I’ve been following Chef Dan Kardos for over a decade, through his days in Stamford, New Canaan, SONO, and his march north up I-95. His latest venture, Café Melba, in Milford, is a testament to his always doing things his way. Anyone who knows Kardos understands his way is always his way. And I am glad he placed “his way” in the food at Café Melba. 

Assisting Kardos at Café Melba is his wonderful wife, Julie, who oversees the front of the house. On each of our visits, she was overwhelmingly pleasant, brought us to our table, offered water to our Service Dog, and offered her guidance on our choices. 

On our latest visit, with the temperatures in the 80s, we decided to take advantage of the patio. When we walked through the doors, we were shocked by its size. While other restaurants have a smattering of tables, Café Melba’s patio can accompany almost 70 guests, with 6-8 picnic benches, high tops and cocktail table seating.

A fair amount has been written recently about the Chicken Sandwich. I looked through my notes and it’s been seven and a half years since I first wrote about Dan’s chicken sandwich at Liberty Rock Tavern, and the current version is even better. More about that later since we were there for more than the chicken.

We started with two appetizers.

The Tuna tartare was large chunks of freshly cut tuna served atop two toasted slices of bread with a mildly spicy aioli, sesame seeds and baby micro-greens. The tuna was fresh and incredibly flavorful. And then the other elements kicked in. The aioli was the perfect complement to the tuna with a little kick and some creaminess to offset its spiciness. The dish was finished with a touch of spicy oil to add just a little more kick and flavor. The microgreens were a delightful addition. 

In addition, we ordered the Burrata Caprese. This dish also started with a couple of slices of grilled bread, which was the canvas for the burrata, peppers, prosciutto and arugula, and then topped with olive oil and balsamic glaze. The dish had several complementary elements that worked to create an incredible dish. The thinly sliced prosciutto was mildly salty to offset the creaminess of the burrata and the peppers added a wonderful, sweet component. The arugula and balsamic were a fantastic method to bring everything together. This was a great Caprese.

Then I moved on to the main event, the Chicken sandwich. It was as great as all the press has written. The chicken, itself, was a majorly think chicken breast perfectly deep fried for that great crunchy exterior and juicy interior. This was topped with melted American cheese, ranch dressing, bacon and pickles, all encased within two thick slices of toast. Nothing more today other than this combo absolutely nailed it. The chicken was beyond delicious and then the bacon and dressing kicked in with smoky, creamy, and pungent. The combo continued with the vinegary pickles. And not enough is said about the choice of bread, thick slices were perfectly toasted and fully capable of holding all the ingredients together for each mouth-watering bite. This was a super great sandwich.

Café Melba, under Dan and Julie Kardos, is an absolute must for anyone looking for some great food in an ultra-relaxed setting.

Cafe Melba 232 Melba St, Milford, CT 06460