Wise Sons, San Francisco, CA

After a number of months traveling the world, eating nothing but asado and karpusi, we finally came back to the US, the mecca of brunch. But then reallocation plans kept us busy, until we left for the West coast this past weekend, on a house-hunting trip.Stressed out of our minds due to the aggressive and competitive "landlord's market", we headed over to Wise Sons on the third day hoping to drown our sorrows in Challah bread and pastrami.

Wise sons is one of the many hipster-friendly places that have recently started popping out in the Mission/24th Street. Far from the taquerias and Latino grocery stores that populate the neighborhood, Wise and Sons seems transplanted from the Upper West side.

This deli opens Wed-Sun, 8am-3pm. We had walked past it the night before and wondered why on earth was this place not open for dinner. We got our answer the day after, when we were welcomed by a long waiting queue. The serving mode is pseudo fast-food: you wait in line until you reach the cash box, order your meal, get a number and only then you can head to a table (some communal, some not).

We didn't take too many chances. I ordered Challah French Toast with fresh fruit (they sell Challah loafs on Fridays) and Diego had the pastrami sandwich with potato salad. My French toast came with four huge slices one inch tall, supper fluffy albeit a little bit too much egg. I was promised peaches and strawberries, but was served blackberries and strawberries and that didn't bother me too much. The orange butter was delicious, but out of habit I put it to the side so I can't really say how it played out with the bread.

As usual, Diego devoured his pastrami without a single word. I take that as a sign that he liked it a lot. He did say that it was a pity he couldn't compare it with the corned beef. I guess he was hoping for a Carnegie's-style "Woody Allen", half pastrami, half corned beef. Maybe if we move near by he can get them to name it "the Diego".

Overall, the food was tasty, although too heavy and greasy. Probably the perfect brunch to cure a hangover (after all, they have to compete with the taquerias...), but not exactly the most appropriate if you need to be on top of your game to charm prospective landlords in the afternoon.

Fortnum and Mason, London UK

We had eggs and salmon: Rare Breed Hen Egg with Mustard Cress and Oak Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter. We also had pastries and superb fruit preserves. We could have had alcohol (champagne). They would have probably kicked us out if we asked for coffee, but there was definitely all you can drink tea. We sat with friends and we could have stayed there the whole afternoon if we had wanted it.
Sounds like the perfect brunch, right? It was actually Afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason, London's oldest department store.
We only had one Sunday in London and we had had a hard time deciding between afternoon tea and brunch. After all, that's where "English breakfast" comes from! But Fortnum's regal setting, elegant three-tier trays and delicious teas had been on our to-do list since a previous trip and we decided not to let the opportunity pass.
Tea is a big deal in England, but it is even a bigger deal at Fortnum's. They serve some version of afternoon tea at each one of its four restaurants. For £18.00 you can get brisk (and crowded) all-day tea service at The Parlour, that comes with two scones (with strawberry preserves), mini ice creams and a pot of tea. £26.00 (at The Gallery) and £28.00 (at The Fountain, only at 4 o'clock) get you better service in nicer rooms, with afternoon sandwiches or seafood entrees, cupcakes or bonbons (instead of the ice creams). 
But, the crowning jewel of Fortnum's afternoon tea is served at "The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon". Earlier this year the salon was reopened by none other than the Queen herself -with Kate and Camilla in tow!- and apparently the refurbishing has left it better than ever. The subtle Victorian style is played up by the light green upholstery and bright white walls. We went on a sunny afternoon and the sun was shining through the many windows that surround both tea rooms. To top it all, there was a live piano player that really soothed the service. 
Afternoon tea at this fourth floor restaurant is, granted, expensive, but it is also luxurious, well-paced and delicate. The porcelain is divine and the three-tier trays are every girl's dream. Sweetener is a heresy and sugar -brown and white- comes in cubes. 
Food-wise we had five types of finger sandwiches: 1) Coronation chicken, fresh mango and chilli; 2) Cucumber and cream cheese; 3) Roast beef, horseradish and capers; 4) Rare breed hen and mustard cress; and 5) Oak smoked salmon with lemon butter. Service also came with the aforementioned two scones (one plain, one raisin) but instead of being stuck with strawberry jam, we got apricot, raspberry and blueberry (one for each -we were with our friend Andres!- and you may also get lemon or strawberry). When we left, we took the (Fortnum's famous) preserves with us. On the top tier of the tray came a tasting of refined pastries: pistachio and raspberry, chocolate and apricot, almond creme puff and rose eclair. When we thought we couldn't eat no more, we were reminded of the cake carriage. I went with flower and kettle-cake tea cookies (to go), while Diego tried HM the Queen's favorite cake (vanilla and strawberry checkered) and Andres had a couple of bites from a huge pink marzipan-coverd raspberry cake. 
By now you may be wondering... where is the tea?? I usually save the best for the end, so here it goes. Every time we are in London we buy one or two types of the many of Fortnum's classic blends and bring them to Boston. So, we got really excited by the prospect of trying out some new blends. The tea list includes 30 types of single estate teas (rarer and more expensive) and almost 50 types of blends, blacks, greens and herbals. I had the Countess Grey, an orangier twist on Earl Grey, and Diego went with one of the Assams. They bring out just one pot, but there are plenty of leaves, so you can keep asking for water refills.
Alright. This was clearly not the perfect brunch.... maybe the perfect afternoon tea? 

The Flying Biscuit, Atlanta, GA

Our Quest for the Perfect Brunch is a global endeavour that takes us all over. In this particular case we were out to get the best possible Brunch that the city of Atlanta had to offer. Luckily, we had our friends Analia and Julian to point us in the right direction while visiting the South.

Where to go for Brunch?

In their mind there was no doubt. We needed to pay The Flying Biscuit a visit before returning to the Northeast.

TFB is an Atlanta institution. Although it has a few locations at this point, we decided to visit the original cafe where it all started. The restaurant is eclectically decorated, to say the least. Paintings of sunflowers decorate the walls while light fixtures and ventilation tubes are naturally included in this surreal landscape. The neighborhood where this establishment is located is also very interesting. Little Five Points is the hippie/biker/indie/? neuralgic center of Atlanta and there are many cute stores and interesting characters to be acquainted with as you stroll around the streets of this area. Furthermore Virginia Highland, another very interesting part of Atlanta, is just a few blocks away.

It should seem obvious to you that biscuits are one of the specialties here. You would not be wrong if this was your guess. And they are goooood! In fact, just next to the restaurant, there is a to-go shop where you can get them by the dozen.

Still, there's much more stuff to be enjoyed here. We decided to first share an appetizer (which was completely unnecessary, given the amount of food that was served to us later). We got a couple of orders of Fried Green Tomatoes. They were wonderfully cooked and were topped with cashew-jalapeno and goat cheese. Just amazing.

I was committed to have a full Southern Brunch experience, so I decided not to hold back and have a healthy portion of whatever caught my attention. And so, I ordered The High Flyer. Sounds cool, huh? It was awesome. This entree does not fit in one plate. Part I consists of 2 eggs made to order, a biscuit, 2 home made chicken sausage patties and "creamy dreamy" grits. Don't know what grits are? You obviously have not been to the South, then. This Wikipedia article should make things clear: Grits 101.

What is the other half of this dish?

It's a stack of organic oatmeal  pancakes accompanied by warm peach compote (a typical Georgia product). Although it was not an easy task, I have to admit I did manage to ingest all this food. It was just that good. I am still thinking about those grits...

Ana decided  to have a light fare....

Her meal consisted of a green salad topped with apples, blue cheese and a very abundant portion of grilled chicken. Still think this was the lighter fare? Just to make things clear Ana added a side of house roasted potatoes and biscuit. It is true that she could not finish her dish, but still she gave it her best effort.

Overall, we can't complain. Food and company were excellent. It was Summer in Atlanta while it still was Winter in Boston. Certainly not far off from the Perfect Brunch...

Husk, Charleston, SC

Questing for the Perfect Brunch is not an easy task. Sometimes it involves sacrifices. In this particular case, it required of us to have a meal at Husk, a magnificent restaurant in Charleston, SC.

Truth be told, we had originally planned to have dinner at Husk, but it was impossible for us to get a reservation at a convenient time, so we decided to have Brunch here instead. I'm pretty sure that one of the reasons getting a reservation was hard is that Husk is one of the happening restaurant in the US these days. It was chosen the best new restaurant in the US by Bon Appetit Magazine in 2011 (by the way, we have also visited the Number 10 pick in the list, Bondir. But that is another story.).

The chef-owner of this establishment is Sean Brock, who was recently portrayed in a full article in the New Yorker. Sean is all about local ingredients and bringing back Southern Cuisine to the spotlight of the American restaurant scene. I'm sure he's a hands-on kind of person as we ran into him at Husk while leaving the restaurant and he thanked us for our visit. Southern Hospitality at its best.

The restaurant is located in a beautifully conserved old house in the Charleston historic district.

This house has two main highlights as far as we are concerned. While we waited for our table we got to experience one of local marvels that Charleston has to offer: the joggling board. Think "sideways rocking chair". The other is the wonderful balcony where we sat and enjoyed our Brunch.

I won't describe the menu in detail but it seems that all dishes cooked at Husk involve the participation of a pig one way or the other. I guess this is how Sean rolls in SC. And that is certainly fine by me.

I ordered a Fried Chicken BLT. What is this? Just a BLT with an added full piece of Fried Chicken. It was as superb as it was obscene. A perfect meal. An interesting detail was the lightly toasted bread that was used to "house" this delicacy.
Ana decided to have an appetizer and a side, instead of a full plate. She had pig ears lettuce wraps accompanied by the most magnificent bacon corn bread you could imagine. In this particular case, images are worth a thousand words. Unfortunately for you, a taste is worth a thousand images... so you'll have to visit Husk if you are curious at this point.

All in all, it was fantastic. Go visit!

J. Christopher's, Savannah, GA

After a number of years planning a trip down South we finally visited Georgia last weekend. We left Boston with 45F and arrived in Atlanta with a blissful 70F. Savannah was even hotter and -if possible- sunnier. So, when it came to finding a place for lunch, I would not accept anything without sidewalk sitting. J.Christopher's turned out to be the place. Located on the residential side of the historic district, this diner had outdoor tables, sun umbrellas and a handful of cool-looking brunchers (and Barbie-looking waitresses!). I'm not proud to say, though, J.Christopher's is far from your local, hippie brunch spot... It is a GA franchise, with at least 15 locations only in Atlanta and an indoor decor that looks a lot like Chuck E. Cheese. Luckily, the mirrored window glass allow you to enjoy the gorgeous view of the street without worrying about what lies on the other side.

We actually quite liked the food. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that when it comes to Southern food the more butter the better, and breakfast was no exception (it is also very hard to find a salad that does not come with meat, or something candied). So, after carefully going over every option in the menu (which includes Blueberry crunchcakes -with granola mixed in-, poached eggs nestled on a bed of smoked turkey, crispy bacon and sliced tomato atop an English muffin with Hollandaise sauce, and a number of "signature breakfast skillets" -oven-roasted potatoes mixed with a combination of ingredients, such as spinach and bacon, or ham and mushroom, topped with two sunny side up eggs and served with an English muffin) I went for what I considered to be a "healthy option": roasted red peppers and black bean quesadillas in a spinach tortilla. Cheese, peppers and beans came in equal portions and it was a great mix. Super tasty. I downed it with a ruby-colored half OJ-half GJ and some coffee, for which I got a whole thermos brought to the table just for myself.

Diego also went with one of the specials. A crab cake Benny that had hearty portions of crab cakes instead of ham/bacon with over-roasted potatoes. It came perfectly dusted with paprika, a detailed that Diego loved.

So, great location, good food, awesome weather. If only it wasn't a chain store....

Audubon Circle, Boston, MA

Last weekend we decided to continue our Quest by exploring a particular establishment that has been on our "To Brunch List" for quite some time. I am talking about Audubon Circle. This is one of these bar/cool hang out/laid back restaurant kind of places where you kind of find fancy beers, get to sit at a nice table and maybe even catch a Red Sox game. One of the reasons we wanted to explore AC is because we quite enjoy having a burger/beer/pizza in all of AC's sister joints: Miracle of Science, Cambridge 1 and Tory Row.

My friend Sepu was in town and we decided it would be cool take him there for a relaxed brunch experience and a tour of a Boston neighborhood he had not been to before: Fenway.

The place has a pretty cool vibe going on. The whole place is setup with wooden furniture and panels. Quite nice and inviting. Furthermore, they have a large sun roof that gives the place a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Their menu is rather limited but includes your brunch basics. Eggs, check. French Toast, check. Benedicts, check. They also have a nice selection of beers and drinks, including a pretty solid Bloddy Mary that I enjoyed with my meal.

What did we have for food?

As I was just waking up, I could not make complicated decision at that point and decided to go with my usual Eggs Benedict. They were nicely prepared, although a little bit short on hollandaise for my taste. As in Miracle of Science, their potatoes were just wonderful.
Ana decided to make a much more interesting choice. Get a hold of this for Brunch: Hot Dog and a bowl a fruit. What can you say to that? Maybe she'll start a new trend, who knows? She definitely seemed more than happy with her choice.

Overall AC did not disappoint. Still, our Quest continues...

Barney Greengrass, New York, NY

Barney greengrass is a New York institution. There's nothing we can post that will do justice to what this establishment represents and its most of 100 years of history serving the New York West Side. Let it just be said that no visit to New York is complete without a pit stop at this traditional deli for a taste of some of their amazing smoked fish.

Everybody knows about Barney in NY. Although they specialize in many Jewish delicacies, their sturgeon is the jewel that draws manhattanites and tourists alike in large numbers. I have to admit that right after I found out I would be spending a weekend in New York, after a few months away from the Big Apple, I started dreaming of it.

So, what is our story? We found ourselves in New York and had made plans to meet our Manhattan-based friends Jony and Sabine for brunch. They had never been to Barney so we decided it was the perfect time to pay a visit to the old sturgeon cathedral.

The place does not look like much, neither from outside or the inside (you can see some of it in the movie "Incredibly loud & extremely close".). Just your typical traditional NY deli. That's until you notice their open fridge showcasing all sorts of smoked salmon and sturgeon. The best thing to do is to order a platter of sturgeon and another of your favorite type of salmon (Nova, Lox, Salmon Pastrami, etc.). So that's what we did. If you think you need some type of vessel to transport these delicacies to your mouth you are absolutely right. A few bagels do the job nicely. Now you are almost set. The only thing missing is an appetizer. Barney prepares a mean potato pancake (latke). They come with cream cheese and a wonderful apple sauce that will just make your day.

There's not too much else to say at this point, once bliss is attained. If you have not a clue of what I'm talking about, just start making brunch plans for next weekend at Barney Greengrass.

Public, New York, NY

This weekend we went to New York, for what it will probably be our second to last trip to the Big Apple before moving to the West coast. In a fit of melancholia typical of a porteño, Diego decided this was the time to do everything we either love doing or all those things we always say we would do while in NYC. Going to Barney Greengrass fit in the first category, while having brunch at Public fell in the second.

Public is probably one of the coolest, hippest restaurants in Manhattan. It won a James Beard award for best design and graphics in 2004 and the vintage/post-industrial concept has not lost its originality. Brunch is served in the sky-lit lounge, an open spaced, cement and brick-walled room with ultra modern fixtures, wooden bar and a beautiful plant growing underneath one of the skylights.

As with every NYC brunch hotspot we knew there would be a significant wait time. So, we were pleasantly surprised when they told us we should wait just for half an hour. We were happy to walk around Nolita for a while. However, when we came back, 25 minutes later, the wait time was still the same. Part of the problem of Public's beautiful design is that, apparently, one doesn't want to leave! Finally, after a little over an hour we sat. We got a table by the huge glass window and started browsing the menu.

The brunch menu has an eclectic personality. Sweet tahini yogurt, Turkish eggs, coconut pancakes, whipped foie gras butter or tea-smoked salmon with yuzu hollandaise are some of the things we didn't try but made us look twice. We did try the Grilled venison burger on a miso bun with tomato chili jam and cassava chips (Vicky), the salad of herby lentils, green beans, avocado, toasted pecans and baby gem with pomegranate molasses and avocado oil vinaigrette (Ani), and the Fry-up: two eggs (poached, scrambled or fried) on sourdough toast with slow roast tomatoes and buttered mushrooms (Pablo and Diego). Every bruncher was overly happy with its choice and would not have changed it for any of the others (Vicky even said that she didn't find most of the flavor combinations supper appealing, but loved the burger). Happily, each personality found its match.

We did, however, all agree that the way to start was with a freshly baked scone or muffin with preserves. Diego and I shared a caramel-ginger muffin, Pablo had a cinnamon roll with a creamy glaze and Vicky had the cheddar-jalapeno scone with sugar on top. If you think this is an odd combination, think twice. It was awesome. The preserves were apple and raspberry-mint. Delicious.

To gulp all this down, Diego ordered a Bloody Mary, decorated with olive and pickle. I had freshly squeezed orange juice, but I spent the entire brunch salivating after the cocktails that passed by.

To be honest, I have been wanting to have brunch at Public since I first laid eyes on its menu and its ambiance. I had very high expectations and they were one hundred percent fulfilled. So, how can I say this was not the perfect brunch??? Well, as you may know I like outdoor seating... so maybe next time we are on NYC, if it's summer, there is a reasonable wait and we get one of the (three or four) terrace tables, maybe I will have found the perfect brunch.

Jim's Deli, Brighton, MA

Yesterday morning I went househunting around Brighton with my friends Rocio, Tomeu and Pablito (they are the ones looking). The sun was shining, but with 15F it did not really make that much of a difference. So, after visiting a couple of open houses we were confused, exhausted, cold and hungry. Thanks God then for Jim's Deli!

Jim's is your typical undergrads hangout. Huge portions, relatively cheap prices, fast and greasy, it has all you need to get you blood running again after a hungover (I don't think they have alcoholic drinks though) or, in our case, after having lost all sensibility from our limbs.

I have to confess that when we arrived I was a little bit worried about Pablito. The place is incredibly popular, and there was a long line of loud BC students eager to devour chicken sandwiches, one out of four breakfast specials, omelets, pancakes, burgers and more. It seemed a lot of information overflow for an eight-month old. It turns out that most students order take out, and this leaves the booth area (cleverly partitioned from the cafeteria-style kitchen) as a relatively peaceful space for those eating in. In addition, the servers were all super kid friendly and, maybe, were even happy about the change in demographics. Pablito was very happy and super excited (I'd like to think it was because of Jim's, but who knows....).

So, what did we have? Rocio ordered the "farmer's special" that came in two plates (!), with eggs any style, bacon, ham or sausage, pancakes or waffles, and homefries. Tomeu asked almost every

bruncher at Jim's about their orders (he was tempted by absolutely everything) and finally settled with the Cordon Bleu chicken sandwich plate, an obscene sandwich with five large pieces of fried chicken, cheese, Cordon Bleu sauce, a mound of fries and pickles. Even though it came in a very large plate, it was clearly not enough. Alright, I guess I just wanted to preface my order so that you realized that it was actually the most minimalist out of all the three! I had an egg and cheese sandwich with ham on toasted (thanks to the suggestion of one of the cooks) marble rye. The ham was a very thick, half-inch steak. I could have done without the cheese -I don't think it was super high quality-, but there wasn't too much of it in any case. Ah, and it also came with homefries, which were your typical diner-style on-the-flat grill potatoes (sans paprika).

I really liked this place. It is perfect for a quick fix of grease cravings. But I guess it would have been the perfect brunch 10 years ago, when I partied late and I actually enjoyed waiting in line with my fellow party-goers. These days, I'm more into a carefully thought-out design, healthy options, smart cocktails and waiting lists. I probably need a younger perspective; I'm sure Pablito will write wonders about Jim's in the years to come.

Coppa, South End, Boston, MA

Last week we felt the need to get out of quaint Cambridge and decided to aim for nonchalant sophistication in the South End. This is clearly the main brunch neighborhood in Boston and was the perfect place to enjoy a cold but incredibly sunny winter Sunday morning. Of course, we were not the only people that came up with this idea. The streets of the South End were crowded with people running morning errands and getting ready for brunch. Curiously, Ana and I were the only ones that were not walking in the company of dogs or kids...

Our destination was Coppa.

Most people in the Boston area are familiar with the very popular Tapas Bar in the South End, Toro. Ana and I love this establishment. It is the perfect place to get sophisticated spanish fare. If you are into Navajas, Tortilla and Albarino, Toro is your place. Rather recently, the man behind Toro, Ken Oringer, decided to open another restaurant that is to Italy what Toro is to Spain. This is Coppa. After I found out about this place, I could not wait to see what it was like.

We decided to give their brunch a try. Coppa is a very nicely setup establishment. It is cozy and warm while still being sophisticated. The place it is actually an enoteca. Because, we don't do wine and brunch, we will explore that side of the business some other time. Although the specialize in all sort of italian food, I would have to say that their home made Salumi (Charcuterie) is a definite highlight. We could not resist and ordered a portion of duck prosciutto to get things started. It was just amazing. We had coffee and juice with that, as well as a very interesting Bloody Mary with pickled mushrooms and horseradish.

Now, their menu is very interesting and everything looks delicious. We decided that we would definitely be back for dinner some other time and constrained our decision process to their brunch specials. Ana went with the Panino di Mattina: an amazing pressed sandwich containing prosciutto, fontina, fried eggs and arugula. Good, huh?
I decided to go with Uova con Funghi. This consists in a (perfectly cooked, not to runny, not to dry) egg scramble with oyster mushrooms, roasted garlic potatoes and sourdough toast. The ideal dish to jumpstart your Sunday morning.

Overall we had a great time and the staff was very friendly. We had a perfect brunch and got to relax and fill our bellies before taking a stroll down Shawmut Ave. Coppa is definitely a place we will be visiting again soon. I guess French is next in Ken Oringer's list... I would definitely visit that restaurant, too.