Phantom Gourmet; JJ's Caffe In Brockton
BROCKTON - Sometimes the best meals are found in the most unexpected places. Located in a not-so-attractive strip mall on Main Street in Brockton, JJ's Caffe might not look like a sure bet for a gourmet meal.
"It's just a little cafe on the side of the road. You don't expect it to be run by a gourmet chef," one customer laughed.
"From the outside you know you're in downtown Brockton. You wouldn't really expect it," said another.
Defying expectations is something Nelson Fernandes has become used to, ever since he opened his breakfast and lunch spot a few years ago.
"The expectation before they walk in is, 'Where the heck am I?' They see the side of town we're in. They've heard things about Brockton, without even coming to Brockton. And then as soon as they walk in, they're blown away."
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The man responsible for the unexpectedly great eats is Nelson's dad, Justino 'JJ' Fernandes, who has been cooking for 35 years. The Cape Verdean immigrant is the embodiment of the American Dream.
"I came to the country in 1979 and I started work at the Sheraton Boston. That's where I did all my cooking training, basically. I started as a dishwasher there, and worked myself up all the way to Executive Chef at the Park Plaza."
During his twenty-plus years at the Park Plaza, JJ cooked for Presidents and Mayors, but always wanted to open a place of his own someday.
"My father had spent all these years working for someone else, but he had the talent to do something on his own," Nelson said. "So I said, 'You know what? I need to figure out what I can do so that my father can have his own place.'"
When they found this location, Nelson and JJ knew this was their chance to bring some gourmet cuisine to their hometown of Brockton.
Breakfast is the main meal at JJ's Caffe. The dining room is set up like a diner, with wooden tables and a stool lined counter, giving hungry customers a full view of the open kitchen where JJ and Nelson have cooked side-by-side since day one.
Of course there are the standards, like the City of Champions Breakfast and Eggs Benedict with whole grain mustard cream. But those in the know always go for something a bit more indulgent, like a big stack of Red Velvet Pancakes or decadent Crème Brulee French Toast with crème fresh and apple cinnamon syrup.
"This is the meal on the menu that as soon as you take a bite, you're saying, 'Ahh, oh my god.' We torch the sugar; it leaves a nice little crust on top, and that gives it that nice crunch as soon as you bite into it," Nelson described. "It's the best thing I've ever had. It's the best thing most people have ever had. It flies off the shelves."
If you want to start the day with something healthy, JJ's has colorful fruit filled smoothies and the 'Marvelous' Breakfast Sandwich, an homage to hometown hero Marvelous Marvin Hagler. But if you happen to wake up not feeling like a champion, order the Hangover Benedict.
"This is a big boy meal. You have two slices of ciabatta bread that we grill, with an eight ounce sirloin steak, topped with sautéed spinach, and roasted red peppers. We put three poached eggs on top, and then we put some homemade demi-glaze on there as well," described Nelson. "You don't have to be hungover to eat it, but it tastes even better if you are hungover."
Another serious hangover helper is the Hash Bombs, a dish that actually came about by mistake after a prep cook accidently overmixed the restaurant's corned beef hash. Instead of throwing it away, JJ decided to form it into balls; stuff them with homemade hot sauce and cheddar then bread them, fry them, and serve them on a bed of home fries; all topped with sausage gravy and melted cheese.
"So it comes out and their jaws just drop because one, they can't believe how beautiful it looks; and two, they're trying to figure out how they're going to eat this whole thing," Nelson said.
JJ's Caffe serves breakfast all day, but if you're in the mood for lunch there are sandwiches, salmon, and some serious burgers, like the best-selling Ollie Burger, named after loyal customer, and local legend, Ollie Spears.
"When we first opened, he came every single day for a about a month, and I was really grateful for that," Nelson explained. "So one day he was in and we actually created the burger right on the spot. He actually gave us the ingredients that he wanted in there."
"You got the egg, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and mushrooms, bacon, angus beef, chipotle barbecue sauce," listed Ollie.
With plenty of smiling customers in a dining room they can call their own, Nelson and JJ are happy to call this cafe home.
"You open your own place and it's working well. All your customers come in and thank you for the best breakfast they've ever had. You have to feel good," JJ said.
"It's an absolute blessing to not only work for yourself, but I get to work alongside my father, and I absolutely love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world," added Nelson.
You can find JJ Caffe at 610 North Main Street in Brockton, and online at jjscaffe.com.
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