Murphy's

Murphy's is a staple neighborhood spot in Virginia Highlands.  It has a wine counter, bakery counter, and a warm, inviting, dining space.  You can even stop by and grab a cookie for $1 from a jar just inside the front door.  It feels comfortable yet special all at once.  I like Murphy's for many reasons but there is one glaring problem - the lack of interesting vegetarian options.
The best time for a vegetarian to visit would be weekend brunch.  Unfortunately this is the same time that it is often insanely packed.  Instead I went there for lunch on a day when a percentage of sales were going to be donated to my child's school garden (another reason I appreciate Murphy's).  There really were only two options for a composed meal (not counting salads) - a fried green tomato sandwich or a grilled cheese and fried egg sandwich.  I really wanted soup but both soup options were made with chicken stock (is it so hard to make a flavorful veggie stock?).  I went with the grilled cheese since it was recommended by someone at my table. 
So it turned out that I had a pretty brunchy meal after all.  There was a lot of cheese happening on my plate.  Good thing I ordered the included pepperjack cheese sauce on the side instead of all over.  It would have been overkill.  The fried egg was nicely cooked and sat upon the sandwich along with a couple slices of tomato.  I would have preferred a 'salsa' type condiment instead of the tomato slices as I like a meal with a little spicy or bold flavor.  Also, fresh tomatoes shouldn't be part of a meal in the middle of winter.  They were fairly bland.  The mixed green salad added some color and fiber and came dressed in a champagne vinaigrette.  Overall it was satisfactory and filling but it didn't do too much to excite my taste buds.  It did give me an idea of what to make at home for breakfast sometime - minus some of the cheese of course.