Update: Queen of Tarts is now closed
Owner and employee pride is an ingredient you'll find in all the best restaurants. It's part of a restaurant recipe that seeps into the quality of the food, the upkeep of the dining room and most importantly the smiles on the faces of employees and customers. At Queen of Tarts Bakery and Cafe, that pride was evident in their earlier efforts to get me to review their restaurant. I'm sorry that it has taken so long to get down there and have a bite to eat.
Queen of Tarts is located in the lower level of the Salem Public Library right across from City Hall and the mayor's office. If you go there for lunch, I suggest ordering the Chicken Aioli
sandwich for $7.75 which comes with your choice of salad, soup, fruit or chips. The sandwich is made with provolone, tomato, onion, lettuce and warm marinated chicken breast sliced thin. This might be the best warm sandwich in town and I would bet it taste great cold. Their menu is rated to a Weight Watchers point scale and this meal scores 7 points. If you're worried that this is diet food, there's nothing to fear. The sandwiches are filling and rich with flavor. My wife and I have visited Queen of Tarts together and separately and have found that most everything that we have tried is of the highest quality in both taste and presentation. She
ordered the Oriental Chicken Salad for $8.75, pictured here and the other photo is a children's portion grilled cheese sandwich. Notice the fruit.Next time you are making a trip to the library, plan on staying there and treating yourself to a terrific lunch in a nice atmosphere accented by a great selection of music ranging from soft classic rock to motown. If you're planning on driving by, be sure to bring some coins to feed nearby meters. There is free parking on the streets but close spaces can sometimes be hard to find.
I've eaten there several times and the food is great, but the selection of tables is limited and for a "person of girth" there is no room to squeeze between the tables that are so squished together even skinny people have trouble. I think, if they are going to serve the wonderful and very very tasty selection of "sit down" food, then they need to be in a location that supports the food they are making. It's horrible to force people to squish together like that for the chance to eat their great food. You are so close to your neighbor, that you could eat the food off their plate without reaching. Again, the food is fantastic - just need a more appropriate space to offer their fare.
ReplyDeleteI was at the Salem Saturday Market and stopped by the Queen of Tarts booth. Being a huge fan of anything marionberry, I couldn't pass up one of their marionberry hand pies. DELICIOUS!!
ReplyDeleteThe pastry was light and flaky and it had a huge portion of filling and just the right amount of glazy goodness on top without making it sickly sweet.
Thank you! I wish you would have identified yourself as an Eat Salem reader. We would have loved to chat with you.
ReplyDeleteI work for QT. Jamie the owner makes the handpies by rolling out her own puff pastry dough, then makes her own filling. However, I was responsible for glazing them in the morning before the market. :)
Did you notice we now server lunch at the booth as well?
Visit our blogspot @
http://queenoftartsbakerycafe.blogspot.com/
Queen of Tarts is becoming habit forming. A routine is beginning. Our family goes to the Saturday market and walk around. We stop for lunch and then get a treat for the ride home. This weekend I tried the almond croissant with a custard filling and my husband got the apricot puff pastry. Both were fantastic. The kids got a fruit tart and they must have liked it a lot since I didn't hear a peep from the back seat. I was thinking about the croissant today and Saturday can't get here soon enough.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice thing to say! I passed the compliment on to the owner. Next time identify yourself to us as an Eat salem reader. Go to http://queenoftartsbakerycafe.blogspot.com/ to see pictures of the pastries we sell at the market as well as special ocassion cake pictures, our lunch menu from the cafe, etc.
ReplyDeletewhat are their hours?
ReplyDeleteTues-Fri 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Should be re-opening on Saturday's coming soon, call to check if open on Saturday. Menu, custom cakes etc. can be viewed on their blogspot @ http://www.queenoftartsbakerycafe.blogspot.com/
ReplyDelete