Commonwealth on Queen, Part II

Yeah, we went back to Commonwealth on Queen in downtown Lancaster.   It's a story regarding how we ended up there, but we'll just leave that to the dustbin of history.  Better that way. We were supposed to go to Rachel's Creperie, but himself hates the city, and driving around the city, and being near the city, and well you get the idea...

To recap:   This cafe kinda joint is at 301 N. Queen St., Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  They are open Monday through Friday, 8 til 4.  Saturday, 8 til 2:30.  Sunday, 9 til 2.

We stumbled in around 10am on Saturday morning, seeking a bite before heading out on a road trip to Mordor (aka New Jersey).  Herself expressed a wish to go back and try the eggs Benedict (which of COURSE she didn't have), and I was amenable. 

We were seated at the exact same table as last time... and this happens often, no matter where we go.  What is it about us that says 'Put Those People In The Special Place'? (It really does happen a lot. It is weird.)

To share, we ordered a sticky bun, as is almost traditional for us. We like to fence with forks over the plate, frightening the other diners and fighting over the last scraps.

Ha... well..... no fighting over this one. It was a might bit....well.... 'Cute' is the word I used.   'Tiny' might be an appropriate word.  Perfect for a small bite with a cup of coffee for breakfast before works perhaps.  Certainly not something to be split amongst several people. 


I should be clear... it tasted good.  The icing was simple but tasty, and the bun was nice.  A bit 'delicate' in flavor, but nice. It was good. I would have liked a pinch less cream cheese icing and a heavier cinnamon flavour, as it was advertised as a cinnamon bun, NOT a sticky bun.

As always, she can speak to her own food, thankyouverymuch.  I'll talk about the brekkie I had.

The menu listed a Chorizo sausage gravy over a cornbread biscuit. Add a poached egg or two for $.00.   That sounded.... good.

I have no problem saying something could be done better with a dish, a meal, or the restaurant itself.  On the other hand, I have no qualms waxing poetic when something is right. Especially when it's really damn right, like this Chorizo sausage gravy plate.

My first bite was a chunk of the sausage, speared with a fork and tasted with some trepidation.  I LIKE Chorizo, and could not bear the thought of it being mistreated.   The first thought.... where is the flavor?  That sausage has a serious, significant, and very in-your-face flavor, and the first bite didn't explode in my mouth as I expected.

I wondered... did they cheap out on the sausage?  Was it some off brand that's Chorizo in name only?  Something in a plastic pack hung in the grocery store next to the Kielbasi and 'smoked turkey sorta sausage like substances'?

The second bite involved sausage, the gravy, and a slice of the cornbread biscuit.  THERE was the flavor!  It had been transported to the gravy with tender loving care and skill.  Taken as a whole bite of the dish, and it's clear Commonwealth has managed to elevate sausage gravy to a whole new level.

The Cornbread biscuit is a perfect match for this gravy. It's flavorful in it's own right, and stands up perfectly to the wonderful savory Chorizo gravy.

The poached egg on top was correctly done, and in the right kind of pan too.  Not water logged or bland, but with it's white just firmed up and the yolk just barely left soft.  Sliced open on top of dish, it added a perfect richness to an already exceptional dish.

On top, just an added dash of spice and herb to blow it over the top. Smoked Paprika I believe, and it simply shoved this meal headlong over the flavor precipice. 

Yeah.... I liked this dish.  A lot.  An awful lot.  I WILL be having this again, and I WILL replicate it at home. Towards that end, an egg poaching pan has been added to the Amazon want list, right at the top. (I got two bites of this dish, one of sausage and one of biscuit, it was delicious. Himself always grumbles about how there is no "flavour" in most restaurants sausage gravy, he likes garlic and loads of black pepper. This dish really delivered that. I also want to recreate cornbread biscuits at home!)

In other news, the coffee is still meh.  Decent, nothing to wow over.  This time I had the plain basic 'drip' coffee, and uncovered something I just don't care for very much.  Yes, it's a bottomless cup of coffee.  Have as much as you care for.  As long as you don't mind leaving your breakfast and waiting in line for the coffee urn.

Maybe it's elitist of me, and maybe I lack patience.  I simply do not want to get up from my restaurant meal to go wait in line like cattle, in hopes there is cream in the server and coffee in the pot.  I want it brought my table, preferably in a carafe so I don't have to wait for my next cup at all.

In other news, did I mention just how good the Chorizo sausage gravy over the cornbread biscuit is?

I had an honest moment of deep sadness as I contemplated my empty plate,  deeply desiring another piece of biscuit or toast to gather the last precious drops of gravy.

I fought down the urge to lift my plate and lick it clean.

At this visit I had the Sunshine Daydream Rijuice and the Meadow Sandwich. I will talk about the juice in a moment. 

The sandwich is grilled wheat bread with avocado, egg, goat cheese, arugula and dressed with lemon oil. Let me start by saying I don't always LOVE eggs. The whites always have to be well done. If they are at all runny, they turn into a nope. 

What they did here was amazing! It seems like they cook a sheet pan of scrambled eggs, then cut rectangles out and grill them. It gives them a unique texture that works well in a sandwich. The arugula was peppery, the lemon oil bright, the avocado buttery, and the goat cheese creamy. I ooohed and aahed my whole way through the sandwich. It was really something special. 

Now about Rijuice; they are a local Lancaster County Cold Pressed juice company. I had the Sunshine Daydream, made with apple, lemon, and ginger juice. It was so good! 

Knowing I would be blogging about it, I did some research into the company. Juice is apparently a big deal to them. It is about $5.00 a bottle retail (Or $6, at Commonwealth). The company also offers whole juice cleanses. There may be a blog post about that in the future. I will be reaching out to them. 

So Commonwealth on Queen, this visit you get: 
4.75 out of 5 forks for flavor 
3.75 out of 5 forks for atmosphere (it was very loud, echoey acoustics in there,when they are busy!)
3.25 out of 5 forks for location (still in the city = poopy parking, but we got a good spot!)
4 out of 5 forks for service
3.9375 forks overall