5 /5 Justin McAfee: T&A Restaurant
We had the pleasure of eating at T&A Restaurant in the middle of a 5000 mile road trip. Starting in Chattanooga TN, wed traveled across the South Western United States to San Francisco CA, traveled up the coast to Orick CA, and headed east.
After a couple of weeks on the road, we were culinarily exhausted. Wed tried texmex at the border, seafood on the shore, and burgers on the butte.
Everything was poorly cooked, poorly seasoned, or overpriced. ($40 bowl of clam chowder? Youre high San Francisco!)
So it was with tepid expectations that we walked into T&A Restaurant.
Boy were we surprised. We started with the meatballs. We ordered one, the chef sent out three the size of a softball! And Ive made hundreds of meatballs, these were by far the best Id ever eaten. Next up were mozeralla sticks. Perfectly fried, huge cheese pulls, rich sauces.
The entrees were as follows, a South Street burger, an Italian Chicken Sandwich, Triple Decker Sandwich, Steak Sandwich, and a bowl of Spaghetti Bologenese.
The South Street Burger was a freshly ground and pattied burger cooked to order, slathered in carmelized onions, mushrooms, and a generous coating of bleu cheese crumbles. The burger was cooked perfectly, the bun was lightly toasted, and the dressings (tomato, lettuce, and red onion) were generous portions. It was slightly dry, overall as the bleu cheese had lost a lot moisture. This was quickly remedied by throwing on a mix of mayo and A1 sauce to loosen it up.
The Italian Chicken Sandwich was a behemoth of chicken, mozarella, tomato sauce, on a rich bun that consumed the plate. Topped with grilled mushrooms, this was a winner. The marinara sauce literally flooded the plate and our party quickly resorted to forks and knives.
The Triple Decker Sandwich, a literal Dagwood sandwich, this was a classic triple decker club with your choice of lunch meats. Our party chose ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, atop a toasted sourdough. Youll need to unhinge your jaw for this one.
The Steak Sandwich had a 12oz Flank cooked to order, served open face with all the dressings and was an excellent steak. One of our party ate it as a steak outright, while the other made the requisite sandwich. Both were satisfied.
And finally, the Spaghetti Bolognese was the choice of our younger diners, who chomped away with glee. I snuck a taste and was equally as satisfied with the quality.
While the portions were more than sufficient, (every party member walked away with a to-go box) we were so impressed by the entrees that we opted to save room for dessert!
On option were flavored cheesecakes, Raspberry, Lemon, or Mixed Berries, Lava Cake, Tiramisu, and house made Creme Brule.
Discussion with the waitress revealed that while the salad dressings, burgers, and other foods were all house made, the deserts were ordered in. Regardless, we had the lemon cheesecake, lava cake, and creme brule.
The Creme Brule was a thick creamy base with a rich carmelized suger topping. Not too thick, not too thin. It gave a satisfying crack and the caramel wasnt over cookked.
The Lava Cake was one of the richest things Id ever eaten, tasting more like a warm cake batter than a lava cake, A+ marks again.
And finally, the lemon cheesecake came with a thin veneer of gelee de citron (or lemon gel) across the top that was sweet, tangy, and a refreshing balance to the rich cheesecake.
All in all, the T&A was the highlight of 2 weeks of culinary disappointments. Everyone left stuffed and happy, and I can only lament that we wont be returning to Susanville in the near future to enjoy this food again.
If youve read this far, do me a favor and stop in, order the meatballs, and tell em we sent you!
