By Tammy Smith
More than seven years ago, Dorothy Roberts had a plan when she chose a spot on Davis Avenue in Pass Christian for her gift shop, now known as Robin’s Nest in the Pass. One building would house the gift shop, but for the charming, circa 1930s cottage next door, she envisioned a restaurant.
The restaurant, like the gift shop, would invite visitors into the tightknit Roberts family’s world, but this project would take customers into their kitchen and dining room, featuring some of the family’s favorite dishes.
Most locals are familiar with the family, including patriarch Col. Lawrence E. Roberts, who was one of the original Tuskeegee Airmen; matriarch Lucimarian, a community leader and teacher; sister Sally-Ann, a familiar face on New Orleans station WWL-TV for decades; and baby sister Robin, whose television career has taken her to a national spotlight as an anchor on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
As Robin’s Nest grew over the years, Roberts maintained her dream for the café. Now the dream is finally a reality. Roberts Place Café had a soft opening on Jan. 24, and both locals and tourists are coming to the cottage that has been renovated and refitted for a small restaurant.
This isn’t Roberts’s first food adventure. Her first job was salad girl at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi in the 1970s, and in the 1980s, she made wedding cakes for her small cottage business, Over the Rainbow.
Currently, Roberts Place Café serves only breakfast and is open four days a week, but Roberts plans to offer a lunch menu, including plate lunches, once additional equipment is procured.
One recent Saturday morning, a friend and I went to Roberts Place, ready for a hot, hearty breakfast.
The menu is classic Southern fare, and some of the items have small backstories. The Lucimarian, for example, is named for Lucimarian, who often made the bacon and egg sandwich for her children. The RRR is Robin’s favorite breakfast: two fried egg whites with choice of hash browns or grits; choice of bacon or sausage, and choice of toast, croissant, biscuit or English muffin.
My friend chose the Roberts Place Breakfast: Two eggs cooked your way with your choice of hash browns or grits and bacon or sausage, and your choice of bread. I went with The Nest: two fried (or scrambled) eggs resting in a “nest” of hash browns seasoned with peppers and onions. The Nest also comes with your choice of bacon or sausage (I chose bacon) and toast, croissant, biscuit or English muffin (biscuit for this Southern girl). We both opted for coffee; other beverage choices include orange or cranberry juice, milk, coffee, hot chocolate and hot or iced tea, as well as fountain drinks.
Two of the cottage’s original rooms remain dining rooms. The one painted blue is in honor of Col. Roberts, and memorabilia related to him adorns the walls. Similarly the room where we were seated had Lucimarian’s touch, with soft pink walls (one of the colors of her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha) and photos and artwork that were dear to her. There’s also seating in the entryway, including a wall-mounted bar area.
“We also plan to have outdoor seating once it gets warmer,” Roberts says.
Our breakfasts arrived hot, and we enjoyed every bite. I especially liked the seasoned hash browns, which had just the right amount of chopped bell peppers and green onions.
This is the sort of place where you just organically meet others dining nearby. Two ladies seated next to us showed us photos of a meal they had enjoyed in New Orleans the evening before and told us about family members who perform at Preservation Hall.
It just seems appropriate to make new friends at Roberts Place Café. After all, “my parents loved bringing people together,” Roberts says. “This is a great way to honor their love of service and their legacy.”
WANT TO GO?
Roberts Place Café
233 Davis Ave., Pass Christian
(228) 222-4031
info@robertsplacecafe.com
www.facebook.com/robertsplacecafe
Hours: 7:30-11 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
