Plaid Melon Cafe closed its doors in September after two years in business, citing a staff shortage, but owner Dave Gallinat promised something new in its place. By mid-October, he and his wife Tessa had launched Plaid Melon (minus the “Cafe”) offering carryout dinner and catering services from the same storefront.
“We’re offering the same Plaid Melon food; we’re just doing things a little bit differently,” Tessa explains. “We have a great customer base.” Regulars, she says, call the place “The Melon.” “We’ll be listening to them about what they want and adapting as we go.” For now, they’ll offer four entrees per week. During the premiere week smoked salmon patties, butternut-sage rotini, pork piccata, and stuffed chicken were on the menu, along with an arugula salad and zucchini-apple bisque.
Customers can order by phone, and menus and more info are available on the website. Although they no longer offer table service, Tessa says, they still have about ten seats for customers who’d prefer to eat their carryout there. They plan to use the former dining area to stage off-site catering orders.
Plaid Melon, 312 N. Main (Clocktower Complex), Chelsea, 475-1457, carryout available Mon.-Fri. 4-9 p.m. (last phone order taken at 8:30), plaidmelon.com
