The last time I was in Draper, my food experience consisted of a giant gas station pickle.

The Blue Door Cafe, a fairly recent addition to the handsomely renovated Draper Mercantile, offers far superior dining options. Inside the cafe’s namesake blue doors, stalls of local merchants’ wares line one side and cafe tables the other.

I persuaded some friends to come along with me on a recent Friday. Friday is pie day at the cafe, featuring fruit pies ($2.95), nut pies ($3.25), and quiche ($3.25); whole pies, including pre-requests, are available from $12.95. Orders placed with a friendly server at the back counter, we wandered the merchants’ area until our food arrived.

Two of us ordered the tuna salad sandwich ($6.95). We agreed it was good but ordinary. A begged bite of BLT ($6.95) from my neighbor’s plate, however, was perfection. Crispy strips of smoky bacon overlapped thick sourdough slices, with just the right ratio of lettuce and tomato.

We all shared from among three house salads offered as sides. The lentil mango ginger salad ($2.99 a la carte) and orzo salad ($2.79 a la carte) were a bit too vinegary for everyone’s taste and suffered from too little mango and feta, respectively. The potato salad was a tasty Southern classic, with a pickle bite and creamy consistency.

Of course, pie day called for dessert! The chocolate pie’s custard base was sweet and milky with a so-so whipped topping. German chocolate pie shared the same base, but with a flavorful, gooey coconut top. The blueberry pie looked pretty, but suffered from too much thickener, dulling the berry flavor.

I returned to try out the Sunday buffet (adults, $14.95; kids 4-11, $9.95; kids younger than 3, free), including dessert bar, with my family. It was packed when we arrived, but we got a friendly greeting and were seated after only a short wait. A live acoustic guitarist provided a relaxing atmosphere.

Serving tables featured mainly standard Southern Sunday brunch fare, along with a roast beef carving station. Our server encouraged us to help ourselves, so my husband and I each set out with a child to fill generously sized plates.

My husband is a biscuit and gravy aficionado, and found the gravy to have a good balance of sausage and pepper. We both enjoyed the perfectly cooked cheese grits, which were cheesy without being overly gooey. My daughter requested seconds of cooked apples. They were tender but not mushy and swimming in a sugary cinnamon sauce.

I was also pleased to see the lentil salad again. This time the lentils incorporated generous chunks of diced mango scattered throughout, with ginger at the forefront instead of vinegar.

My son held out for the dessert buffet and quickly devoured his big blueberry muffin. The rest of us sampled generously from many other delectable choices.

Blackberry and blueberry cobblers were both excellent — large, flavorful berries buried under a moist, tender top. Rhubarb pie had a pleasing tangy flavor, but was a victim of the same over-thickening as the blueberry pie. The standout for the adults at the table was a dessert bar with a chewy, nutty top and a crumble base — sweet/salty bliss.

Throughout our meal, finished plates were cleared quickly and unobtrusively, and waters refilled conscientiously. Our check also appeared promptly upon request.

Both visits were satisfying if quite different in both menu and atmosphere. Sunday’s buffet is a great way to sample plenty of good Southern cooking and a decadent amount of dessert. A lunch visit is a fine opportunity for good food and a leisurely browse of local merchants’ wares.

Weather Journal

9 hours ago