The restaurant known for sharing “love on a plate” is doubling its outreach with its newest location in Tallahassee’s Market Plaza.
The owner of Jeri’s Midtown Café, prized for its pressed sandwiches, weekly French toast flavors and made-from-scratch touch, has decided after four years that “it was time” to open another location.
Today, Jeri’s at Market Plaza sits at 1370 Market St., just 11 minutes from its first location in Midtown, at 1123 Thomasville Road.
The Market Plaza houses other shops including Pink Narcissus, Mackenzie Kate Dancewear and the next-door poké restaurant, Island Fin Poké Co., with First Watch, a breakfast, brunch and lunch eatery right across the street.
The new northeast location, decorated in bright paintings of flowers and sunshine with lights decorated in heart graphics, sets a warm ambiance in the breakfast and brunch restaurant. The bright pink shades, with cobalt blue shelves illuminating the open dining counter, invite guests to peek at the kitchen as their freshly made courses are being prepared.
While both restaurants have the same family-friendly lunch and brunch services, owner Jeri Madden is happy to share that with their newest expansion, they can offer breakfast six days a week.
“I wanted to make sure I had something for everybody and incorporated what we already had on our menu such as the French toast,” Madden said. “I think we have the best French toast in town, but then getting creative with a few things too— but offering mainly staples for Tallahassee.”
Inspired by her husband, former Leon County Commissioner Bryan Desloge’s, love for all things breakfast, Madden took a survey of her guests’ favorite breakfast foods and used them to create her breakfast menu for the 100-seat location.
The breakfast menu includes their “Classic French Toast” made with Challah bread, seasonal fruit, fresh whipped cream and powdered sugar. Another staple is their “Chef’s Special Frittata Sampler,” which Madden describes as “the best of everything.” The frittata, an egg-based dish, which rotates every day, is plated with a fruit cup, thick-cut bacon or smoked sausage, petite blueberry biscuit, and smoked Gouda grits served with a side of apple butter.
Although food is the main attraction that brings people to Jeri’s, she said she is happy to be able to “expand her circle of friends” by meeting new people with the help of her dishes.
“I love, you know, the food aspect of it, the bringing people together aspect of it,” Madden said. “It’s just the whole gathering of it, the food, the love, the chatting, and the fellowship of coming together.”
By continuing partnerships with local shops like Argonaut Coffee and Futures Pathways — an organization that helps teens and adults with disabilities prepare for independent living and social skills with job readiness — Madden candidly explains her love for Tallahassee, the community and being a part of its culinary profile.
Despite facing the challenges of managing both locations simultaneously, Madden, with the help of her “talented staff,” is able to juggle both.
Former regulars of the Midtown Cafe location are excited to have a location closer to their homes and shorter wait times for the brunch and lunch rush, giving these foodies the freedom to pick which location they choose to spend their afternoons.
Andrew Sinclair, left a Google Review on the Market Plaza location stating: “The Market location is bright, fun, and inviting. I got the BLT sub baguette for the croissant, herbed Mayo is amazing. Father got the apple and brie and added deli turkey, great as well. She got the eggs Benedict and it was incredibly well constructed, smelled, looked, and tasted amazing. Clearly some talented BOH (back-of-house) staff that take pride in their work. Love on a plate as Jeri would put it.”
Jeri’s at Market Plaza operates Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Democrat writer Kyla Sanford can be reached at ksanford@gannett.com.
