A visit to Plum Café in Roswell transports you to a European café. Smooth jazz floats through the speakers, you hear the ting of silverware on plates, and guests lounge under umbrellas in spindly wire chairs or under the gazebo on the restaurant's veranda. And as you're soaking up the al fresco dining experience, you see the chef and owner herself flutter from guest to guest, giving hugs and greeting them by name. That's Monica Bolsoni, and here she shares the passion behind Plum Café, the hidden gem off Canton Street.
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
What inspired you to open Plum Café?
When our family moved here from Brazil, everyone was sick whenever I went out to eat. In Brazil, food was much simpler. I began to cook more at home, and found a passion, so I went to culinary school. I wanted to have a restaurant that focused on health. In Brazil I volunteered in hospitals and learned about organic, non-GMO products long before the trend hit. I was committed to serving those foods in my restaurant.
What are some examples of the healthy fare?
It was my option not to have a friar in the kitchen. In fact, we don’t have a gas line, so we have to be really creative. But that makes the food healthier. We do a lot of baking or roasting in the oven. For instance, we do a fish of the day wrapped in parchment paper, which locks in the flavors during cooking.
And it seems like you have several gluten-free items.
Besides the bread, everything is gluten-free. We wanted to guarantee there is no cross-contamination so we make our own stocks, dressings and seasonings. I have a separate prep area for gluten-free orders as well.
What are some of the Brazilian influences on the menu?
I’m Italian, but I grew up and spent most of my life in Brazil. When I came to Atlanta, I was working at a Brazilian steakhouse, and they ordered their beef from Australia. That’s where Plum Café sources our beef. The oxtail shepherd’s pie is something I ate growing up. Many of the daily specials have a touch of Brazilian influence, like the fish stew “Moqueca de Peixe” with cod, salmon, coconut milk and malagueta.
Plum Café celebrated its third year in March. What have you changed over the years?
We planned for it to be a coffee, sandwich, juice bar, however it took a totally different direction. We started growing too fast. We adapted to meet the needs of the clientele: we added dinner service and included more fulfilling options.
Talk about your clientele. Do you have many regulars?
We won’t ever be a fine dining restaurant. We’ll always be a café, like somewhere you’d find in Brazil. I’ll hug my guests when they arrive, I have mothers come and set up play pens for their babies,, and I call guests by their nicknames. People always tell me, “it’s like I’m in my mother’s home!” I always treat my customers just like I would treat them if they were guests in my home.
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
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