Chef Daniel Serfer has folks waiting on line to get a seat in his little Blue Collar space. The fare is honest, and, more importantly, so are the prices. Now the restaurant's "White Collar Weekends" will bring a rotating set of "sophisticated specials" each Friday and Saturday evening. New offerings will include "pink champagne and Maine lobster risotto; pan-roasted veal chop with chorizo-stuffed potatoes and haricot vert; and roasted tile fish with mango chutney and saffron-kissed cous cous." These dishes will range $20 to $30 in price.
My initial reaction was that we've got enough pricy, fancy fare in this town, and that Blue Collar's very appeal rests upon the working class prices. But...
...the reality is that it's really difficult to turn a profit in a large restaurant that has a liquor license and expensive items to help pad the bills; Blue Collar has about 22 indoor seats, no liquor license, and no entree above $20, so it's gotta be that much tougher. And no doubt Serfer, who has spent years working in creative upscale establishments, wants to show off his culinary talents in a manner beyond the ability to produce a solidly braised brisket.
So as long as the regular pricing remains pretty much as is, adding these more sophisticated dishes is a win-win situation: Good for the sustenance of those diners who want more diversity, and good for helping to sustain Blue Collar.
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