Critic's Review
Bluejay's has left the Building.
*******
What are the chances of 2 restaurant neophytes, one from Sweden and one from New Mexico, successfully running a southwestern themed restaurant in deserted downtown Fort Lauderdale? Only time will tell.
Its a tough time of year to open a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale regardless of your experience or location. Tourists and snowbirds are gone. Its so hot people don't leave the house during the day. And who works downtown this time of year? Museum staff? Park Landscapers? Meter Maids?
Inside. BlueJays is a clean, handsome space with a urban feel.
One thing they have going for them is Zandra, the hostess/Manager whose hesitant charm is a welcome change from Militello or Rack owned establishments where they make you feel that they're doing you a favor by letting you dine there. In their second day of operation, a few kinks are to be expected, but the feeling that they appreciate your patronage makes up for it.
The view is serene, with occasional tumbleweed blowing through.
In the morning, its deserted downtown, and there aren't a lot of choices for breakfast unless you consider the Pita Pit a choice. The menu at BlueJay's is comprehensive, particularly if you're a chorizo enthusiast as I am. In a town where "chorizo" usually means some smoked meat stick that tastes more like kielbasa than the spicy Mexican fare, you don't have to worry here. The chorizo here is the crumbled kind; flavored with chilis and a perfect complement to eggs.
Sure you can get 2 eggs over easy, but you might as well go to iHop for that. My only question was how do I want my chorizo? The Bluejays Breakfast; scrambled eggs with potato hash, chorizo, green chilis, jack cheese and tomato salsa? Too ambitious for me to try in a new place. Other choices are a Chorizo Breakfast Burrito or 2 eggs with chorizo. Its chorizo paradise!
I opt to make my own, an omelet with tomatoes, cheddar and, you guessed it, chorizo. I asked if the omelet included toast, and she said no but they could include it. Its not listed on the menu as a side item.
Now compared to the yellow blob I got at Steak 954; this is an omelet. Nicely browned, the cheese oozing throughout. Nice and wobbly. The bread, however, is not rye bread. One thing they'll learn is that you tell your customers that you don't have something when they ask for it rather than just bring them something else. The multigrain bread was good and stiff, and served with pre-softened butter which was hardly needed for 90 degree outdoor dining, but a nice touch over the frozen bricklets served by many.
The coffee here is good, and they have splenda. But the best part is that coffee is only $1. At lunch lemonade is $1. Who sells anything for $1 in a restaurant?
The meal was good and the prices are very good. Its much better than diner quality food at diner prices.
When I got the bill the total was $10.07, which is cheap as good breakfasts go. The only issue was that they charged $1.50 for the bread, and considering it wasn't even the bread I asked for, this is a big no-no, particularly when I asked if it was included. While the overall price was fine, if I knew they were charging me $1.50 for bread I would have opted for the potato hash for $2 instead. They need to make this clear on the menu.
They have an interesting menu for lunch and dinner as well; all with a southwestern flair. I suspect that this will be a good place to grab a bite before hitting the bars on weekends. Whether you want a burger, chipotle chicken wings or a skirt steak with your choice of sauces.
*** Blue Jays is no longer open for Breakfast during the week. You can get their breakfast menu on weekends between 10am and 3pm ***