As we approach the weekend, I thought what better time to talk about brunch. Brunch isn’t something I eat often, actually by the time I usually get around to it it’s lupper (lunch + supper). I usually try to be somewhat good when I go out for breakfast or brunch, and order an egg white omelet with no toast. I may say no to toast, but I never say no to home fries. I like to justify that potatoes are vegetables and do not care if they are or aren’t, in my world they are and it’s not up for discussion.
So when I go out and get an egg white omelet with no toast, I’m usually wishing it was something else and therefore don’t take a picture of it. My husband probably does because he is one of those “yum, healthy foods” type of people. I do not get excited when I choose egg whites over hollandaise sauce, trust me. So if you are also one of those “yum, healthy foods” types of people that are hoping to see pictures of melons, you can just stop reading right now, because there will be no melons in this brunch blog.
The photo above is the Avocado & Sweet Potato Fritter Tartine at Tatte Bakery & Café in Harvard Square. I’ve been on an “avocado toast” kick lately, and this one was really good. I’m a huge fan of sweet potatoes, and this was a really good combination of flavors. Although both floors of this café were packed, it had a nice atmosphere and their stairs made me smile as I walked up them. They didn’t make my husband smile when someone bumped into him on the stairs and he spilled his coffee all over himself.
I also really love the Avocado Toast at The Friendly Toast, it’s nice because both pieces are different. One side has this really yummy garlic aioli which is kind of like a distant cousin of hollandaise sauce in my opinion. Oh look, I lied! There is melon in one of my pictures. I didn’t eat it, but it was there. My husband probably ate it. The Friendly Toast is just cool with all the vintage random stuff all over the place, there is always something fun to look at. I haven’t tried the waffles, but I know my daughter loves them and she is a “waffle girl”.
Speaking of waffles, we recently tried two places where I ordered waffles, both of which were great. The first was Amrheins Restaurant in South Boston, which I learned is the oldest Bar is South Boston and I find those things interesting. The Belgiun Waffle was excellent, really light with great flavor and the honey cream was delicious. The other was Zinneken’s Belgian Waffles, we went to the location in Harvard Square. It was a sweet waffle with caramelized sugar. It was delicious! More of a dessert type waffle, and if someone wants to put chocolate on my waffle, I’m sure as heck not going to stop them.
Now let’s get to the good stuff, hollandaise sauce. I just took a moment of silence for whoever the person was that created such creamy goodness. For years I would order the eggs benedict at the Arlington Diner. I haven’t had it in a number of years, but I am going to assume it is still worth getting. Their other breakfasts are great, and that is usually where I order the egg white omelet with spinach and feta, no toast, but yes to their delicious home fries.
Two that I have had recently were at Sound Bites in Somerville, and at Olde Magouns Saloon also in Somerville. At Sound Bites I ordered the Greek Eggs Bene, which had spinach, tomato, and feta cheese. It comes with their version of home fries which is a grilled mashed potato type of thing. It was good, not my favorite, but good. The other was the Blue Ribbon at Olde Magoun’s Saloon, which comes with eggs and pulled pork on top of biscuits. Let me just stop for a second and say “oh my goodness”, crazy good. Anything at Magoun’s is good, brunch, lunch, dinner, whatever, it is amazing. You should just go there all the time.
After seeing all of these photos I can almost guarantee I will be going out for brunch this weekend, and not ordering egg whites. Or melon.