Food

from October 2022 Murfreesboro Pulse

by The Murfreesboro Pulse

Food  RESTAURANT

The Blue Porch

Gouda bacon spread, espresso smoked bologna, pesto chicken salad, moonshine cookies—the court finds it delicious

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

Just across from the towering Rutherford County Judicial Center sits The Blue Porch, a sandwich shop (and more) ready to quickly serve filling and tasty meals to those at the judicial center as well as the nearby Rutherford County Health Department and county offices as well as patrons from other downtown Murfreesboro businesses.

Cynthia Richie, the owner/operator of Blue Porch makes it her goal to serve lunch to busy attorneys and professionals in 10 minutes of wait time or less, offering “good food fast.”

The eatery’s close proximity to the judicial facility has inspired various legal-system-related menu item names, such as a delicious sandwich with ham, gouda bacon dip and Tiki Torch Jam (a hot tropical creation from Marcy Jams) called the Harry Stone in honor of the lead character from Night Court; a veggie sandwich known as Judge Judy; the Joe Friday wrap (“Just the facts, ma’am”) with ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce and tomato; and the Wapner, named for the presiding magistrate of The People’s Court—this sandwich has bologna rubbed with espresso and mustard, smoked, and served with pimento cheese, relish and mustard.

Also find four different types of chicken salad—traditional, bacon ranch, chipotle and, for the basil lover, a pesto chicken salad.

“I try and do one hot meal every day,” Richie said of her daily specials like sloppy joes or burritos.

Monday may mean meatloaf or shrimp and grits at Blue Porch, which also celebrates Taco Tuesday and somewhat of a wild card on Wednesday, such as the sloppy joe. A piggy mac and cheese (loaded with pork barbecue) is often the Thursday special, and The Blue Porch serves loaded baked potatoes on Fridays.

“The meatloaf is delicious,” customer Linda Halbeck said.

Of all of the flavorful creations here, perhaps none are as popular as the gouda bacon dip.

“You can put that on anything!” Desiree Franks said, taking home a packaged to-go container of the dip.

“It’s the whole reason my husband let me buy this business,” Richie said with a smile. She also gives a shout-out to an Abingdon, Virginia cafe called The Girl & The Raven for helping inspire her to open a restaurant.

Going back to the origins of the Blue Going back to the origins of the Blue Porch, original owner Wanda Thompson opened a bed and breakfast in Readyville in 2007. She and her son, Aaron, later opened a restaurant in Woodbury, within the Arts Center of Cannon County.

They later closed that Blue Porch restaurant and became the in-house caterer for The Grove in Murfreesboro.

Cynthia Richie then purchased the company and took it over from the Thompsons about five years ago, running it out of her house for a few years and also setting up a booth at the Murfreesboro Saturday Market.

“I probably couldn’t have done this without the Farmers Market,” Richie said, while proudly pointing out to a customer that the peaches in a peach and blueberry strata are local.

The restaurateur opened the brick-andmortar Blue Porch establishment on Lytle Street, next to Cultivate Coworking (in a space formerly home to Boro Town Cakes for a time), in 2021.

While that legendary gouda bacon dip was part of the former Blue Porch fare, the new owner came up with new ways to utilize the flavor-packed spread in other recipes, including using it on some of the standard sandwiches and in a popular strata made with the creation; a strata is “a savory bread pudding,” Richie said, an egg casserole which may include various different meats, veggies and cheeses, but breadier than a quiche.

“We sell 60–80 gouda bacon strata every

RESTAURANT The Blue Porch LOCATION 113 W. Lytle St., Murfreesboro PHONE 615-663-0050 HOURS Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–2 p.m. PRICES Gouda bacon strata: $4.50 The Wapner: $6.25 Chicken salad on a croissant: $5.25 ONLINE theblueporch.com

The Harry Stone

Contemporary American Dining

Clockwise from top: Pesto chicken salad; chicken salad sandwich, gouda bacon strata, creamy potato soup Visit primrosetable.com or fi nd us on Facebook to make your reservation today

1650 Memorial Blvd., Murfreesboro • 615.900.5790

farmers market morning!” she said.

One Blue Porch customer, Michele Dannen, says the Lytle Street cafe is one of her “main go-to places for lunch.” While she enjoys the chicken salad, for one recent meal she “wanted something warm, so I opted for their bacon and gouda strata. This was heaven.”

On cooler days, hungry patrons can also enjoy soups, such as a very good creamy loaded potato soup at the Blue Porch.

Richie said she finds balance in food important, and enjoys playing with blends of sweet and salty, or spicy and fruity. Most dishes at her restaurant contain unique combinations, but are not overwhelmingly spicy or cheesy or sweet.

The Harry Stone, with its fruit and pepper jelly along with the gouda bacon dip, balances all sorts of spicy, sweet, fruity and savory notes.

Also on the Blue Porch menu, find various low-calorie sparkling waters, a sunbutter and strawberry jam sandwich, and moonshine cookies made with Short Mountain Shine.

Catch them before they close at 2 p.m. every weekday if you want to try out The Porch. Keeping business hours for breakfast and lunch only serves the judicial center and downtown business community well, but gives the business owner evenings with her family. Family time is very important to her, Richie said.

As a special service to the community, The Blue Porch offers bag check lockers for those visiting the judicial center and unaware that they cannot bring a bag inside. Some are surprised to get to court and not be able to take their bag in.

For $2, they can rent a locker at The Blue Porch for the day and leave their bag there. Many are not exactly having the most peaceful, stress-free time on their court day, so this is one little way a local eatery can help solve one problem. (Note: The Blue Porch will take a fall break the first week of October, but will resume business beginning Oct. 10.)