The weather is definitely changing, it’s getting darker earlier, kids are all settled back into school, that means fall is just around the corner! Just last week the cool evenings had me grabbing a blanket and cuddling on the couch with a comforting warm noodle soup. Fall menus are on our minds as well as the minds of the chefs at Mimi’s Cafe. The popular neighborhood cafe recently asked it’s guests to come up with a perfect dish for the Mimi’s Cafe menu to showcase this fall. The winner of the contest would win a trip to France, where Mimi’s parent company is based.
After an entire summer combing through 175 guest-submitted recipes that combined French-inspired, American comfort food and with help from Ellise Pierce author and owner of CowgirlChef.com the winner was selected! The winner was Michael Watz of Evanston, Illinois with an original recipe for Honey Lavender Pork Chop. The meal offers a light honey, herbs de Provence, and lavender glazed center-cut pork chop paired with a mixed green salad. The salad includes green apples, cranberries, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and roasted potato croutons tossed in a balsamic dressing.
My husband makes great pork chops. The kids love them and he was excited for the chance to try Mimi’s Cafe’s newest menu addition. When the plate arrived the pork chop was substantial and the salad was just as big. Grill marks criss-crossed the chop and the glaze and parsley were prominent across the top. Cutting into it was easy and it was on the well done. My husband and I prefer ours that way when we cook a thinner chop at home, some may say it’s dry. Each piece around the edge had enough glaze, the center pieces could have used a side of the glaze to dip. The glaze was sweet with a very subtle hint of rosemary on the finish. 
The salad was a meal in itself, we loved the fruit and walnuts added and the potato croutons were more like halved new potatoes and almost too much as a salad addition, but they were very tasty.
We paired the pork chop with the house red wine (only $5 glass every day) and we also had an appetizer that we’d pass on in the future, it’s a lot of food! We would have loved dessert, but again, no room. You leave feeling full, satisfied, and it’s a wonderful comfort dish added to their menu!
The Honey Lavender Pork Chop is available nationwide beginning on September 19!
We received a gift card to enjoy our meal. We dine here often, we love their food, all opinions are 100% honest. Thank you to Mimi’s Cafe in Gilroy (Nichelle) for taking care of us. Gratuity was paid by us.
I would love to try this on my next trip to Orlando!