Years ago, when the completed Zagat questionnaires came in to us, those who wrote about Zinnia always included plenty of comments like “PURPLE!” because of the color of the fine little Webster Groves restaurant. Kitchen Little, in the seaside town of Mystic, CT, might not warrant the exclamation mark or even the capital letters, but it's definitely blue. You can't miss it as you drive into town on Highway 27 from I-95, on the side toward the water, the bright blue with white trim just the thing to begin to exhibit its cheerfulness.
Very popular and very tiny, meaning that during tourist season, you may be met at the door with a description of what tables are available and how long the wait may be. There's a covered area overlooking the water behind the building, with picnic tables and waitress service, to complement the interior, which may hold all of 30 people. Definitely a cozy spot.
While it doesn't take a large kitchen to produce a good hollandaise, we were still pretty blown away by what comes out of a room the size of a walk-in closet. On the Portuguese Benedict, an assertively seasoned hollandaise was ladled over two poached eggs that rode on slices of chourico, the Portuguese sausage that's so popular in this part of New England, and toasted English muffins. An excellent dish for those able to handle heat in the morning; we'd love to be able to get it locally.
Another signature dish for Kitchen Little is The Mystic Melt. Lump crabmeat is scrambled with cream cheese and served with raisin toast, the flavor gentle and charming, The scramble wasn't overcooked, a shortcoming one finds too often at diner-type spots. But here it was just another plus from this thoughtfully enthusiastic kitchen.
Good coffee, plenty of regulars, zippy servers. Technically, they don't serve lunch on Saturday or Sunday, but breakfast is available through the usual lunch hours.
Go, Blue!
Kitchen Little
135 Greenmanville Rd.. (Rt. 27), Mystic, CT
860-536-2122
Breakfast & Lunch daily, but see above
Entrees: $4-$14
Credit cards: No
Wheelchair access: Poor
Smoking: No