Monday, September 17, 2012

Beautiful Brunch at Joe's

A superfecta of rarities converged at Joe's in Venice this Sunday:

1) I woke up early enough to go to brunch
2) I met the family of a friend whose current and past spouses who get along
3) A new moon

Our meal started with delicious brioche bread, walnut bread, and home made strawberry jam. We had to remind ourselves to stop devouring this side so we would have room to eat our meals.


The professional chef in the group, Cathy, ordered the Little Gem Wedge Salad for $6 which was served with pickled shallots, walnut crumble, pancetta with a blue cheese dressing. She generously shared bites of this fresh salad with the table.



We ordered sweet grits for $4 that was delightful. Sweetened with brown sugar and generously buttered, this Southern comfort side dish made me (a Northerner) a grits fan!


We also ordered two orders of the Brioche French Toast with Gravenstein Apples, Golden Raisins Orange Flower Cream for the table. Everyone agreed this was the lightest yet most decadent French Toast we had ever tasted. As someone who usually does not gravitate towards sweets, I was so impressed with this "appetizer" that I actually took TWO bites!


The teenager in our group, Sidra, ordered the Buttermilk Pancakes with Scrambled Eggs, Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Vermont Maple Syrup for $10. For a basic breakfast, the version here was done with better ingredients and a deft hand.


My fellow foodie friend David ordered the Open Faced Porchetta Sandwich, made with Salsa Verde, Fried Egg, Parmesan, Market Salad for $14 which he polished off with a smile.


The artist, Krista, ordered the Green Chili and Turkey Chorizo Breakfast Burrito, made with Ranchero Sauce, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Cilantro for $12 (she took this perfect picture) and enjoyed it.


I ordered the Pacific Stone Crab Hash with soft poached eggs, made with Red & Yellow Peppers, Potatoes, and Rosemary-Mustard Nage for $15. The eggs were so perfectly done the artist of our party wanted to take a picture from her seat at my side to capture their beauty. I should have taken her up on her offer to do that since my shadow detracted from this shot.


Cathy ordered the Grilled Jidori Chicken Breast panzanella salad, white balsamic, tomatoes and zucchini. Although the chicken was moist, it needed a bit more flavor, so she asked for a side of salsa verde which made the dish as tasty as it looks.


Perhaps Sunday's Superfecta is a sign that the rest of year will be filled with the good food and friends:)

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