Snapshots from Maine, Breakfast and Otherwise

Me and the ball-and-chain just got back from a week in Maine. If you’ve ever been, there’s a reason they call the state “Vacationland” as there is a lot to see and do and there is some beautiful scenery. While we were there, we of course had some excellent breakfasts, and other tasty treats. Here’s a photo tour:

Duckfat is an awesome restaurant in Portland. Their specialty is french fries fried in, you guessed it, duckfat. But, they also have amazing shakes and we started off our drive north with this blueberry and lemon curd number. Yes, it was as good as it sounds!

Fresh-baked pies at Fat Cat Bakery in Portland. A pie can be breakfast, right?

The view from the top of the Beehive Mountain, Acadia National Park

Beehive Mountain, Acadia National Park

Sunset on Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

Giant blueberry pancakes at Jeannie's Great Maine Breakfast in Bar Harbor

Each table has a jar of their famous Strawberry Rhubarb Fruit Spread, which was delicious on the pancake.

These lobster bouys were on Isleford, one of the five islands of the Cranberry Isles.

We woke up to these gorgeous homemade blueberry muffins waiting for us at the Acacia House bed and breakfast in Bar Harbor.

These were some of the best blueberry muffins we've ever had!

After the muffin we had a choice of five entrees. The hubby had yummy, milky oatmeal with loads of fresh fruit.

I had what they called a fritatta but more resembled an open omelet, with herbed potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, and goat cheese, with some sourdough toast. If only all bed and breakfasts had breakfasts like this...

The Jordan Pond House is inside Acadia Park and is famous for its popovers.

And here is a lovely speciman. The popovers are made to order and they are huge! And served with jam and butter.

The inside of the popovers are soft and steamy--in other words, perfect. I don't usually get too excited about popvers, but these really were special.

The Jordan Pond House is located on Jordan Pond, which is a beautiful part of Acadia National Park.

Wondering where your morning milk comes from? In the town of Camden, it might be from one of these belted Galloway cows. Cute, huh?

This old school doughnut shop, the Willow Bake Shoppe, has been in the small town of Rockport for generations.

Isn't it adorable?? In Maine, a lot of shops are in old, cute houses like this.

We opted for the classics: a plain cake doughnut and a cinnamon and sugar covered cake doughnut. Both were delicious and devoured quickly!

The Willow Bake Shoppe seemed to be a favorite of the locals, like this group of old timers enjoying their morning.

The counter at Willow Bake Shoppe in Rockport.

Moody's Diner is another old school restaurant, you can find it in the town of Waldoboro.

The sign says it all, doesn't it?

Moody's Diner is a real institution in Maine.

Moody's Diner is famous for their pie. We opted for the strawberry rhubarb since it was in season. It did not disappoint!

The rocky Maine coast is on display at Pemaquid Point.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

The York Harbor Lighthouse is the most photographed lighthouse in New England. Quaint, eh?

Another giant pancake, this one is blueberry almond and was pretty fantastic. We got this right over the Maine border in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at Colby's.

Eat This: Brunch at Fonda in Park Slope

Park Slope abounds with brunch options, but the options are severely lacking in the Mexican department. And good Mexican options? In my opinion, there is only one: Fonda. Thankfully, it is not only good, but great. Not only is the decor and atmosphere interesting and lovely, but there is rarely a wait–a huge plus in NYC. And, believe it or not, there is a garden patio in the back. Chef Robert Santibañez grew up in Mexico City and recently released his cookbook, Truly Mexican, in April.You’ll often find him walking around and talking to customers, and perhaps offering free coffee as he did to us.

Not that I’m an expert on Mexican food, but this stuff tastes truly authentic, making proper use of the chiles and spices available. Brunch, which is very reasonably priced (most items are $10) and includes a mimosa (choice of hibiscus, guava, or mango–yes, they are as good as they sound!), is filling and delicious.

Guava and mango mimosas, complimentary with all brunch entrees at Fonda

Unable to resist, I had the Chilaquiles Rojos with scrambled eggs (you can also get them with shredded chicken or grilled skirt steak). Chilaquiles, if you’ve never had them, are homemade tortilla chips drenched in a sauce–it can be mole, verde, or rojo. Fonda only offers the rojo version, a roasted tomoato-habanero sauce, but it is spicy and yummy in all the right ways and comes topped with crema and queso fresco–as most things should in a Mexican restaurant. The dish was so large I couldn’t finish it–not something that happens to me at brunch too often! Did I mention it was $10??

Chilaquiles Rojas with scrambled eggs

My brunchmate had the Huevos Divorciados ($10), another classic Mexican breakfast dish. It is two sunny side up eggs divided by two sauces, salsa verde and ranchera, with bacon, queso fresco, and crema, and it came with a side of rice and black beans. So much food! The flavors were complex and bursting with the right amount of spice. All too often Mexican food in NYC is way too bland. But not here!

Huevos Diorciados at Fonda

Fonda's black beans are robust and flavorful.

 Fonda
434 7th Avenue
between 14th and 15th St.
Park Slope, Brooklyn
(718) 369-3144

DevoLT’s Picks for May

I know this is usually JudyJams’ deal, but I wanted to get in on the action this month because I’ve been listening to some really great stuff that I wanted to share!

BOBBY album cover courtesy Partisan Records

First up is BOBBY, hailing from  western Massachusetts. Molly Sarle, who is also in the folk trio Mountain Man, is on vocals for the delightfully weird group, who just earned an opening spot on Thao and Mirah’s upcoming tour. Their first album is out June 21 on Partisan Records. Check out two tracks from it here.

Marques Toliver

Marques Toliver is making waves in the UK and Brooklyn (he lives in both places), and he also wowed at SXSW, with his unique twist on R&B/soul. He was actually discovered playing on the street in NYC by TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone. He’s a multi-talented violinist, autoharpist, and vocalist whom Adele claims is her favorite new artist. His tunes are soulful and emotive and may even have you dancing to boot. He’s currently unsigned but I’m sure that won’t last long.Check out these two tracks:

Deep in My Heart

White Sails (demo)

courtesy of Computer Magic

Another unsigned phenom, Computer Magic is the efforts of the singular blogger/DJ/graphic designer Danielle, or Danz, as she likes to go by. The style is electropop with bedroom eyes, or as Stereogum puts it, “It’s the kind of music the female leads in Sofia Coppola movies would make. ” The best part is, she shares a ton of music for free on her soundcloud page! I’m sharing a few tracks here, but head over there to hear lots more.

Grand Junction

Electronic Fences

Running

courtesy of Sub Pop Records

Lastly, we check in with Sweden, producers of some of my favorite musicians (Jens Lekman, the Knife, Jose Gonzalez). Niki & the Dove, who recently signed to Sub Pop, have recently released the soaring, spectacular single “The Fox,” which you can download for the price of your email. The beat is addictive and seems a harbinger to danger and singer Malin Dahlström’s voice is as clear as glass. All their songs are heavy on the synth and I’m thankful for that. Here’s a Mylo remix of their song “Gentle Roar.”

The Perfect Marriage: a Cookbook Author and a Musician

Yoshie Fruchter and Leah Koenig combine two of our favorite things in their marriage: she’s a cookbook author and food writer and he’s a musician. What more could a couple ask for??

Leah Koenig and Yoshie Fruchter, awesome couple.

Koenig‘s first cookbook, Hadassah Everyday Cookbook, recently came out through Rizzoli Publishing and is currently impressing Jewish grandmothers across the country, as well as their hip young granddaughters, like myself (yeah, I’m hip and young–what of it??) who always despair at the lack of creativity in Jewish cookbooks.  And did I mention it includes a breakfast chapter? You can buy it here on Amazon.

Meanwhile, Fruchter and one of his several bands, Pitom, recently released their latest album, Blasphemy and other Serious Crimes, on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records. A mashup of jazz, funk, rock, and whole bunch of other stuff, Pitom creates unique music that is constantly evolving. On their new album they explore some more rock and grunge sounds that will surely make your ears happy. You can buy that album here on Amazon.

Pitom

The two are teaming up outside of their home for an awesome event called Blasphemy and Bites. Fruchter and Pitom will be on hand playing their tunes, as well as the band Gutbucket, and Koenig will be there with tons of amazing samples on hand. It happens Monday, May 2 at The Rock Shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn. TnJ will be there and so should you.

TnJ also got the chance to interview this fabulous couple, check it out:

TnJ: You two are both writers–one of music and the other of food articles and recipes–what kind of similarities, if any do you experience in your writing process?

LK: Our processes are very similar, I think. We both start with a raw idea–Yoshie with a musical phrase, and me with a question–and then polish it and whittle away at it until it feels right. We also both find that our best ideas tend to come at odd or inconvenient times–like while taking a shower or walking down the street.

YF: I think the similarities in our process have more to do with the research and preparation that goes into our work. Like the other day Leah was reading Travels with Barley, a book about beer, while I was listening to Andy Statman’s “Between Heaven and Earth.”  In order for us to stay fresh in what we do, it’s important to keep our minds open through other artists in our field.

TnJ: You also both often work and write from home–do you get along? Is Yoshie in charge of background music while Leah provides the snacks?

LK: Usually!  We used to work in the same office in our apartment, but I’ve migrated my work space to the dining room table, which feels appropriate for a food writer. We have lunch together a lot, which is the greatest perk of working from home. Typical meal: pasta, salad, and a viewing of The Daily Show.  I cook, Yoshie does the dishes. And on the rare occasions that Yoshie’s practicing ever gets too loud, the Brooklyn Public Library is only two blocks away!

YF: And sometimes Leah comes to the door of my office and shuts it when the background music becomes, well, more than background.

TnJ: Leah, your new cookbook, The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook: Daily Meals for the Contemporary Jewish Kitchen, features an entire chapter on breakfast recipes, which is somewhat of a rarity in most cookbooks, especially Jewish ones. Was it your decision/idea to include this chapter? Why did you think it was essential to include?LK: I think Jewish cuisine has added a lot to the world of breakfast. Bagels and lox, challah french toast, matza brie…we’ve got some real classics in the repertoire. Plus, breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. I find myself scheming up new egg dishes and baked goods more than anything else, so having a chapter dedicated to breakfast seemed like a no brainer.

TnJ: Leah, what are your 3 favorite breakfast recipes in the book?

LK: Apple Walnut Bread. You could serve it for dessert too, but it’s got enough nutritional heft (whole wheat flour, flax seeds, a ton of apples) to make it a perfect breakfast bread.  If I’m on the go, I slather a piece with peanut butter or almond butter and take it with me. I’ve copied the recipe below.  (Thanks, Leah!)

Horseradish Omelet: What could be better than cheesy eggs with a kick of heat? This recipe is a great way to use up any jarred Passover horseradish lying around.

Chocolate Apricot Scones: I’ll be serving these at our show on May 2nd (Woohoo! Show is worth it already!).

TnJ: Yoshie, what is your favorite breakfast recipe that you got to sample while Leah was testing recipes?

YF: Smoked salmon scrambled eggs for sure. Two of my favorite things to eat in one dish!  

TnJ: What is your favorite restaurant to eat brunch or breakfast?

LK: So many! In our neighborhood of Prospect Heights/Park Slope I love Cheryl’s Global Soul, Flatbush Farm, Rose Water and Dizzy’s Finer Diner.

YF: Even though it’s a bit far, I love B & H Dairy in the city. A bit greasy yes, but delicious, and I dig the diner thing for breakfast.

(In case you readers are wondering, TnJ wholeheartedly approves of all their choices! We even just did a review on Rose Water!)

TnJ: Yoshie, your new album with your band Pitom, Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes, was released on John Zorn’s Tzadik Records. Do you consider Zorn to be an influence?

YF: Definitely. When I first discovered his music and Tzadik in college, it was a breath of fresh air. Having grown up with a lot of Jewish music, but getting increasingly into more experimental jazz and rock at the time, Zorn provided a swath of new music, from [his bands] Naked City to Masada for me to play and play over again. We were excited when our first, self titled album came out and are psyched about our new one as well.

TnJ: Yoshie, these new songs seem to have bit of a heavy metal undercurrent, not something you expect from most jazz bands. Did any metal bands influence you? Why do you think that works well with your brand of jazz?

YF: Honestly, aside from the fact that the music is instrumental and includes improvisational sections, I’m not sure if I can get away with calling it jazz anymore. Our first album was recorded right on the heels of my graduation from the jazz school at University of Maryland, so I think the jazz influence came out more on that record. For Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes (which was produced by our bass player Shanir Blumenkranz) we decided to go in a much more of a rock direction. Our influences are less metal, and more sludge/grunge/noise rock, but who’s counting, I guess.  The Melvins, Sonic Youth, Frank Zappa and Zorn among many others would be influences…but let’s throw some Napalm Death in there for good measure.

TnJ: Yoshie, is Pitom going on tour at all for this album?

YF: We did a short tour in the Midwest, playing a festival in Detroit and a gig in Chicago.  And will be going to Eastern Europe to tour with our friends and labelmates AutorYno (Paris) at the end of May. Also, our NYC CD release is May 2nd!

TnJ: You guys have an awesome event coming up at the Rock Shop on May 2. Can you tell me a little bit about it?

YF: Leah and I have been talking about putting on an event together for awhile and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Leah is going to make some edibles from the cookbook and we are going to play music from our new record. Opening will be our good friends and killer band Gutbucket, and we’ll have special guest saxophonist Jessica Lurie sit in with us as well. Gonna be a blast!

LK: This show, which we’re calling Blasphmey and Bites, seemed like a great opportunity to combine our passions, have a great night, and get all of our friends (and hopefully some new faces too!) together in one place.

Delicious Apple Walnut Bread

Apple Walnut Bread

This super moist, nutritious quick bread is reminiscent of a Rosh Hashanah apple cake. For a twist, pour the batter into cupcake or muffin cups. Makes 2 loaves

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
3 cups Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
Turbinado sugar (raw sugar; for sprinkling on top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine both flours, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside. In a second bowl, mix together sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time to wet mixture and stir to combine. Pour wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Fold in apples and walnuts (the batter will be very thick).

2. Lightly grease two loaf pans and spread half of the batter into each. Sprinkle the tops with a little sugar and bake for approximately one hour, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Eat This: Brunch at Rose Water

Somehow, we here at TnJ had sort of forgotten about Park Slope’s Rose Water. DevoLT had a birthday brunch there many years ago that was great, and we live near there, but somehow had managed to not go there for years. Luckily, that was remedied with a fabulous brunch experience on a recent Sunday.

Rose Water is charming and popular, hence there will likely be a short wait for a table. We ended up in a kind of odd, almost private nook that was nice except for the constant door slamming right near us. Luckily, the food make up for any slight uncomfortableness. Rose Water offers a $14 brunch prix fixe which includes an entree and drink (choice of coffee, tea–hot or iced–or  juice or lemonade).

Rose Water's bread basket is chock full of yummy things waiting to be smeared with butter and/or jam.

We opted to start with a basket of breads for the table ($7) and it was well worth it. The basket comes with 2 of each of strawberry scone, challah bread, and ginger bread, as well as butter and jam. The strawberry scone was pretty much amazing and the challah was yummy and soft. The ginger bread was our least favorite, but if you like ginger you will surely enjoy its chunks of it.

The strawberry scone was sweet and delcious.

For our entrees we opted to get the special which was potato latkes with poached eggs and broccoli raab and mushrooms, and an order of the vegetarian dish, which is baked polenta with goat cheese, poached eggs, and a warm mushroom salad, which we swapped out for a regular salad.

Latkes with poached eggs

The latkes were perfectly cooked and tasted delicious with the runny yolks of the broken poached eggs on them. The whole dish was covered in a delicious red, somewhat spicy sauce that at first seemed out of place but then quickly melded with the rest of the dish. It was topped off with a nice queso fresco to tie in the red sauce.

Polenta cakes with goat cheese and poached eggs were vegetarian AND yummy.

The polenta in this dish was in cake form, and topped with a nice shmear of goat cheese and a tangy, vibrant pesto. The pesto also ran across the poached eggs and the fresh salad. This was a great, fresh dish that was filling but not overly so. The bread that accompanied it wasn’t really necessary with the polenta cakes, but we’ll take it!

So, if you’re looking for that perfect brunch spot for this weekend, here it is! Rose Water is a classy joint with great food and good service. What more could you ask for on a Sunday morning?

Rose Water
787 Union St.
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-783-3800

SXSW Highlights: A Pictorial of Music and Breakfast

It's SXSW all day every day at Stubb's in Austin. At least until the Gospel Brunch.

Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs means business at the Other Music Lawn Party at French Legation on Friday, March 18

A horn section is always a good idea. These two played with tUnE-yArDs at French Legation as part of Other Music's Lawn Party.

tUnE-yArDs were the perfect band to play at Other Music's Lawn Party at French Legation. Lots of sun and grass and a big blue sky were the perfect backdrop for songs both old and new.

James Blake drew a huge crowd at the French Legation for Other Music's Lawn Party.

The Lawn Party's tent was filled with cloth flags--and lots of people. James Blake and his band impressed sxsw-goers with their stark brand of synth music.

 

Kurt Vile was obscured by his long hair most of the time, but at Club Deville he played a good mix of songs from his new album, Smoke Ring for My Halo.

 

Despite some technical issues with sound, and our vision being blocked by the dude in the green hat, Brooklyn's own Glasser played a lively set of songs from her debut Ring at Club Deville.

 

Since her sound equipment died at the end of her set, Glasser finished up with a beautiful a capella song.

And how could we not mention the breakfast tacos? More than one trip was made to Taco Deli, where many breakfast tacos were consumed. This one is the El Popeye, with spinach, egg, and queso fresco.

Taco Deli lets you choose your taco fillings if you desire. This is the potato, bean, and cheese selection.

 

This is the Jess Special; a Migas taco with fresh avocado and cheese!

There are lots more photos after the jump!

Breakfast Sandwich Throwdown: Prime Meats vs. Bark

The breakfast sandwich can be a beautiful thing when done right: some type of bread, eggs, and cheese and/or meat if you so desire. I’ve had a lot in my day, from hole-in-the-wall delis to food carts to fancy sit down restaurants. I’ve had them on bagels, croissants, English muffins, biscuits, and rye bread. I’ve had the eggs scrambled, poached, microwaved, and sunny-side up. I’ve had them with cheddar, Swiss, American, and provolone cheese. The only thing I can’t comment on is the meat–not my thing!

If you’re looking for something more creative, if you’re in Manhattan head to Sub No. 7, where they have such concoctions as the General Tso’s Soft Boiled Fried Egg and an egg and cheese sandwich with broccoli and smoked Gouda cheese. The one time I ordered that, however, the egg part was inedible–it had been drenched in salt, in what I can only assume was an unnoticed kitchen accident. I ended up removing the egg part, which is a sad fate for a breakfast sandwich, and everything else was perfect. For a more comprehensive review of Sub No. 7’s breakfast sandwiches, check out Ashley Muir Bruhn’s (of Hither and Thither) post for Serious Eats.

Prime Meats in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

On to the task at hand: Prime Meats vs. Bark. These two restaurant are extremely different: Prime Meats is a fancy-ish sit down affair in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn with an Americana menu and waiters in vests, while Bark is actually a hot dog joint with counter service and communal tables located in Park Slope, Brooklyn. However, they both happen to serve a mean breakfast sandwich.

Prime Meats' Brunch Punch

Prime Meats' Bloody Mary

We’ll start with Prime Meats. The space is beautiful, with dark mahogany walls, exposed brick, tin ceilings, and high windows. The wait on a Saturday morning actually wasn’t as bad as it could have been–at 11:30 am Buttermilk Channel’s wait was an hour and half, while up the street Prime Meats ended up being less than a half hour. Our waiter was slightly clueless–he had no idea what was in the Brunch Punch (I’m still unsure), but I still ordered it and it was yummy. Their Bloody Mary was excellent as well. Unfortunately, the kitchen was out of all the bakery items (like Apricot Danish, Stout Cake, and the Pretzel Braid, which I was looking forward to ordering), except the croissant which our waiter informed us was “not so good”–um, thanks for the honesty I guess?

Prime Meats' breakfast sandwich on a biscuit

On to the main event: the breakfast sandwich. Billed simply as Egg & Cheese Sandwich on the menu, you have the choice of having it on a homemade buttermilk biscuit, pullman bread or kaiser roll. Clearly, I got it on a biscuit–duh. It comes with a side salad, so I added a side order of their Herb & Gruyere Cheese Spatzle ($7), which is actually on the lunch menu. The sandwich was pretty darn good: the biscuit was buttery and sturdy and they managed to pile a lot of scrambled eggs on there. The cheese was cheddar I believe and complemented the other components well. The sandwich was actually a lot larger than I expected and at $6.50 it really is a deal in that environment. The spatzle was delicious: plump and tender and gooey with cheese.

Prime Meats' Spatzle

Now on to Bark. Bark functions as an excellent, if expensive, hot dog bar, with your choice of meat (pork, all beef, vegetarian) and various delicious combos. The husband and I love hot dogs and we love Bark, even though we always feel as though we are overpaying. On Saturday and Sundays until 3 pm they also have a breakfast menu, which includes various breakfast sandwiches and granola. They serve their sandwiches with a “slow cooked egg on a Bay’s English muffin.”

Bark's Breakfast Sandwich with Veggie Sausage

They start at $3.75 for just the plain egg and you can add bacon ($4.25), sausage ($5), veggie sausage ($5), and Grafton cheddar (add $1). I’ve had it just plain with cheese and with cheese and a veggie sausage. Both were delicious, the egg soft and runny with the English muffin’s nooks and crannies perfect for catching the yolk. The Grafton cheddar is nice and sharp and I thought the veggie sausage was delicious and added a lot to the sandwich (no limp Morning Star sausages here!); I can only assume the actual meats do as well.

Bark's Hash Browns

In the side department, Bark offers biscuits and gravy, grits with cheese, and hash browns. I can only vouch for the hash browns ($3)–tater tot like creations that were very crispy on the outside and soft and molten on the inside–perfection. I only wished there were more of them.

So in the end, it all comes down to preference of atmosphere: do you want a nice, sit down place where you can also get some cocktails and other dishes, or do you prefer a grab and go type of environment? The choice is yours, but either way you should be pleased with your sandwich.

Eat This: Blue Sky Muffins

Muffin from Blue Sky, photo courtesy of The Eaten Path

We here at TNJ have been longtime fans of Blue Sky Bakery, an excellent bakery in Park Slope. DevoLT and JudyJams used to live across the street and let me tell you it was dangerous. And amazing. Those folks know how to make a mean muffin. We haven’t gotten around to reviewing them yet, but James over at The Eaten Path recently wrote an excellent review and graciously offered to share it with us. Check it out here and visit Blue Sky soon!

Blue Sky Bakery
53 5th Avenue
Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

Eat This: Brunch at Red Rooster Harlem

Red Rooster Harlem, the long-awaited and much-anticipated Harlem restaurant by the increasingly famous Marcus Samuelsson, opened its doors at the end of last year to much fanfare. Trumpeting Samuelsson’s Swedish and African roots with Harlem’s soul food heritage, Red Rooster Harlem’s brunch menu is full of interesting offerings drawing from all three influences.

The open kitchen at Red Rooster Harlem

Prudently, we made reservations (they take them on their website and at opentable), which seemed like the smart thing to do. At 11, we got a nice table in the dining room as opposed to the bar area up front and were seated immediately; after 12 there was a large crowd waiting in the bar area. The decor is homey and comfortable with a touch of class–there is some nice artwork hanging on the walls and an interesting mural covering the open kitchen in the back. The service was solid as well.

A Philip Maysles print of Norman Rockwell as Ruby Bridges at Red Rooster Harlem

Now, on to the food:

We started with an order of cornbread ($4), which comes with two thick slices of cornbread and sides of honey butter and tomato jam. Slathering some honey butter on that cornbread was pretty heavenly. The tomato jam was nice and tomato-y–I wasn’t in the mood for that, but if you like tomatoes in the morning you’ll enjoy it.

Cornbread with honey butter and tomato jam

Since there were four of us we got a pretty good sampling of entrees. We ordered the Wood Oven Baked Egg with Mac & Greens ($14), Nuggets & Toast ($15), Poached Egg, Shrimp, & Red Grits ($15), and Lamb Hash ($14). The restaurant gives you a choice of sides with the Wood Oven Baked Egg, the other choices being Wurst & Onion or Tomato & Mozzarella. While I can’t speak for those, I can say that the Mac & Greens are fabulous.

Wood Oven Baked Eggs with Mac & Greens

The eggs themselves come in a small cast iron pan, studded with chunks of thick bread. All in all, they were just eggs. But, the Mac & Greens, covered in bread crumbs and served in their own mini cast iron dish, were supremely delicious. A mix of comte, NY cheddar, and gouda give the orechiette pasta a nice, creamy and smoky base and the added greens make you feel a little less guilty!

Mac & Greens close-up

The Poached Egg, Shrimp & Red Grits reportedly contained the best, juiciest shrimp my friend has ever tasted. The red grits are a nice, unique play on traditional grits, mixing them with tomatoes for a fresh and almost fruity flavor. The poached egg was cooked well and oozed it’s yummy yolk all through the dish.

Poached Egg, Shrimp, & Red Grits

The Lamb Hash joined chunks of tender lamb with potatoes and sweet potatoes and was served in a cast iron skillet. My husband reported the lamb juicy and well seasoned, and the potatoes went well with the lamb, with sweet potatoes adding a nice element to the overall flavor of the dish.

Lamb Hash

The Nuggets & Toast was my favorite entree of the morning. An innovative play on the traditional fried chicken and waffles, this dish has boneless chunks of friend chicken atop thick slices of brioche French toast. The whole thing was then soaked in maple syrup.

Nuggets & Toast come drenched in maple syrup

Let me start by saying I am not a huge French toast fan and almost never order it at a restaurant unless it sounds exceptional. My usual issue is that it ends up being too dry. However, these thick slices of brioche were cooked so perfectly that the middle was custardy and moist, while not being soggy. There was a LOT of maple syrup on there, which may turn some people off, but the syrup was so delicious that I didn’t mind. In fact, I loved it. The syrup also covered the chunks of chicken, which were spicy and peppery and crunchy and oh so yummy. All in all, a winning dish.

Of course, we couldn’t stop there–we had to have dessert! We ordered the Sweet Potato Doughnuts and the Warm Apple Pie. The doughnuts came with a bowl of whipped cream and a bowl of lemon sorbet. I was expecting to be blown away by the doughnuts–two of my favorite things, combined!–but in the end was a kind of disappointed. I wanted them to be more moist, and while I loved the squirt of sweet potato filling int he center of the doughnut holes, it was a tad flavorless, plus not all of them had it. However, JudyJams loved them and so did my husband, so what do I know?

Sweet Potato Doughnuts--check out the sweet potato ooze coming out of the doughnuts

Luckily, dessert was saved for me by the Warm Apple Pie! Boasting a “soft cheddar crust” this pie really blew me away. The apples were sliced very thinly and the crust was intensely amazing. And the vanilla whipped cream was the perfect accompaniment.

Warm Apple Pie = Heaven

On a side note, I am so thrilled that both pie and doughnuts are having their moments in the spotlight lately, what with Four & Twenty Blackbirds, D.O.U.G.H., and the new Doughnut Plant location in Chelsea. Hooray for non-cupcake desserts!

The verdict? It is definitely worth traveling up to Harlem over the weekend to check out Red Rooster Harlem’s brunch–just try to get a reservation so you don’t have to wait. And then you can make a day of it by checking out some of Harlem’s museums or other delicious food institutions!

Eat This: Seven Grain Porridge from Natural Blend

Seven Grain Porridge from Natural Blend

Our one day of warmth last week was clearly just a tease…it’s back to freezing here in NYC. If you’d like to start your day with something warm and soothing, try the Seven Grain Porridge from Natural Blend, a vegetarian Caribbean joint in Prospect Heights. Just $3.50 will get you a full 8 oz of piping hot and hearty porridge. They also sell a large (16 oz) for $6.50, but I cannot imagine one person being able to eat all that–it would be perfect for two or three though.

Seven Grain Porridge from Natural Blend is perfect for eating on the subway on the way to work!

They call it Seven Grain Porridge, and I spent a while trying to figure out what the seven grains are, or if there even is actually seven. I’ve concluded that there is definitely millet, oats, barley, and possibly amaranth and/or spelt in it. The grains are married together by a thick and milky liquid, flavored with spices like cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. The overall effect is warm, gooey, spicy goodness that will comfort you, while waking you up and preparing you to face the day. Perfection!

And, if you feel the need for a treat, Natural Blend also has excellent vegan baked goods, including various quick breads, like strawberry, carrot, and zucchini. And on the non-breakfast front, their vegetarian patties and other dinner items are delicious too. And cheap!

Natural Blend is located at 769 Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, between Sterling Pl and St. Johns Pl.