banana mascarpone and cinnamon pecans; green salad with peas, sprouts, onions and garlic scapes; and chilled melon soup. Definitely not the ham-and-eggs of yesteryear’s diner, yet only one item on the menu — the Main Street rib-eye steak with three eggs, home fries, and toast — costs over $10.

She’s making changes slowly and carefully. After all, Coffee Corner has been Montpelier’s local diner for more than half a century – you don’t mess lightly with tradition.

There’s still biscuits and sausage gravy every Saturday, of course, and eggs benedict every Sunday, though a vegetarian benedict with spinach and tomatoes is offered as an alternative to the Canadian bacon classic, and Kelley always prepares a special benedict, like peppered leeks, cob-smoked bacon, or roasted red peppers and feta.

Bacon, sausage, hamburgers and turkey sandwiches are diner necessities — but in Montpelier, so are vegetarian offerings. “Montpelier wants it,” she confirms of the vegetarian specials and soups she offers daily.

Kelley expanded her vegetarian repertoire at Goddard College, where she cooked before running the kitchen at All Fired Up in Barre until its recent renovation. In January, the opportunity arose to manage Coffee Corner, and Kelley grabbed it.

A native of upstate New York, Kelley came to Montpelier to attend NECI. Unlike most culinary students, she stuck around, and now spends at least 10 hours a day, seven days a week, in the heart of downtown.

“I wish I had more time to chat,” she admits, conceding that her busy schedule of cooking, managing staff, ordering and shopping keeps her away from the patrons who’ve come to enjoy her cuisine.

She finds some time to socialize during her weekly trips to the farmers market, where she loads up on fresh produce for the week from local vendors like Cate Farm, Alan LePage, and Toll A Bell Farm. Manghi’s bread, Cabot and Grafton cheeses, and Goodrich’s maple syrup are also among the long list of local foods that keep visitors curious and local folks coming back for more.

“Supporting local is plain good business,” says Bryan Mitofsky, who’s owned the diner since 1994 and is a founding member of the Vermont Fresh Network. “You get higher yields, it lasts longer and tastes better.”

Mitofsky can often be found at the big booth in the front window, chatting with a group of customers who are so regular they keep their own coffee cups at the diner. He explains that Kelley does all the daily work to run the restaurant.

“I’m trying to be done here,” he admits. “I bought the restaurant so I could raise my kids. My youngest just graduated, so it’s time for a new challenge.” He’ll continue to live in Montpelier while he consults with the state Department of Corrections regarding their food services.

Despite their daily attendance at the diner, one thing you won’t find Kelley or Mitofsky doing is sporting the colorful chef hats that hang over the lunch counter. The hats of purple fish, bright sunflowers, American flags, lobsters, and chili peppers, crafted by Richard DeCosta of Worcester, are big sellers for NECI graduations and tourists, but Kelley and Mitofsky find that being in the center of town is color enough.

“This location is awesome,” Kelley proclaims. “There’s so much going on in Montpelier.”

Sylvia Fagin writes about local foods and food producers. Contact her at sylviafagin@yahoo.com