T.W. Food, Cambridge, MA

When Diego asked me where I wanted to have my birthday celebration this year, there was no doubt in my mind that T.W. Food was the place. We had been there once for one of their magnificent Improv. nights and I got totally hooked. In improv night, the chefs improvised five dishes per person using the day's ingredients (you could ask for the list in advance). The place was crowded the night we went (about ten two-people tables) and every single person got something different during the two hours we spent there.

They don't do these anymore, but the idea remains. Chef Wiechmann is not afraid of changing the menu on a daily basis in order to use the freshest and best ingredients. Last Sunday, the squash bisque was lobster's, the smoked pastrami hash was actually a Beef and tongue hash, the omelet was accompanied by kale instead of bok choi, and the salmon was beet-smoked instead of spice-smoked. And these were the changes we noticed; there may have been many more subtle differences in the menu that we may have overlooked.

Brunch comes as prix-fix (coffee or orange juice, one starter, one entree and one dessert or cocktail for $29) or a la carte from the prix-fix menu. For a succulent and rich meal, the prix fix is certainly a good deal. There is one item in the menu for every personality and every dish comes with a range of components; you don't feel like that money could buy much more (well, maybe if you are the type who goes to all-you-can-eat buffets to find out how much you can actually eat!) somewhere else. I guess my only complaint is that you have to choose between coffee and OJ, and the freshly squeezed OJ is actually quite expensive ($5). So, this is actually a $35 prix fix...

In any case, we splurged and went with two prix fix plus two OJs. Diego had the charcuterie duo: a chicken liver mousse and a pate with pistachio, raisins and foie grass. Both meats were delicious. The mousse was soft and delicate, almost like a cream of chicken liver, and the pate was superbly made. My simpler palate called for simpler food, so I ordered the bakery plate: a chocolate-almond muffin that I would be immensely happy to have in my daily breakfast (albeit slightly oily) and orange-cranberry scones with homemade blueberry marmalade that was to die for. I could have gone home more than happy if that was it.

But, then came the entrees, also great. Diego had the beef and tongue hash with poached eggs

and biscuit, which were slightly salty for my taste but perfect according to Diego. He also
saidsomething about the eggs being "strangely cooked", but he couldn't really pinpoint what was strange about them and was overall very happy with his plate. I had the beet-smoked salmon. Let me just say that, regardless of the taste, this is visually impressive. The salmon was batik-dyed in deep red and the originality of it is undeniable. It tasted like any normal smoked salmon, a flavor that was complimented by a salad of cattle beans, greens and pears.

By then we were certainly no longer hungry. Still, we delved into the desserts with all our strengths. Diego took a while to finish his dark chocolate budinno, but ended up scrapping the bottom of the cup, last pieces of rock salt and the last drops of olive oil included. I couldn't finish my grapefruit panna cota, wich looked like a latte but tasted like heaven. I don't really like cinnamon, but the cinnamon gélée was perfect; it added to the texture without overpowering the taste.

I don't think this was the perfect brunch. By now you should now that I like open spaces, preferably with sidewalk tables, and tiny T.W. Food is neither. In addition, brunch should give you energies to continue with your day, and this feast could only be followed by a nap. But, this is quite possibly my favorite restaurant in the world, and that means we will certainly be back.

S & S, Cambridge, MA

After a one month break we decided to go back to our die hard habits and take up brunching, once again. We decided to make a strong come back in one of our favorite places in Cambridge, S & S. Curiously, we hadn't written a post about this Inman Square institution up until now (we did write a post on its sister establishment Ryles some time back, though.).

S & S is one of the oldest delis in the Boston area with a rich history that goes back to 1919.   We were not around then, but I can safely assume the place was as consistently packed every weekend as it is these days. This establishment is a traditional NY style deli and I have to say it can successfully go toe to toe with many of the Manhattan powerhouses in the business. Their menu is long and varied but the actual stars are the smoked whitefish, lox, egg dishes and cold cuts (including a fabulous homemade corned beef). Their bagels are, predictably, also legendary. Finally, because of the amazing size of their dining room, even though the place is always crowded, it is unusual to wait in line for long.

Having gone through this chain of raving compliments, let us discuss our experience last weekend. We wanted to have a simple and to the point brunch experience, so we decided lox and bagel should fit the bill perfectly. Ana ordered exactly that while I ordered the lox platter which includes some extra ingredients (tomato and a hard boiled egg) and considerably more salmon than its smaller version. We waited for a long time for our dishes (which obviously needed no preparation). When our food arrived my platter contained maybe 25 % less salmon than Ana's bagel (when it's usually around 40% more!). When I brought this up with the waitress she said that was the way it was and that should be the end of it. Ridiculous. On a second iteration she decided it would be ok if I wanted to bring the issue up with the manager (gracious of her!). After 20 minutes we got our audience granted. When I explained the situation, the manager said that, although we were right in stating that the platter is a larger portion (which of course I knew, having had that dish maybe 10 times), she could not confirm the situation, as we were already midway through our brunch. She repeated this many times and said she had no way of knowing if we were telling the truth. I was speechless. I guess that triggered her reaction: she said that we could have one or two more slices of salmon on her. How absurd is that! I payed for my salmon!!!! In any case, I said she shouldn't do us any favors and that we just wanted to finish our meal.  She said nothing and disappeared, never to be seen again.

We finished our brunch and left, disappointed. Of course, the bagel and (little) lox I did get were superb as always.

I am really sorry it is this experience that gets posted on QPB, as we have visited S&S countless times with great success and joy. I guess, they are not perfect after all... The Quest continues..

D'Angelo's Bread, Santa Barbara, CA

This weekend I went back to the West coast, for a little bit of sun, fun and sightseeing (I also

managed to escape from the first snowstorm of the season back East). The first stop was in Santa Barbara, where our knowledgeable friends, Sid and Anjana recommended D'Angelo's Bread, a laid back bakery with an old-time feel a few blocks from the beach and from downtown SB.

The brunch started great. The East coast tradition of waiting at least 45' for a table at a brunch hot spot is unheard of here. I asked if there was a list I could put my name on and the server looked at me as if I had said there was a snowstorm coming. She said "next table is yours", and I almost fainted. Two seconds later a couple of brunchers asked for the check. Awesome.

We sat outside on a sidewalk table, although they also have a patio and inside seating. If your

thing is people watching, all three spots are great (even inside, since the walls are made out of glass; although you might have something of a "partial view" from those brunching outside). Flaming red Ferraris, crisp blue skies and four-story high palm trees complemented the view.

The menu had so many options that we had a hard time deciding. We all went for egg-based dishes, although the waffles, smoked salmon plates and salads all sounded sinfully delicious. Anjana had a humongous made-to-order omelet, filled with tons of feta cheese and peppers. More importantly for me, her order was the only one with homefries, which I was quick to try. They were roasted golden with a crispy skin, but very soft in the middle. For my order, I went minimalist: the "New York fried egg sandwich", which

sounds complex but was nothing more than a buttered kaiser roll with a fried egg. Exactly what I wanted. Furthermore, D'Angelo's eggs are fried and poached to order: hard, medium or soft. I asked to have my egg hard, which precluded me from enjoying the warm yolk on the bread, but allowed me to eat the sandwich open faced without making a mess.

Diego and Sid both went for the Eggs "Rose", a clear favorite at D'Angelo's. Two poached eggs on top of toast covered with artichoke spread. Once again, their eggs were poached to order. Diego asked for medium and Sid for soft. The medium-poached eggs had hardened-jelly-like whites and liquid yolks, while the soft-poached eggs were

barely cooked -whites and yolks had a very similar consistency once the egg was broken (although soft and medium eggs looked indistinguishable when served). Our table was the perfect example that cooks can have perfect control over their eggs. All three styles were perfectly identifiable, and all three brunchers were very happy with their meal.

A last mention should be made for the bread. Being a bakery, D'Angelo's buns, rolls and toasts did not disappoint. We were not particularly adventurous, however, and we all ordered kalamata olive toasts which, with large pieces of olive, were amazingly delicious. We could not resist the temptation of trying at least one pastry

and, even though we had more than enough food, we had a pain au chocolat. It was good, but not as good as the savory breads. We eased all this down with coffee, freshly squeezed OJ and a French sparkling blood orange limonade, which I thought was freshly made but which was actually a sophisticated version Fanta (in a very cool bottle that we forgot to take with us).

I have to say this was probably the perfect brunch.... great scenery, prompt service, no wait, brunch options for everyone, and delicious food. What else can you ask for?

Union Bar and Grille, South End, Boston, MA

Last weekend Ana and I decided to give the Aquitaine Group another chance after our subpar experience at Metropolis. Union Bar and Grill is this cool looking place on Washington St. that has been on our list for a while and we decided to pay them a visit and give their brunch menu a try. Their location makes them a perfect stop on your way to the SoWa market on a sunny Sunday afternoon. That was our plan, so we did not think twice about going to Union.

The first thing that must be said about this establishment is that they offer a great deal for brunch on Saturdays and early on Sundays. For 9.95 you can get you belly full of food and enjoy all the coffee that you might need. Sadly, we went there late and were confronted with the whole (full price) brunch menu.

The atmosphere of this place is relaxed, although a bit dark. Something like a mix between a steakhouse and a trendy spot in the Meat Packing district in NYC. Confusing but pleasant. Their menu seems quite complete and comprises different types of omelets, burgers, salads and eggs. I went with my usual Eggs Benedict while Ana tried the Union Breakfast. We woke up progressively while drinking coffee and  half Orange half Grapefruit Juice.

Ana's dish consisted of 3(!) Eggs over-easy with Ham, toast and home fries. I though it looked quite good. The potatoes, in particular, were tasty and oven cooked. They had a very comfortable homemade flavor. My Eggs Benedict were pretty basic and decent, although the portion was small. This was not a problem, however. After finishing most of my potatoes and my first Egg I discovered the second one was seriously undercooked. I pointed this out to our server who tried unsuccessfully to argue that poached meant undercooked.
Why would she do that!!?? No point in having a pointless discussion when you are going to replace the dish anyways. And this, she did. I got another full plate with a huge portion of potatoes and two perfectly cooked new Eggs. After that I was happy and I could barely walk out of the place, :). Luckily, we were just a couple of blocks from the SoWa market, where I could stroll leisurely while digesting my double Benedict serving.

Union turned out to be a fun place that helped us make peace with our Aquitaine friends. We will keep the place in mind next time we visit SoWa.

Cafe Luna, Cambridge MA

This weekend I went with my friend Mahnaz to Cafe Luna, in Central Square, Cambridge. We had been discussing places to go near Central Square, a neighborhood in which I thought I had exhausted all brunch spots.

I was clearly wrong as, far from being a hidden gem, Cafe Luna is located in one of the most popular corners of central square (Mass Ave, Columbia St, and Main) and people are eager to wait up to two hours to get a bite from some of their delicious plates. Fortunately for me, Mahnaz was in the know and had called a couple of days ahead to make reservations. Because everyone who "knows" calls ahead, it is almost impossible to try to get a table on the spur of the moment. In fact, there was a fare share of empty tables, despite the large crowd waiting outside.

The place has almost no decor, just a couple of framed photographs here and there and a small mural of a vineyard. But this is perfect, as the food is clearly the protagonist here. There were three pages worth of very creative dishes (as opposed to some places where there are many pages, but mostly listing every possible combination of omelet ingredients!): one with the daily specials, another with fall specials; and one with the regular menu which had "traditional" fare and specials. The menus include stuffed berries or raspberry hot chocolate and berry french toast (Mahnaz order), goat cheese, leek, caramelized onion, and fig omelet (which I'll probably order next time), or surf and turf Eggs Benedict (steak tips on one muffin, lobster on the other).

I went with an item from the Cafe Luna specials: the Western home fries. This is my new favorite brunch dish! Perfectly golden roasted potatoes with green peppers, onions and ham. They had the right amount of oil to give them a slight crispiness on the outside but not so much as too saturate one's palate with grease. This is particularly important as the ham also contributed to the plate's fattiness. And it gave it a touch of saltiness and flavor that goes really well with the beautifully seasoned potatoes. The home fries come with scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese, but I though it was too much and I did without the cheese.

The portions are so abundant that when you first seen them, you think there is no way you'll ever finish them. But after trying the first bite you realize you'll eat it all even if your stomach aches afterward! I was so stuffed throughout the day that I could only have a very light meal about 12 hours later.

The weather was awful, so we sat inside. But Cafe Luna also has outdoor seating. People watching can be very interesting here, with all the hippie bohemian MIT students parading on the sidewalk. I'll definitely take Diego to Cafe Luna next time. And if he likes it, and if it's sunny, and if we seat outside, we may have found the perfect brunch.

Canele, Los Angeles, CA

This week The Quest for the Perfect Brunch took us to Los Angeles, California. After a couple of hours of intense research we decided to kick-start our two-month long brunch sampler in the Golden State in Canele, a smart, hip and intimate neighborhood institution in the Atwater Village.

The inventive menu includes fried farro with bacon, eggs and sriracha, goat cheese, gruyere, feta and tomato confit omelet, or braised leeks, bacon and fried eggs sandwich. Diego and I went with a more traditional fare: he had pastrami hash with sauerkraut and fried eggs, while I opted for my second favorite brunch dish: eggs in a hole.

Both dishes were beautifully presented. Diego's hash was arranged in a flat, circular mound that had exactly the same

diameter as the perfectly fried eggs. My eggs were precisely inserted in their hole, such that the yolk was in the center. In addition to the presentation, they tasted great. Diego said that the pastrami was not Carnegie's but he also did not utter a single word throughout the meal, which I take it as a sign of Canele's success. My toasts were a bit oily, but tasted great with a crunchy crust (they even brought a serrated knife for it) and a crispy middle. It came with roasted potatoes and a side salad. They both were a nice surprise (not listed in the menu), the potatoes crispy but not fried and the baby spinach salad

beautifully dressed. Another unexpected detail was the salt: slightly moist, it was brought loose

to the table and was an excellent condiment for all elements in the meal.

As for drinks, locavore Canele could not serve anything other than filtered tap water and freshly squeezed orange juice. But, eating local has a price, and the small glasses of OJ ended up being the -relatively- more expensive items on the bill. The free-refill coffee, on the other hand, was dark, strong and delicious. And, it came with brown sugar cubes which, although hard to dissolve, tied the experience as a high-quality, healthy-concious one.

Let me finally say that our plates, as huge as they were, were probably the smallest portions we saw. Humongous orders of eggy French Toasts, salmon tartare and even burgers swept by and

left us with our mouths open. But it was nothing compared to the baked pancake with lemon custard we ordered as desert -not that we were still hungry, but we had heard wonders about it!. After seeing the generous portions of ours and other brunchers plates, we should have seen it coming: the baked pancake, listed as a "side" on the menu was actually a souffle-like dough oven-backed in a medium-size clay pot with a hearty portion of deliciously sweet lemon custard on top. We reminded ourselves that for $4.5 we could simply try it (and check what the fuss was all about) and leave the rest but, after the first forkful, we simple caved in and devoured the entire thing. The hype was right: it was indeed glorious and I can see myself going back just for them.

Food-wise, this was definitely close to perfect. Everything was cooked to perfection, tasted

great and had the right size for a long, lusciously relaxed meal. Location-wise, however, it is in a not very hip neighborhood... People-watching, one of the quintessential pleasures of brunching and a clear pastime of Angelinos is not something that comes easily here, even in the sun-filled communal table that faces the window. Glendale Blvd., the street where Canele is on, is a mostly empty avenue with a few old-fashioned shops. Out-door sitting does not seem like it is ever going to be fun either. So, while we may have found the perfect dishes, we are still far away from the perfect brunch.

Let's see what the next few weeks of California brunching bring to us.

North Street Grille, Boston, MA

This past weekend we channeled our inner tourists and went for a walk around some of Boston's best known sites: the waterfront, the financial district, the North End.... but when brunch time came we realized that while sightseeing with the crowds had been fun, brunching with them would be a complete different business. So, we headed to the North Street Grille, an austerely decorated eatery just around the corner from Paul Revere's house, but where mostly locals seem hang out.

The NSG has a very long brunch menu, with a "build-your-own-omelet" section, inventive

omelets such as the crab and avocado, lobster and truffle oil, or caprese with olive oil, several Bennies, steak, pancakes, French toast -all with some twist. For example, as appetizers they have French Toast sticks, with sweet cream or Nutella dips (I'll have them next time). They also have a long list of morning cocktails, but the fully stocked bar can handle any orders.

The staff is very friendly too, albeit a bit spacey. They forgot to bring the brunch specials menu (we could have found out earlier that they had a prix-fix... but with the long and creative regular menu it was not a big deal), some muffins while waiting (a couple of other tables got them as they were served water), and the brunchers next to us had to go get their own silverware.

All in all, however, it was a pleasant and relaxed experience. And the food was good too. Especially my order. I had a side of homefries ($3) and a fruit cup ($6.5). The table next to us had a really large bowl (more than a pound, I'd say) of fresh-looking fruit salad and I was really convinced that they had all ordered fruit and the three cups were brought together. But then I see the server bringing the same huge bowl just for me! That was a great surprise. All the fruits were just cut and in season: honey dew, cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon and banana. Delicious. The homefries were also excellent: crispy on the outside, mashy on the inside. They were seasoned with paprika, but they could have used some salt in their preparation.

Diego went the more adventurous route and decided to build his own omelet. He opted for

maple ham, mushrooms, asparagus and mozzarella (with a side of fries, of course). The mozzarella was melted on top, as in a Croque Monsieur, which was a nice touch, except for the fact that the eggs were pretty dried and they could have used some moisture inside. As with Metropolis, Diego again complained that the omelet ingredients were not "one with the eggs". This leads me to believe Diego may not know the difference between an omelet and a frittata! Regardless, Diego said North Street Grille's omelets were immensely better than the South End locale.

This may not have been the perfect brunch, but for a nice and relaxed experience right in the heart of one of Boston's hottest tourist attractions, it could have not been better.

Metropolis, South End, Boston, MA

It is not always the case that Brunch is a beautiful experience where you eat perfectly cooked fresh delicacies and you attain a Zen level of relaxation while you enjoy your OJ and coffee. Sometimes, you have the experience we had in Metropolis this last weekend.

Let us start at the beginning. Our friends Alejandro and Melany (who have been mentioned in this blog a few months ago in our excursion to Jane's) were visiting for the weekend and we decided we had to take them somewhere cool and relaxed in the South End. Metropolis had been on our radar for some time an we decided to give it a try. The place is perfectly located a the heart of this trendy neighborhood right on Tremont St. and just across the street from its sister establishment, Aquitaine, which we have tried for dinner and liked quite a bit. Although the place is small, it is very nicely decorated. The bar is inviting and the tables comfortable. The floor is covered with small white tiles and the atmosphere is great, making the place quite cozy. Although our table was next to the restroom, I have to say I enjoyed the decor. The food was the problem..

We ordered coffee, which Ana complained was too light, and OJ. As for the main dish, Ana went with a simple enough option: Eggs (over easy), home fries and toast. While her eggs were ok, the home fries were bland and uninspiring. I ordered the daily special. It was described as an Andouille sausage, goat cheese and spinach omelette. Sounds tasty, right? Wrong! My omelette was completely dry and tasteless. It seem like it had been made with one of those artificial egg batter mixes you buy in the supermarket. Not only that, their idea of an omelette was to make a disk of that egg batter mix, fully (over) cook it and then toss some ingredients in the middle, fold and serve instantly. More like a disk of egg with a side of ingredients that happened to sit on top of the disk. If that was not enough, the ingredients were scarce and devoid of taste. The Andouille sausage amounted to two pieces of some baseball stadium quality hot dog. Goat cheese meant some sort of philadelphia type cream cheese spread. Spinach was one leaf of oil soaked green vegetable. This "omelette" was served with a side of the same bland home fries Ana had.Very poor. And that was their special!!!

Unfortunately, it was not just my dish that was subpar. Alejandro ordered Eggs Benedict, and I have to say that the Hollandaise looked more like a mix of flour and water than the actual sauce. Melany ordered scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. Although I did not try the fish, I can testify that her eggs looked exactly like little pieces of the same type of over cooked batter used for my omelette. Very disappointing, in deed.

Lastly, to add insult to injury, the waiter asked, very politely and in more than one occasion, if everything was of our liking. I kept replying: "Not so much" or "Not great". He just smiled and went about his business as if I had said "Perfect!"... I guess waiters are not really listening when they ask:

"How is everything?", :(.

I have to say I was pretty bummed by the whole experience. It is really a shame that a nicely setup establishment in a cool location, belonging to a nice family of sister restaurants serves just unacceptable food. Also, if I go back over all the postings Ana and I have written here on QPB, I realize this is the first truly negative account. Oh, well... Not all Brunch experiences can be the Perfect Brunch!

Henrietta's Table, Cambridge, MA

Last week the The Quest for the Perfect Brunch turned one year old. And we wanted to celebrate in style. Where else could we go than to Henrietta's Table, the mother of all brunches in the metro-Boston area????
Henrietta's has been awarded "Best brunch in Boston" by the Improper Bostonian for the past 10 years. And rightly so. The all-you-can-eat buffet is decadent and fresh, covering a raw bar (all-you-can eat oysters!, shrimps, smoked salmon and gravlax); a grilled vegetable and salad station; a nice variety of local and imported cheeses, terrines and pates; pastries; several hot plates (including eggs Benedict, pasta, fish, chicken and beef), made-to-order omelets and a luscious dessert table.

You can have as much as you want of any of this, plus unlimited

OJ and coffee for the not so moderate amount of $45. The secret

is to skip dinner the night before and the night after and pack up three meals in one! We ate so much that we couldn't even think of eating anything else for the rest of the day. Not only did we have our favorites ---Diego had one egg Benedict (now he is complaining he should have had more!) and I indulged in at least one quarter pound of lox on a bagel with scallion cream cheese--- but we also tried steak, goat cheese and mushroom pasta, waffles, pates, potato and caesar salads, peach cobbler cheesecake, and countless of other things.

Henrietta's also has a very interesting and complete menu of cocktails and wines. But, as much as we would have enjoyed a Bloody Mary or a Strawberry Rhubarb Martini we had to keep our budget under control... Maybe next year if, when we celebrate the second anniversary, we are also celebrating a higher income! In any case, the free flowing coffee (a bit on the light side if you like strong roasts) and OJ kept us hydrated throughout.

It is not only that the food is tasty, fresh and

made from local and organic ingredients. The ambiance of the restaurant is that of a sun-filled New England farm, relaxed but elegant. The servers are quick, efficient, unintrusive and very friendly. And, with so much food around you can sit back and enjoy a paced, quiet and long meal without being rushed out or bothered by endless churn.

And there's always the casual celebrity sighting...this time we had Rene Russo brunching a few tables from us.

So, is this the perfect brunch? Well if it's not, it comes in pretty close. They have everybody's

favorites and then some. And they even have outdoor seating (although this last weekend with the record heat wave, outside seating was a big no-no!) and a relaxing atmosphere. Who said money doesn't solve it all? Unless, of course, you are on a budget..., or your brunch favs are pancakes (I guess it is just impossible to make them to order and get them right each time), or like your bennys straight out of the kitchen, or you don't live in MA...

The quest lives on!

Extra Virgin, New York, NY

Last weekend we found ourselves in NYC, the brunch capital of the world. Of course, we were not about to miss a great opportunity to explore another great spot (after our Friday escapade to Clinton Street Baking Co.) and meet up with friends. Therefore, we decided to go to a place that had been recommended to us by several NYC locals. Our Saturday destination was Extra Virgin. We called up our NYC based friend Luciano and headed towards the West Village.

We arrived quite early, 20 minutes before noon, but still all outside seating was taken. It was really a shame, as this is actually the highlight of this establishment. It is a place to see and be seen (as we were leaving, we saw Liv Tyler having brunch in the restaurant next door....Maybe that is the real place to see and be seen.... :) ). Having expected this situation, we were very happy that it was not to crowded inside and talked to the hostess about a table for three. Even though she did not seem busy at all, it took her around 10 minutes to pay us some attention and actually take us to a table.

Once we sat down we ordered coffee and OJ and went through the menu. It was pretty varied with all your brunch fundamentals plus some interesting salads and sandwiches. Luciano and I went old school with Eggs Benedict and Ana had some Yogurt and Granola. Although food was tasty, it was nothing to write home about. More notable was the very impersonal attitude we got from the waiters. Also, in more than one occasion, they tried to clean our table and pick up our plates while we were still eating! Bizarre...

Overall, I have to say it was a pleasant experience and the outside sitting is great for a nice summer morning. Having said that, New York is a city where there is no shortage of cool brunch spots, so I am sure you'll have no problems finding another establishment that's as cool and where the attentions is more considerate and the food more memorable.