DC Brunch Club - Best Brunch Reviews in Washington, DC

Happy Times at Harry's Tap Room

2009-04-27T00:14:00Z

We chose Harry's Tap Room at the last minute in lieu of Founding Farmers since the latter was unable to check their voicemail. We had a large group which started out at 8 and ended up being 11 and since about half of the crew was in NoVA, we chose Harry's due to its size and accessibility.

I had been to Harry's once for brunch a few years ago, but it was not very memorable. I just remember the atmosphere being nice and kind of "chain-y". I think of it as a chain mainly because of the size...but upon checking out their website, I learned they are in fact a local establishment (of sorts) started by Enovo Restaurant Ventures and while they have three locations, they are big into organic/local foods. I would have never guessed this had I not gone to their site. Again, I think I have a preconceived notion of the size of a restaurant - if it's large it means not as good, but Harry's was proof that good brunch locations come in all shapes and sizes.

Environment: Harry's Tap Room is a two story restaurant with the bar downstairs and table seating upstairs. The restaurant is almost floor to ceiling windows, so even though you are eating inside, the sun permeates the whole restaurant .   The decorations were very pottery barn meets local artist . The seating/furniture were classic dark woods while the art was large contemporary oil paintings on which we all commented as being a little out of place with the feel of the restaurant.   However, now that i have read the website the artwork makes a little more sense since they promote organic produce and local farms.

Service: We had a reservation for 8, but by the time I arrived I knew we were going to be 11. The hosting team handled it quickly and actually seated the four of us who had arrived without making us wait for the whole party (Take that Tunnicliff's)

Our waitress was good for the size of our party. My only two complaints were a) they didn't bring out ketchup with our meals, which was weird because nearly every person had breakfast potatoes and b) our waitress seemed confused on how to do the separate checks.   What 11 person table gets one single check? After a few rounds of explanations she finally got it.

Booze: A for presentation! The Kir Royal had a strawberry on the rim and the Bloody Mary's had celery, an olive and a lime.   The mimosas were a little light on the champagne, while the kir royal was perfect. Sadly, I have no notes on the bloody mary's - anyone remember? If so, post a comment.

Food: Somehow, I missed on the menu the references to organic and locally grown foods. I think there was so much talking going on at the table due to the size of our group the ordering went quickly and I wasn't paying much attention. However, for those environmentally friendly types - Harry's is a good pick. Hmmm...maybe I should have a category for that? What would I call it?

Obviously, having 11 people, we got to try quite a bit on the menu. I don't have notes on everything, but from what I do have notes on, I would say you're probably not going to go get anything horrible. While not everything was spectacular, nothing was a complete miss. The one down side was presentation. After the drinks, I had a little bit higher expectation for presentation - the most boring/sad dish was the mushroom omelet...just sad.

For starters, the brie appetizer and Roasted Red Pepper and Crab Soup were crowd pleasers. The soup was spicy with nice sized chunks of crab meat. The fall salad was the only let down as far as value goes - for what the price was, the salad wasn't much more than mixed greens.

The bread baskets were abundant and filled with assorted mini muffins, biscuits and cinnamon raisin biscuits with icing. Unfortunately, the cinnamon raisin biscuits which could have been deadly ended up being dry so no one od'd on them. I don't know if this was a good or bad thing...I'm going to say bad. We are there to eat - not fast.

For expediency, I am just going to list the notes for each dish instead of trying to get creative and come up with sentencecs/paragraphs (I am watching Loverboy while typing this, so sorry if it's a bit choppy - gotta love 18 year old Patrick Dempsey.)

Bananas Foster French Toast: See picture. 'Nuff said. Actually, it was a tiny bit burnt, but still delicious. The side of bacon was good

- not fatty or too crisp.

While the Eggs Florentine looked like it would be spectacular, the sauce was a little on the bland side making the omelet "pretty good."

The burger was decent - nothing was "special" about it. It satisfied hunger but didn't surprise anyone's taste buds. Burgers are hard to do bad and hard to do great.

Crab Cake Benedict was awesome but the english muffin was a little hard to cut - though we couldn't figure out if that was the muffin or the dull knife.

The mushroom omelet came with lots of mushrooms, but know that they are not cooked into theomelet - they are wrapped inside. Also, there is no cheese which was surprising. If you get the omelet and like 'em cheesy make sure to order it with cheese.

The Oyster Po' Boy got a thumbs up and Steven felt the oysters were fairly fresh as they were not mushy and did not taste fishy.

Overall: I would definitely go back to Harry's and would recommend it to people staying in NoVA. Due to the size, you can get in quickly and you have a large menu to choose from with good drinks. From a price standpoint, it's a pretty decent value - but you aren't getting a "deal." So don't go there if you are on a tight budget and like to have a few mimosas with brunch. While I won't tag it with the "special occasion" category, if you live in NoVA it's a nicer venue than some of the other choices, so it wouldn't be a bad spot to go when you have friends/family in from out of town.

Busboys and Poets Beats out Brunch Competition in U Street Corridor

2009-02-10T02:24:00Z

I have been to Busboys and Poets for just about every meal and I love, love, love it. Can't get enough. DC Brunch Club was overdue for a visit to the original location at 14th and V. Of course, the restaurant, bookstore, coffee shop, bar, lounge did not fail to provide the brunch club with good food, good drinks and good times.

Environment: Where to begin? Busboys and Poets is a HUGE open space with a random mix of seating from couches to lounge chairs to a bar to long tables with assorted peeps you may or may not know seated alongside of you. They don't take reservations, but no worries if you have to wait - you can grab a drink from the packed bar and stroll around their bookstore which is operated by Teaching for Change.

One of the few cons is the waiting area is narrow and the bookstore gets crowded with other people waiting for their table, so if you are claustrophobic don't go when it's crowded and cold out.

Also, when it's a full house it can be pretty loud and somewhat hard to hear. The worst for this would be when you are seated in the comfy chairs, which put you and the person seated across from you at the maximum distance apart unless you sit on the uncomfortable edge of the chair. Don't let them seat you in those darn chairs if you are hoping to have a deep convo!

Service: I have always thought the host/hostesses are a little brusque, but the waiters/waitresses are great. Our waitress was helpful with suggestions and around when we needed her, but wasn't too chatty. She was also fine with substitutions, which we appreciated. I mean who doesn't want their Brie Panini on the yummy Walnut Raisin versus the regular bread?

Drinks: What's up $5 mimosas and bloody marys? Ok, perhaps this is not a "drink special," but it's been so long since we have been somewhere that had drinks on special and reasonably priced bevos, that I decided to give these the special label. Relative to other brunches, this one was tame in the drinking department, but the bloodies had a kick and the mimosas weren't disappointing.

Food: I love that they haven't gotten rid of the bread basket, especially when the bread is dense and grainy and worth the calories.

The egg wrap was good, but I felt like it was missing something...spice? Tomatoes?

The brie panini, which Sarah had put on the raisin walnut bread, got the award for taste matching appearance. I was drooling over it just editing the picture. She also asked for a fruit salad as her side and check it out - fresh raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Don't see that often!

The tempeh sandwich was suggested by the waitress and received a "very good," from whoever ordered it - I can't remember. It was either Susie or Mattie and neither give out compliments easily.

I can't remember who got a side of the vegan bacon, but it was interesting. Can't really think of another way to describe it.

Western Omelet was cooked to fluffy perfection with just the right amount of cheese and filling.

The breakfast potatoes weren't breaking any records for tastiest, but I thought they had just enough spice and satisfied.

Overall/Repeat?: If my opening paragraph didn't tip you off, I would definitely rate Busboys and Poets near the top of our brunch spots. I also think it's a great place to take visiting friends and family to give them a taste of DC food and culture. Make sure to check their website for upcoming events and goings on to either catch something new or avoid an unwanted distraction. The place is always packed - so don't go starving!

Founding Farmers Fails First Impression

2009-02-10T01:32:00Z

Founding Farmers continues to get positive reviews and a lot of hype, so if you have heard of it, you are probably surprised to see it in our "Banned" category. However, I vowed to ban this restaurant due to lack of organization and in my opinion, being a poorly run business. I don't care if your restaurant supports starving children in Ghana - get your sh*t together.   I won't even link to their site, because they don't deserve it.

What went down:
I called Founding Farmers on a Thursday around 2pm to make a reso for that Sunday. No one answered, so I left a voice mail clearly stating I wanted to make a reservation for Sunday at 11:45am for the DC Brunch Club and to call me with any problems.

First off - why was I leaving a VM at 2pm? That is hardly still lunch rush and don't give me the cop-out "shift change" answer. If you can't do a shift change and answer the phone - you have a problem.    For argument's sake, let's say it was shift change time or they were in fact still bombarded with a lunch crowd munching on their farmy faves, at some point there is a lull before dinner starts during which time someone should have listened to my voice mail. If you can't listen to VM - don't have it.

After not hearing anything back, I assumed (wrongly) that my reservation was fine because I clearly stated my phone number and for someone to contact me if there was an issue. However on Saturday, I decided it was better to be safe than sorry - I certainly didn't want 12 people showing up to the restaurant sans reservation. I called and spoke with a young woman who said there was in fact no reservation for the DC Brunch Club. I was livid, of course. Her manager got on the phone and said she wasn't aware of the VM and that they could get us in at 1pm. Um, brunch at 1pm? That's called late lunch - not brunch. What about DC BRUNCH CLUB is not clear? If I wanted DC LUNCH CLUB, I would have bought that URL.    Then I was stuck having to make a last minute change of locale and let the 12 attendees know -- very irritating and time consuming.

Because of this experience, I have placed Founding Farmers on the DCBrunchClub.com Banned List - you are banned. I will not approve comments about brunch experiences at Founding Farmers. This is not a democracy - it's a dcbrunchclubocracy.

Causing Commotion at Commissary in Logan Circle

2008-11-08T17:13:00Z

EatwellDC, a group that owns four restaurants in DC including Logan Tavern and the Heights (DCBC reviewed the Heights in February of 08 and I did a mini-review for Logan Tavern during Tropical Storm Gustav a few months ago), shut down Merkado their Latin-Asian restaurant on P St and reopened it this summer rebadged as "Commissary". Merkado's food had become pretty gross and a lot of the faves had disappeared from the menu (cornbread), so I wasn't overly depressed by Merkados departure.

From the website, Commissary is suppopsed to be a "neighborhood place" with "honest prices." Um, hmmm...isn't Logan Tavern which is 4 doors down on P Street also a neighborhood place? Oh wait, that's right, Logan Tavern is the more focused sibling when it comes to their menu and atmosphere, while Commissary is the "Super Green" and super spastic one that can't decide what it wants to be when it grows up - bar? coffeeshop? smoothie hut? a soldier? gay? straight?   Here's a tip....DON'T VISIT THE WEBSITE! It's just weird and causes confusion and frustration in its overt attempt to your best friend who is really cheap and patriotic. The one reason you may want to go to their site is to start going through the menu - in my bberry notes I wrote "spastic" menu because it is ALL OVER the map. I was in decision overload and luckily I was cravin Nachos or I may have been perusing the menu for hours before deciding.

Now, you might be thinking...hmmm...Sietsma....wasn't there another Sietsma who wrote a review about this restaurant on October 29th that was retracted from the Post becuase the reviewer had a personal relationship with one of the owners of the restaurant? No. That was a Sietsema...notice the awkward extra e between the s and m. No relation...I don't think.   But the story is quite hysterical...when we arrived at Commissary posted on the front door on bright yellow paper was Tom Sietsema's retraction statement about his review in the Post. Classic.

Alright enough background on Commissary....let's get down to the brunch!

Environment: Commissary does have outdoor seating, but due to our group size and the fact that you can't make reservations and can only call ahead we sat inside. The interior was cozy eclectic. The walls are blue and I could swear the seating is the same as Merkado, but my Merkado memory is hazy. Major difference is the Busboys and Poets-like center area with armchairs and cozy two-tops for those wanting to just have coffee and maybe get out their Mac and look busy while scoping the crowd.   Since we had 7, we were relegated to the center communal table. Of course with our raucous retelling of our drunken Halloween stories, this was probably not the best location as it quickly became apparent the diners around us were not enjoying our stories quite as much as we were.

The long bar was filled with brunchers who didn't want to wait for a table, which made it a little hard to get in and order my drink while I waited. They have a separate "to-go" area which I think is for the coffees and smoothies and since I was ordering a coffee (with baileys and jamisons in it), I found this a good alternative to having to reach over people eating food.   It's at the end of the bar away from the front door.

Service: I knew they didn't take reservations, but that they did take call ahead, so when I called ahead 3 hours, the very nice hostess said she would take my information, but that I should call back 20 minutes before the actual time we were arriving.   They won't seat until your entire party has arrived, which is understandable since they have a 30-45 minute wait if you don't call ahead. The place is popular right now.

Booze: What's up pitchers and bottles? Love it. While I was overwhelmed by the food menu, I was totally down with the booze menu. You can get your own bottle of chapagne and any flavor juice to mix with for $24 do-it-yourself mimosas. Now, while this isn't necessarily "discount" drinks because it evens out to $6/mimosa, it's cool because I can mix 'em just how I like 'em. You can pick from pear, mango, cranberry, and orange and they bring the juice out in little baby carafes and open the bottle at your table! Too fun.

For bloody marys, they have pitchers for the same price ($28) which I thought our table had ordered, but then the two getting bloodies got their drinks in pint glasses so I guess the waitress didn't hear us go for the pitcher. A single bloody mary is $7.50. The bloody marys weren't spicy, but they will bring out tabasco.

My earlier Irish Coffee was bland. The bartender seemed to be working solo and a little inundated, so he was a little slow to get the drink made and definitely didn't take the extra moment to add the whip cream I had requested.

Food: As I mentioned before, the options are endless and seem to touch every genre of food. I had been up since 6, so had already eaten breakfast, therefore I went with a lunchy item - chicken nachos. Ok, that's more like an appetizer but I was craving nachos.   They were very good and HUGE to boot, but they could have been warmer. In certain areas the cheese wasn't melted. Don't worry - this did not stop me from devouring them. Clean plate club.

Sarah had the huevos rancheros and it was also a little on the not warm enough side.

Dana liked her spinach omelet and home fries that had lots of onions, while Allison found the Home Fries too soggy for her tastes - she likes them crisp.

Eggs Benedict = Good

Overall/Repeat: For what we had, nothing was "bad". Sure, could have been warmer, but the brunch was good. I'm not going to lie, while it may have sounded like I was complaining about their menu it makes me curious. I would definitely go back to try different items because a lot of them did sound good. Plus, I am obsessed with the do it yourself Mimosas.

This is a great place to come when you are hungover and live in the 'hood though don't come starving because you will probably have to wait unless you can snag a place at the bar.

I don't think I would try this place as a coffee shop/work space because a) it's noisy and b) you are right in the front and middle of the restaurant...it's just a weird use of the space.

I will head back to Commissary and maybe sooner rather than later...partly because I need some pics to spice up this review! Sorry! Those mimosas got to me I guess!

Droppin' Dough at Darlington House in Dupont Circle

2008-11-05T02:08:00Z

Yay! Ann is in town from Japan, so you could say this brunch was a "special occasion" brunch.   Allison had raved about Darlington House after restaurant week (keeping in mind prices are fixed during restaurant week), so we were all excited to try Darlington House, which opened in spring of 2008.

A note: Darlington House is "officially" located upstairs. They have a bar downstairs, but it's dark and more watch football and drink beers than sip mimosas and eat omelets.

Environment: The upstairs Darlington House is what I would call "modern victorian". (Versus the downstairs is dark wooden bar).   Seating is limited, but they do have a small covered outdoor area that seems to get really weird lighting. I once almost stopped there with some friends for lunch, but the tables available were split with one side completely in the shade and the other in direct sunlight.

Service: We were able to make reservations and they did seat us before the entire group had arrived...the rest of the group being me thinking the bar was downstairs and wondering where everyone was at and not sure of where the host/hostess was. Though I will say - the bartender downstairs was great!

Our waiter was young and the consensus was he wasn't great, but he wasn't bad either. When we paid our bill with about 7 different cards, the manager did come out to help out, which was nice.

Booze: I did order an Irish coffee in my brief stint downstairs when I didn't realize the restaurant was upstairs and it was amazing. The bartender added vanilla bean creme fraiche (soon to be renamed "creme freshen...see comments below) and it was probably the yummiest one I have ever had. Once arriving upstairs, I gushed about the drink to the others so Mattie followed suit, but the upstairs bartender was not quite as caring and his came sans creme freshen.

The bloody mary's were big, but not so great and a little heavy on the lime-only garnish. They were shockingly expensive ($11) for such a blah drink and they helped to bring down the entire experience.

The mimosa was heavy on the orange juice, but not as crazily overpriced as the Bloody Mary's. $7 for a mimosa.

Food: The food mirrored the bloody mary's....blah and expensive. The omelets tasted ok but were a little on the dense side and they blatantly put a full slice of cheese on the omelet and the eggs someone else ordered and just melted it - no presentation.

The hash was good (a few people ordered this) and both agreed the poached eggs could have been more runny to make the hash less dry.

Kevin had the "Hangover Helper" which was a cute little name for steak and eggs and while the steak was surprisingly good, the eggs were overdone.   We all agreed he was brave to order steak for breakfast - this is usually always a bad order.

The breakfast potatoes had a mixed reaction - both Dana and I were in favor, but Ann and Kevin thought they were just "ok."

Sara got the fruit and yogurt, which was a boring bowl of plain yogurt with some cut up strawberries.

Finally, we got two orders of the donuts holes and dipping sauces for the table. I don't even think we finished them...and we aren't the type to turn down sweets. They were just bland.

Cost: This isn't usually a category, but we felt it was deserved. Darlington House is no Willard...it's not even Peacock Cafe. The bill came in at $270 for 8 people which was just outrageous for nothing special. The coffees were $3.25 - this is insane. Starbucks coffee is half the price, way bigger and better! There coffee was just so so. And as you know, we have a club soda thing and most people believe you shouldn't be charged for club soda, but they charged $3, then never brought it! Obviously, it was removed from the bill...but it's the principal of charging a gzillion dollars for water!

Overall/Repeat? While the atmosphere is nice....I thought the cost of the not-so amazing food was completely out of line. Maybe their dinner is great and worth the cost, but their brunch is not. No question. I would not repeat and I seriously doubt I would even go there for another meal.

Recommend? Not hard to guess, I would not recommend Darlington House for brunch. However, like I said before, I have heard people rave about their dinner, so if someone was looking for a dinner place in dupont where cost was not an issue, then I might suggest Darlington, but put on a disclaimer.

Logan Tavern Unofficial Mini-Review

2008-11-04T23:52:00Z

During Tropical Storm Hannah, the residents of DC still needed to be fed and god forbid I try to cook, so a friend and I braved the weather and walked from 14th and R to Logan Tavern on Pst betweeen 14th and 15th. Sister restaurant to Grillfish, The Heights and Commissary (3 doors down from LT), Logan Tavern has a great menu and their brunch menu was no different.   While this is a "mini" review since there were only two of us and I didn't take copious notes, I thought I would give you some of the highlights.

Environment: They do have outdoor seating, which we obviously didn't take advantage of seeing as the sky was falling, but the front seating right on P street is always packed when the elements aren't in the way. The inside decor is lodgy dark wood seating with lighter walls giving it a cozy meets warehouse feel.    Even with the ridiculous storm, the place had a good crowd which was surprising. I guess it's a testament to the restaurant...or the fact that no one that lived in Logan wanted to venture too far and they don't have a ton of other options.

Service: We had a great waiter who was friendly and helpful, oh and did I mention hot? Judging by the 'hood, I probably wasn't his type, but I didn't mind - eye candy is eye candy.   Scrumcious.

Booze: They of course have no drink specials, not a shocker - no one ever does, but we of course had to try their mimosas. We both agreed they were the perfect mix of oj and champagne...yum!

Food: Bread on the table - hallelujah! Who said people don't want bread on the table? I do!! Especially when it is gooooood bread.

As I mentioned, they have a huge menu and it took us forever to decide what we wanted (there can be such a thing as too big). The bummer....once we decided, I forgot to take notes on what we ordered! I think I was too busy staring at the waiter and eating the bread!   What I do have is this: "Home fries not good. Do Substitutions" Um....so fail on the home fries, but if you are a picky eater like me, then they will substitute items for you...what those items are I have no idea because I didn't take notes on that! But they will do it!

Repeat/Overall: Since this was a mini-review, I would have to say based on what I wrote then yes, I would repeat. I have had lunch and dinner at Logan Tavern and they are nothing if not consistent.

Sette Osteria...not all Settes are Bad for Brunch - Dupont Circle

2008-11-04T18:42:00Z

For those faithful readers of the DC Brunch Club adventures, you may remember the first time we braved the bridge and headed down to Arlington and ended up at Sette Baddo...oh, Sette Bello - sorry. Since that didn't stop us from heading to NoVa again, (see Tallula), I felt like it shouldn't stop us from trying another Sette. Why let one ruin the whole group? So in an un-official brunch club brunch, some college friends and I decided to give Sette Osteria by Dupont Circle a chance. I was hesitant, but we were sick of walking around, so Sette it was.

Environment: Sette does offer outdoor seating with big umbrellas to provide shade, however, the tables are small and can't sit more than four comfortably. If you have a bigger group like we did, you won't be miserable inside. Sette's interior is very open and airy with one wall being all windows.

Service: At first our waiter seemed nice and I even gave him the opportunity to shine by getting me a better Mimosa...see Booze, but once we were served our food he went MIA. At the end of the meal, we gave him two credit cards and even wrote the amount to get charged to each and he messed it up. Not brain surgery my dear boy.

Booze: So, while I love my college girlfriends, they are not brunchers. I was the only one drinking...they had "errands to run" and "stuff to do" later. I'm sorry, that's what Saturday is for...ah well, one day they will learn that Sunday should always be "Sunday Funday"...they have growing up to do. Anywho, I ordered a mimosa that was heavy on the oj. I sent it back and my second was a little better, but I was already disappointed. This of course didn't stop me from ordering a few more, but they were by no means scene stealeres.

Food: While their brunch menu is limited, their pizza menu is off the hook and I am always in the mood for pizza. While the ladies aren't Sunday drinkers, they are foodies, so we had a good range of menu items.

The Salmon eggs benedict was a popular order and got good reviews.

The Poached Eggs with Prosciutto and Melon had lots of prosciutto, very fresh melon and really, can you screw up poached eggs?

The fritatta looked great and I was told the mozzarella was very fresh.

We had two pizzas - the Regina and the Verdona. The Regina's sauce was fresh with just the right amount of sugar and it wasn't full of cheese. I can't remember if the cheese thing was good or bad... The Verdona is a white pizza - I need to remember to ask if the sauce isn't mentioned. I am not a white pizza gal, so I of course had to order a side of marinara (which they didn't charge me for - thank you). I thought it could have used

Tunnicliff's Tavern Proves Bars Can Do Good Brunch - Capitol Hill

2008-11-04T17:16:00Z

We haven't done the Hill in quite a while (Belga was the last time), so it was high time we headed back down to the southeast side and gave their restaurants a chance to vie for the title of best brunch in DC. Tunnicliff's Tavern was recommended by a few friends and after checking out their menu online, I was excited to go somewhere with standard brunch fare. However, I did realize that often the more "basic" then menu - the harder it was to do well. There are only so many ways to make breakfast potatoes, so it's hard to make them stand out, but Tunnicliff's surprised me, especially after the somewhat rocky start.

Environment: Tunnicliff's has an outdoor covered patio, which is a nice option on beautiful days, but for some reason we didn't sit out there. Don't think they could accommodate our group of 6 in a timely enough manner. We ended up inside, which is a little on the "dark" side due to the dark wood decor. The interior is classic American bar with patriotic paintings, but I didn't feel like it was in your face "Go Team America" nor does it have that J.Pauls icky stale beer smell.

Service: When I say we had, or really I had a rocky start with Tunnicliffs this refers to their service. When I first arrived, the hostess did not seem very excited to help, as she had to get up from a table where she was sitting talking with another employee. Sorry for interrupting your discussion. I told her there would be six and that I had called ahead with a reservation...the inside was pretty quiet with a lot of open tables. I told her we would be open to taking first available. She asked if my entire group was there and I said no, so she asked me to wait. I was so frustrated. Two more people in my group showed up and we still had to wait. I understand waiting when the place is packed and others are waiting, but that was certainly not the case. In fact, it appeared that a few of the servers were killing time chilling with the hostess. A note to management at Tunnicliffs..no, a note to the owner: YOU LOST REVENUE!!! Read our blog...we drink...usually a lot. Had we been sitting at our EMPTY table, we would have been ordering drinks...thus increasing the number of drinks consumed throughout our brunch.

Once we were seated our waitress didn't really raise the bar. We had to ask for water three times, she bumped into my chair a few times and didn't say sorry or excuse me and when asked, she quickly divulged the crab was from a can. I mean, we didn't want her to lie and say it was fresh, but we were shocked at her very candid admission of the canned crab (though this did not stop me from ordering the crab omelet, so maybe this wasn't a bad thing). I definitely felt she was not-so friendly, but as the meat went on some of the other brunch clubbers warmed up to her.

Booze: The bloody marys got a thumbs up in the spicy and garnish departments (two olives, celery and lime). while I felt the mimosas were seriously lacking in champagne...if I wanted OJ - I would have ordered it.

Food: Here is where Tunnicliffs turned it around...up to this point, I was seriously doubting my review and then we saw the French Toast get delivered to the table and it looked heavenly so we decided to "open" our minds to the possibility the food was going to be more than just bar brunch.

French Toast was ordered for the table and everyone got to try it. We decided it was very good, but not amazing...it needed something - maybe more cinnamon?

Everyone agreed the breakfast potatoes were noticeably good. This is where we went off into the discussion of doing the basics good versus doing them great. It's hard to make the basics noticeable and we felt Tunnicliffs did it with their taters.

Eggs Nova Scotia got a yummy face from Steven, which we took as approval and recommendation.

I braved the canned crab omelet and was surprised - it had a lot of the canned crab which actually had good flavor and the omelet was cooked just right. I hate overcooked omelets!

The breakfast club sandwich had an extremely shiny bun (see picture below) and earned an "mmmmmmm so good" from Lindsay, but she did say it could have used a sauce of some sort, so if you order it get some kind of side sauce.

Dana ordered the pancakes and got a side of crispy bacon. We had a bet going the bacon would not end up crispy, but while our waitress wasn't friendly, she obviously was a good order taker as the bacon was perfectly crisp. The pancakes were just the right thickness to make them tasty but not overly filling.

Finally, the Breakfast Burger (pictured at top), which I am pretty sure they claimed was the best in DC, was good but not quite the best according to Mattie. Mattie vs. Tunnicliffs Tavern - who would win? My money is on Mattie!

Overall/Repeat? Overall, the food was very good - not amazing, but by no means disappointing. If you are going to be down in the southeast and not sure where to go and want hearty brunch food - do Tunnicliffs. Belga was very good as well, but more on the sweet side and not as filling from the savory side, which is where Tunnicliffs hit the spot.

However, I probably won't repeat here until I have tried all other places in the southeast due to the service. It's not worth it when there could be places with just as good food and better service. But, I would recommend it to someone who has never been. I would not recommend it for a special occasion brunch - Belga is a better choice for that if you are trying to stay on the Hill. (Ok, we need to try some other places in the southeast so I have more to compare!)

Tasty Treats at Tallula in Arlington

2008-09-07T13:48:00Z

We headed down to NOVA to celebrate Tiffany's birthday with a "surprise brunch" at Tallula on Washington Blvd. in the Lyon Park neighborhood of Arlington. I had never been to Tallula (I rarely head into NOVA - try to avoid it at all costs because I ALWAYS get lost), but all of our Arlington brunch clubbers raved about it. None had been for brunch, but all had been for dinner, drinks or both. I will say, it looked cute from the website, but I was uber confused by the EatBar vs Tallula vs Planet Wine - why is it three places? I think we actually ate in "PlanetWine" since we had a big group and it was for a birthday, so they isolated us in front of the Wall o' Wine by the front window. Overall, I was glad I trekked down to VA - not just because Tiffany was ridiculously surprised, but because Tallula didn't disappoint.

Environment: The restaurant is adorable - we dubbed it "Tuscan Modern". While we were cordoned off in "Planet Wine," and were not in the regular dining area, we did have to walk through it to get to the restroom and I loved the decor. There were also funky lounge-like rooms off the main dining area that I am assuming make up "EatBar."

They do have outdoor seating, but just know there are only about 8 tables and they are all two tops and it does not appear they can easily be pulled together to make a four top due to the narrow space available.

Big group? No problem. They put our group of 12 at a massive table in the front of the restaurant and it was kind of like we had our own little restaurant since we were separated from the rest of the dining area by a massive wall of wine, which became very tempting. The only awkward part is when a couple came in to actually shop for wine...we kind of felt like they were invading our space.

The music started out really good and a few of us commented on it, but then at some point in the brunch, it flipped to Casey Casum and the music got BAD! I almost complained it was that bad and we NEVER complain about the music.

Service: While our waiter was super-cute, he became progressively less attentive throughout brunch. I don't know if he was slammed or just forgot about us since from his vantage point at the bar where he was hanging out chatting with a waitress he just couldn't see our empty drinks.

I was very pleased with host and the reservation process. When I arrived a little early, the table was already set up and he sat me without the rest of my group, who didn't end up showing for about 20 minutes. I kinda felt like "that girl" as I sat at the big table all by myself and everyone who entered the restaurant could see me alone, but FINALLY the crew showed! Phew. That coulda been embarrassing.

Food: This is where Tallula showed us they were in the brunch game as a serious contender. Everyone liked their food, which rarely happens and while always have a few minor complaints suggestions, no main courses displeased our pallettes.

Mattie had the ricotta and sourcherry pancakes, which everyone wanted and he really liked them. Just about everyone had a bite of his pancakes and yummy noises abounded.

The omelet was fluffy with a lot of filling and the side of toasted brioche bread was really tasty! It's not often that the toast gets a shout-out.

The eggs benedict are served on fried green tomatos, which makes them not as heavy, but the supposed jalapenos are non-existent.

Biscuits and gravy had good biscuits but sweet gravy...this would be a no for those who love traditional biscuits and gravy, but those who tried them from our group liked the twist of the sweeter gravy.

The fried egg BLT looked great and tasted great according to Monisha, but grits didn't have enough salt and she had to keep seasoning.

The home fries were the only real disappointment as they were overcooked and bland. What is it with homefries? They seem so easy, but are rarely rarely good.

Booze: Don't expect any drink specials here. While we have gotten used to this, it is still always disappointing. The bloody mary got rave reviews from Tiffany who is probably one of our most discerning bloody drinkers, but the mimosas got a thumbs down from everyone. (Though of course this did not stop us from having lots of them) They tasted like they were made with cheap very dry champagne and watered down OJ.

Overall/Repeat: If you live in Arlington, this is a must. I don't know if I would trek down from DC just to go here, but if I was in the area I definitely would. I also plan to go for dinner/drinks sometime.

ViNOteca...yes on drinks no on brunch

2008-07-22T00:00:00Z

Ok, perhaps the title is a little harsh...but, for the DC Brunch Club, if Vinoteca at 11th and U in Northwest Washington DC is going to try to play the brunch game, they need to step it up. While, we are the first to say booze and service are big parts of the brunchin' experience, the food has to be up to snuff and Vinoteca's morning cooking crew seemed to be more of the "hungover" crew. However, in all fairness, this was a Saturday brunch due to it being a holiday weekend (4th of July), therefore I give them some wiggle room for hungover staff and somewhat bland food.

Environment: Vinoteca is a great wine bar by night, but this doesn't translate as well for the daytime brunch club. To their credit, they do offer outdoor seating, which I would highly recommend. We couldn't sit outside because of the rain and were forced to sit inside, but at least they had great classic rock playing.

They can accommodate big groups as they can pull together tables, but if their brunch fare ever improves, I can see this place filling up for brunch in the winter, similar to their night time crush of people and it may not be as easy for groups.

Service: As of right now, reservations are not needed, nor does time of day matter unlike Bourbon or Belga.

Our waitress Morgan was the perfect mix of friendly without being overly chatty or too aloof. She also didn't mind how drunk/loud we became. However, we were the only table besides a lame group of girls that didn't even get A drink, so it's not as if we were disturbing anyone. Who does brunch without even one little mimosa for an entire table of women? Who are these people?!

The kitchen crew seemed a little lackluster. The cook was rugged-guy hot, but he looked like he would have rather been anywhere else than slavin' over the stove at Vinoteca. (Like my apartment? I kid, I kid)

Food: What first attracted me to Vinoteca for brunch was the menu. They had a large selection of omelets, paninis and lots of sides. A lot of the brunch clubbers liked the idea of all of the sides so they could "custom" make their brunch experience, which is a nice change from some of the more set entree items at most brunch places. Unfortunately, the food turned out to be not great.

Ram and Mattie both got the Monte Cristo and both thought it was a little overdone. Allison thought the same for the eggs and I agreed for the turkey sausage and omelet de mer, which wasn't just overdone but had a sparse amount of "de mer" (seafood).

The only two things that got decent praise were the french toast though we agreed it doesn't hold a candle to Red Rocks' french toast and the granola yogurt plate, which had tasty homemade granola, but not enough yogurt.

Booze: The drinks were the best part of this brunch experience - not surprisingly. $5 drinks - say what?! We have gotten so used to outrageously priced mimosas/drinks and those that aren't expensive aren't good, that we were pleasantly surprised and pleased by the brunch booze price tag at Vinoteca. The Bellinis were the belles of the ball, as were the Irish coffees. However, know that these are Jameson-only Irish coffees, so if you want Bailey's as well, you must request it (which I obviously did!).

Mimosas and Bloodies weren't really center stage at this brunch as neither were remarkable, though neither were bad.

Overall: As I said at the start - it was blah and would not be a first choice. Though, if you live in the 'hood, give it a chance. Try Sunday. Restaurants tend to bring out the A-crew for Sunday Brunch. (At least we hope they do) Just don't go in with high expectations and be ready to drink Bellinis!

Repeat: Probably not. I may try a Sunday or just wait for a faithful reader to try it and comment on it before this happens!

Rockin' Good Time at Red Rocks in Columbia Heights

2008-07-21T23:16:00Z

Ann is back from Japan for a few weeks so she did the review for Red Rocks..break for me...yay!

I was skeptical when Sara suggested a pizza place for brunch, because we have not had the best success with brunch pizza, as Allison can attest to (see Setto Baddo). It was my first brunch back in DC since Christmas so I was very much looking forward to seeing the gang and having a good meal and Red Rocks did not disappoint! If I was still living there I would probably be too lazy to make the hike up to Columbia Heights on a Sunday (I liked to stay on my busline...) but now that the Target, etc. is up that way I might have been more open to it....

ENVIRONMENT: They have a wonderful patio, which is where our group sat. Inside is a little dark and all hard wood. Not really a "theme"...just wood. A great thing about Red Rocks for brunch is it didn't get too crowded and is dog friendly - yeah for dog lovers. Our table neighbors ADORABLE dog sat under our table for most of the meal and we plotted on how to sneakily steal her, but decided against it in the end.

SERVICE: The staff was welcoming and very accommodating to our expanding reservation (from 6 - 10). They immediately brought us water and took our drink orders and immediately saw the need for pitchers of mimosas, so we never had to wait for refills.

FOOD: The menu selection is great and we found it hard to choose! While many of us were drawn to "Eggs in Hell" simply because of the name, the Red Rocks regular Jamie, informed us that it is not as sexy as it sounds and we should probably pass on that dish.

A popular choice was the pizza omelet which was green peppers, onion, mushrooms, pepperoni, prosciutto, fennel sausage, mozzarella, with potato. The breakfast pizza was a winner and is big enough to share (and happily it did not have a raw egg sliding around it as we experienced elsewhere...)

All agreed that the pizza crust and the bread at Red Rocks is delish! Accordingly the french toast was also wonderful!

Sara ordered the proscuitto and arugula omelet and while the omelet itself was fluffy and tasty, it could have used more cheese.

BOOZE: Red Rocks has a $9 bottomless mimosa for brunch, which was surprisingly pretty tasty for being so cheap.

Kevin, Dana and I still have not tried a bloody mary to to the ones we've had at Axis (See No Axis of Evil Here) or District Chophouse. These bloodys needed more garnish and olives, but they did have old bay on the glass, which was a yummy touch!

OVERALL: The combination of food, friends and fun, made this, in my opinion, was one of our best brunches ever. It was great to see the old crew again and good to know that DCBC is still up and running!!!

REPEAT? Heck yes...especially if you want good hungover food that isn't uber greasy.

Fairing Well with Figs at the Fairmont Hotel in Foggy Bottom

2008-07-21T22:36:00Z

With Ann still in town from Japan, we decided we needed to do a shi-shi hotel brunch, looking for someone to compare to the Willard. We were lured to the Fairmont Hotel on M Street in Foggy Bottom by their advertisement for the "Chocolate Lover's Brunch, offering a "chocolate" (this is actually on their website...) with bottomless champagne and a chocolate fountain. When we arrived, the hostesses still referred to the brunch as such, however there was no chocolate wonderland, but there was a fountain.

NOTE: THEY ARE NO LONGER DOING THE SUNDAY BUFFET BRUNCH IN THE COLONNADE. Though you can still do a la carte at Juniper.

Review of Fairmont by Ann:

ENVIRONMENT: The space is not as old-school swank as Willard, but it is really lovely, with a live pianist.

SERVICE: As should be expected with a hefty price tag we had excellent service. Dagmawi definitely gave Armando a run for his money and will go into our waiter hall of fame with Gionathan and Armando!! He scored a hit with us, not only because our glasses were never empty, but while we were discussing the rumor that Laura Bush sneaks over to the Willard to have a desert and a cigarette, one of us remarked that we couldn't believe that she smokes and, not missing a beat, Dagmawi, as he is pouring some champagne, interjects, "Wouldn't you...?" He also confirmed that this was NOT the Chocolate Lover's brunch, but gave us the lowdown on the most delicious chocolate desserts out on the table.

BOOZE: The mimosas and champagne were good and free flowing as part of the $65 brunch and I don't have any notes on anyone ordering a Bloody Mary, so they must not have been memorable if anyone went that route.

FOOD: Since we are experienced brunchers, we knew we needed to pace ourselves. We started with the salad, and seafood areas of the buffet. Crab claws were delicious and as good if not better than the Willard.

Dana noted that they had an entire bowl of figs. This is not something you see every day and they were excellent.

The salad, cheese and other assorted starter items were standard brunch fare, nothing to gush about. I do think the cheese selection is much better at the Willard. spectacular view of their garden courtyard - though you can not dine outside.

We then moved on t the hot food and we had eggs and omelets made for us and most of us tried some bacon or sausage. I am not a huge meat eater but the bacon was really good so I am sure I had seconds.

Someone tried the lambchops and reported that they were spectacular.

You would think that living in Japan would prevent me from wanting Asian food while at a DC brunch, but no, I ate more than I should have of the vegetable egg rolls that were offered on the Asian table. I did pass on the lame looking sushi though. But I excuse myself from any evaluation of sushi in DC, since I am admittedly biased.

They also had pancakes, waffles and french toast. Again, being professionals we know not to fill up on the carbs too soon, but their pumpkin french toast was AWESOME!!! You can not get THAT at the Willard...

DESSERTS: One area where we all agreed that Fairmont outperformed the Willard was the dessert table. I am not a big fan of the sweets, but even I grabbed a plate to sample!

We had a hard time figuring out the names of the specific desserts, and I can't believe this is accurate, but my notes say "pineapple and toasted marshmallow - delicious!"...so it must be true.

I know I tried the cheesecake and the chocolate truffle torte - heavenly. I do not think any of us ate the chocolate covered strawberries but the 10 year old sitting to our left probably consumed about 25 on her own as we saw her making countless trips to the buffet table.

As you can imagine this took us about 3 hours, while not as out of hand (or as long) as the Willard brunch, the conversation covered cannibals, dating coworkers and other random topics. We noted that the buffet brunch lets you escape from awkward moments by simply interrupting the speaker with , "Anyone ready for another round?"

OVERALL: Everyone agreed the food and especially the desserts were very good and it would be a good place to take friends/family in from out of town or for a special occasion. However, if you had the extra $20, we say go to the Willard instead, if you haven't yet been.

REPEAT? We would probably do the Willard instead, UNLESS we were craving desserts. Then, the Fairmont is better.

Kapitol time at Leopold's Kafe Brunch in Georgetown

2008-06-18T16:03:00Z

Cady's Alley is pretty much the coolest alley in DC. It is full of funky furniture stores that are frequented by Dupont and Logan's most stylish residents and window shopped by the rest of us "middle classers." Tucked away in this quaint little alley is the fresh and modern Leopold's Kafe. Known for their Austrian food, this Georgetown secret became a natural choice for a beautiful Sunday brunch because of their outdoor seating.

Booze: There are no drink specials!! The martinis and mimosas start at 11! You will drink yourself into the poorhouse, which of course we attempted to do. As you read the individual drink reviews below, know that the quality of the drink drastically depends on the bartender. I ended up swinging back through later in the day and our waitress from brunch was the bartender (Shanel) and her drinks were considerably better than our brunch drinks, but this is a brunch review and Shanel doesn't work brunch...so, beware!

I would not order the mimosas, they don't have much champagne and are retarded expensive ansd Ram claims this is because they use odwalla OJ. If you feel the need for organic mimosas, then I guess you would be into it, but in my opinion - screw the organic and add more champagne.

The Elderflower martini was recommended for being refreshing ...we found it a little too sweet - they need to back down on somethin'...

Espresso Martini is sweet but not really strong on the espresso, which I like, but Ram who ordered the cocktail felt the lack of espresso detracted from the drink.

Millionaire Mojito had lots of mint and was actually good, which all agreed was surprising because they are not an easy drink and the bartender seemed to struggle with everything else. Perhaps she was formerly employed at a cuban restaurant?

After we felt overwhelmed by too many "sweet" drinks, Shanel our waitress suggested their margarita. Unfortunately, sweet tooth bartender struck again and we gave the Margarita a thumbs down, as well.

We didn't order the lambic during brunch, but when Cynthia and I circled back later in the day, she opted for the raspberry beverage and we were delighted that it was only 8.50 for the big bottle! Finally - a deal!

Food: Overall it was average. We decided it wasn't bad, except for Rams steak and eggs, which was a bad order, but it wasn't great. We've learned it takes a lot for "brunch" to stand out and there weren't any standouts on the brunch menu.

If you order the trout, know that the "arugula" it comes with is not a small side salad of arugula, but literally a piece of arugula shredded up in the breakfast potatoes! We also felt the main item - the "trout" was lacking in quantity.

Ram decided he could still nibble after he had pushed the sorry excuse for steak and eggs around his plate, so he ordered the tea sandwiches, which were actually a great treat! If you need an afternoon snack, these hit the spot.

Desserts: Desserts don't always get their own shout out, but these desserts were the saving grace (besides the environment and Shanel's later bartending) for Leopold's Kafe.    The key lime tart (left) with the almond crust was scrumcious, but the Esterhazy (below) was UNBELIEVABLY good! It was hazelnut butter cream goodness.

Service: Leopold's got slammed in other reviews for service and it appears they have taken notice. While the other reviews I read were dinner, I am hoping what we experienced now carries throughout all meals, because our waitress Shanel was awesome! She was very knowledgable about the restaurant, the coffee, the desserts, the food - ok, well, everything. And as mentioned before, she even became a great bartender after three. Perhaps that's why the suck bartender worked brunch, so Shanel could be out rockin' the service category for the DC Brunch Club!

Environment: Outdoor seating is key! Don't get me wrong, the inside is modern and funky with a color scheme of clear, orange and white, but when it is beautiful out - who doesn't want to sit outside under one of their big orange umbrelllas?

There is no music (at least outside), which let's the sound of the fountain act as white noise canceling out the conversations from the other tables and leaving the peacefulness of the alley.

The crowd was chock-full of Euros lending to the feeling that we were indeed in a foreign country...I half expected to walk back to the street and find the signs in a foreign language, much like the menu which of course, was Austrian.

Also, they seem to be small dog friendly in the outdoors. There were a few little dogs under some tables and one black pug with a giant flower as a collar. You could tell he was very embarrassed.

A warning: Don't wear shorts if you sit outside! The chairs are metal mesh and leave a not-so-cute imprint on the back of your legs.

Overall: Not a brunch place for a foodies like us...hee hee, but if you want an average, pricey brunch (ours was $235 for 5 people) and the weather is nice out, then you may think it is just the place for you. We decided that the Austrians can probably whip up a mean dinner, but brunch is not their thang.

Repeat? No for brunch, but yes for afternoon snacks, desserts and drinks under Shanel's watch.

Sunday Bloody Sunday aka Tabaq Bistro and Bar Pilar, U Street

2008-06-18T15:03:00Z

This was supposed to be our big Bloody Mary Crawl, but it didn't turn out that way, as you will see from Ann's review. I got heart burn - shocker. However, Ann did put in some Bloody Mary reviews, so do read those if you are a bloody fan.

I wanted to keep the review in Ann's more timeline style versus the new "categories" style, but you will see I did insert the categories like so: (category). Hopefully, they won't trip you up when trying to read. But if you aren't a fan of learning about how fun we are and just want to get to the meat of the review, then they should help.

"Back in Black (at Tabaq)!!!

I am not sure if anyone besides me was wearing black, or if my shirt would actually be described as black - but I was back from Tokyo to visit the DCBC!!!!! I am so happy that the group continues on even though I am not there to participate! I thought about taking a page from Jeannie at the Chicago Brunch Club and listing our conversation topics, but we can't. Seriously, what happens in brunch club, needs to stay in brunch club!! The drinking probably does not help...

First, (environment) I do not recommend going to the upstairs of Tabaq (on U Street near 13th) with a large group unless you are large enough to get the entire floor or an entire section and are able to move around. It is really hard to hear anyone unless they are next to you or you are leaning across the table (good if you are on a date, but not if you are trying to catch up with old friends...). It was really bright, like looking at an eclipse maybe... The music was also to clubby for a Sunday am brunch...we were all still recovering from the night before or more likely the week before, so it was a bit of a rough start. But, when the bartender (and I mean that literally) brought us our drinks we perked up! This was billed as the "Sunday Bloody Sunday" brunch, so we started with bloody marys with the intent to continue drinking them at different locations throughout the day. (booze)I liked the Tabaq bloody mary, but I would have preferred a celery garnish. It came with an olive and lemon and lime and was quite tasty - but in my opinion not at the same level as the bm at Axis, District Chophouse or Bourbon.

(booze) The mimosa selection is quite impressive but our table stuck with the traditional and felt that it was unbalanced in the juice to champagne ratio. Erica did receive a tasty special mimosa-like drink form the bartender, (service) since it turned out our waiter was THE bartender, which later proved problematic and no one seemed to take responsibility for us when he had to actually tend the bar. (Drinks) The coffee was a disappointment, not good at all. I recommend that you go the espresso drink route at Tabaq if you want a coffee fix.

(service) The service was friendly and helpful in general, especially considering our large group and they were accommodating to all of our special requests, including Jeri's egg white omelet. I don't like the fact that you can only use 3 credit cards per table...why? I mean, really?

(food) The omelets got great reviews as did the yummy egg sandwich I had. I also thought the potatoes were great, but the french fries are plain and not so tasty (but that did not stop me from nearly finishing them, which I would have if the waiter did not forcibly remove the plate from me...). Lindsay felt like her veggie sandwich was lacking something , perhaps peppers - but it looked good. (service) We had 3 folks arrive late and they did not get the best service, however when I asked for a little butter - I received a plate of it (pic to right)- which was odd, but I am not complaining.

Overall, I think it is a great place for a brunch for two, but not a whole group. I think the place is small and a little too hectic for a large group on a Sunday.

We then moved on to Axis, which was closed!? I hope they re-open for brunch because that was one of our better reviews!! We then moved down to Bar Pilar to continue the "Sunday Bloody Sunday" project. (booze) Everyone there seemed to like their drinks but all agreed that he lack of any garnish whatsoever was disappointing. I thought their bloody marys had too much horseradish, but ended up trading my drink with a guy that Lindsay brought because he said his was not spicy enough.

Erica and I then went on to continue the bloody mary tasting tour of DC as everyone else fell away... The weather was unusually nice so we walked all the way to Adams Morgan intending to try Cashion's. Turns out that one can only drink so much tomato juice in one day...I was kind of sick of the bloody marys and Erica wanted coffee (with a shot of course...) so we popped into another DCBC fave, Napolean! (booze and drinks) I had an Americano and Erica had the Cafe de Paris (coffee and booze) and we shared the Chocolate Mousse . It seemed a bit more like ice cream than mousse, but was still yummy and hit the spot after all that tangy tomato juice.

Ann's top Bloody Mary Picks:

Since we did not do the official DCBC Bloody Mary Review, I will give you MY favorites and invite other DCBC-ers or the 2 people that read this a chance to comment!

1. Willard - I feel like it is not even fair to let Willard compete in brunch or bloody marys, but Sara did not enjoy her Easter brunch there, so perhaps DCBC will have to go back and confirm that our earlier DCBC brunch was not a fluke. However, with Armando manning the tableside rolling bloody mary cart, it is really no contest as to where the best bloody marys are in DC!!

2. Axis - I feel like we may have to go back and verify if Axis even has a brunch anymore, but still I think the Axis bloody mary was excellent!!

3. District Chophouse - Dana and Kevin can verify this for me, but these were darn good drinks!!It could have been that since we were the only customers, we had the full concentration of a bored bartender who was striving to stay awake!

4. Napolean - I remember these as being very good, but I also remember drinking champagne with Tiffany, so I may be confused...

***Special Note of Caution: I feel like I have to mention this so that (booze - bloody mary) Oyamel either steps up and works on their bloody mary or to prevent others from making the mistake DCBC did in May...the Oyamel bloody tastes exactly like their salsa, with a shot of vodka in it. Oyamel is just lovely, and the presentation is beautiful, but after we all took a sip, we all had the same reaction "Is this salsa?" I am not sure, but I think they had Old Bay on the rim of the galss as well..it was just a gigantic flop."

Oui oui champagne brunch at Bistro Francais in Georgetown

2008-05-23T01:18:00Z

We headed back to Georgetown to check out Bistro Francais right on M Street. We had a pretty good group of six people and didn't really need our reservation as the place was not even closed to being packed, which was surprising due to their $21.95 Champagne Brunch.

Drink/Brunch Specials: For this, I have to paste in what I put in my bberry notes, as I am pretty sure I was already a few glasses of champagne down, "Menu for the 21.95. Champagne brunch was small and random other entree items. But everyone else at table says that is frenchy but I am in america so give me freedom brunch where I can choose whatever I want. It's all savory no sweet...where are the crepes? Where is the french toast?" I don't even think I would think that up...I must have been quoting someone.

Champagne was free flowing for 21.95 - 'nuff said.

Drinks: Nothing else worth commenting, see previous sentence.

Food: The stew was excellent and tender but the accompanying rice was supposed to be basmati and while it definitely wasn't we couldn't decide what it was. One theory was Uncle Bens with saffron, while Brett decided it was more like Goya's spanish rice.

The benedicts came out with freedom fries, which surprised Lindsay but I though they were good. I don't know if I have ever met a fry I didn't like.

Someone decided their salad was "the frenchest salad ever," but for the life of me, I have no idea why we decided that - champagne was kicking it. We thought the comment was very funny though - guess you had to be there.

Brett was pleased that the waitress was very concerned about her food allergies and for this reason, she was able to enjoy her meal without wondering what the chef/cooks had overlooked.

Service/Environment: Service was a little slow to get our order, but after our waitress spilled Steven's champagne, she was super fun. And again - kudos for the food allergy concern.

The atmosphere is somewhat quiet even though it is bottomless champagne and in Georgetown. We decided it was because the decor was pretty stuffy (french) and the crowd was tres old, therefore not attracting Georgetown's more well-known rowdies.

Repeat? Hmmmm....if I was wanting to do a Georgetown all day drink-fest and didn't want to deal with college students, then yes. If I had fam or friends in town, would I pick here? Probably not with all of the other options. I would do Peacock before Bistro Francais again.

By the way, their website was so ghetto I couldn't steal any good pics off of it - so sorry for the ugly blog!

Reaching bloody high at The Heights! - Columbia Heights

2008-05-23T00:46:00Z

I couldn't make it to brunch at The Heights in Columbia Heights at 14th and Kenyon and I am sad. Sounds like the bloody mary's were off the chain good. Even though they give me wicked acid reflux, I would have braved this disgusting reaction to have a few "Bloody's with texture!" Thanks Dana for the review and for the brave DCBCers who fought off the cold to go to this one back in February!

Drink Specials: There is something here for everyone when it comes to Bloody Marys. For the same basic price, you choose your vodka, heat level, garnishes and other goodies. For a few extra dollars, you can add crab. These were delicious bloody marys, some of the best we have sampled, although it was noted by those who opted for the additional crab that these were "bloodies with texture."

Environment/Service: The Heights takes reservations, so there was no waiting at the bar; there are or course pros and cons to this feature. For an urban location, The Heights does feel slightly suburban. Probably due to the plethora of baby carriages that were rolling around the place. Our waitress, Heidi at the Heights, was great, immediately pointing out the extremely impressive bloody mary menu, which made me forget all about the baby carriages.

Food: The food at the Heights was generally pretty good.

The Eggs Benedict very good, although they needed more Hollandaise.

The Portabella and Spinach Omlette was very tasty and the potatoes nicely spiced.

The Grilled Cheese was excellent, as was the Breakfast Burrito; although the side salad with the Grilled Cheese was nothing special, the crab substitution in the burrito was a good choice.

The burger was judged standard and slightly overcooked, but a couple chunky Bloody Marys seemed to dull the pain.

The Heights has no problem with special orders; the request for eggwhites and extra veggies did not even raise an eyebrow.

Repeat? While Dana didn't answer this, it looks like this would be a place to hit up. I am definitely going to make a visit.

We circled back to Circa...and wish we hadn't

2008-05-23T00:42:00Z

AMENDMENT TO CIRCA: We went back to Circa (dupont circle) on New Year's day and yes, this isn't a fair representation of a restaurant based on their performance on a major holiday, BUT the experience was HORRIBLE!

They were out of pretty much everything good - including the flatbread for the table and then after explaining what they were out of we ordered what we thought they still had. Come to find out, they were out of even more than they originally thought. The breakfast burrito which was supposed to have chorizo came out with german sausage and the gruyere (which the waitress couldn't pronounce) was suspiciously missing from my dish!

Circa has been put back on probation. I would say try it, but don't have too high of an expectation.

Belga Cafe's Belgian Brunch - Capitol Hill

2008-02-17T14:47:00Z

Belga Cafe is on capitol hill and was highly recommended by quite a few people. I am trying out a new style of "reporting" - it's called "organized".    I have had some, er, requests for a more organized flow to my rambles...so, since this post has taken about 5 months, I decided to heed the advice. Hopefully, the flow works for ya. Maybe in another 5 months I will do ratings...I was thinking little mimosas? or bloody marys? But that requires me to open photoshop, which is way too much effort right now. So, you'll have to wait on the ratings.

Drink Specials: While nothing was on special - they did have quite an array of champagne concoctions. I tried just about all of them - it was all in the name of the DCBC of course.   They were NOT cheap, most were at least $7 and I easily racked up a $50 alcohol bill. (Ok, I hadn't gone out all weekend - so this was my "day" out).   Definitely try the basil and violet champagnes. Very unique - especially the basil. The basil is very subtle and gives it a unique twist - kind of like cucumber in water, if you have ever had that.

Booze: We were pretty obsessed with the champagnes that I really don't have notes on anything else. If you remember the bloody mary's post a comment. I did have a pretty good Irish Coffee to kick things off, but had to tell the bartender how to make it.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks: No notes on these either - don't think anyone got the club soda (sorry Ann) and no one commented on the coffee, must not have been memorable.

Food: A big hit was the green eggs and ham, a few people ordered it and we had some variations. If you like pesto - the normal way is good. It has a good amount, but those who tried it didn't think it was too overpowering. If you have a pine nut allergy they will make it without pesto - they were very accommodating for our members with food allergies.

I had the Luikse Waffles which are liege waffles with apples and cinnamon. For those not in the "waffle know," as I wasn't before this brunch, liege waffles are more sweet. They are basically dessert for breakfast and are INSANELY good! Just thinking about them is making my mouth water...mmmm....

The asparagus bridge on the eggs benedict was a nice touch to a tasty dish and the bacon pleased those who eat mammals.

The sourdough bread was good and people made it a point to note that the butter was "just the right temperature." We hate it when it is all cold and breaks the bread - bad form.

The fruit salad was the only real downer - not worth the 6.50. Can someone say frozen sysco mix? What's up highschool cafeteria fruit salad.   But who does have a good fruit salad? Those are usually always a let down.

Service - The joint is not huge, but they did have our table for 10 ready when I got there and even sat me when only two others had gotten there. I swore on all kinds of religious relics that everyone else would be coming and we even over delivered.

Our waitress was friendly without being too chatty - she had an accent, so she seemed pretty "authentic" to the whole Belgian theme. She was probably ukrainian for all I know, but I am ignorant so accent = foreign = good fit for a belgian restaurant.

The chef was hot and came over and greeted our table - so we were psyched (ok, Brett and I were).   And a waiter from another table offered to take a group pic which is to the left!

THEY CAN'T SPLIT THE BILL!! This is important to note! I was pretty much drunk by the end of brunch due to the multiple champagnes, so I wasn't much help come bill time which was somewhat tricky because we were splitting it between 11 of us.

Environment - While the restaurant wasn't huge, it didn't feel overly cramped. The bar area is a little tight if you are waiting and the foyer is basically non-existent, but we didn't have to wait long, so we weren't overly annoyed.

The aroma is what most of us noticed - a combination of sweet and savory....mmmmmm....

The decor was subtle and nice without being "too" mod or cheap looking. I remember something about the bathrooms...but I forgot to note it. So - check them out and let me know why I meant to remember them!

Repeat? I would definitely go back to Belga Cafe and it's also the kind of place that is good to bring family when they are in town - not really the place to stumble into still wearing your jammies or the clothes from the night before.   It is also not the place to go for all day brunch drinking as you will drink yourself into the poor house by 2pm!

Perry's Drag Brunch - need I say more? Adams Morgan

2007-12-11T22:33:00Z

Perry's, located in Adam's Morgan at the corner of Columbia and Biltmore (just west of 18th Street), is a "DC Must Do". They could serve Dog Doo and I would still go for Drag Brunch - luckily, the don't because that would smell horrible! I do not understand why more people did not opt to come out for this brunch - it was just Dana and I. Perhaps some people feel as if they have "been there done that," but if someone were to ever say they were going to Perry's for brunch did I want to come? My answer would be "Giddy Up!" Sure, the wait was 45 minutes at 11:30 and you can't call ahead, but if you are in a small group, then you can sit right at the bar and the experience will be just as enjoyable. Plus, the kickass bartender Raul makes up for the fact you aren't at a table!

Booze/Drink Specials: There are NO drink specials, so beware! Our individual bills still hit up around $60 because we can knock 'em back like champs.   If you are gonna drink...do the mimosa pitchers for $30. A wise investment because the Mimosas stood out from their competition and were DAMN good! The secret: a ton of champagne and really thick OJ!

Dana did not like the bloody mary mix - it had too much clam in her opinion, so she switched to the Mimosas with me. Despite the Bloody Mary not holding up, we loved Raul and he loved us. We would definitely find out his schedule and hang out at Perry's bar just to have him get us drunk!

Food: hmmm....it is buffet style ($22.95) and there are NO made to order stations, which I found annoying but Dana provided the rational reason that it wouldn't make logistical sense to have a made to order station due to the location of the buffet and the constant traffic in that area when the show begins. (I hate rational explanations for things that annoy me)

The buffet is a random assortment from california rolls to waffle pieces to mushroom soup.   Since I don't eat mammals and don't really like sushi for breakfast, I was a little limited on what I could choose. I had some scrambled eggs that were very Sysco-esque, some home fries that weren't anything to blog about, and some fruit salad which was one of the few things we thought stood out due to the freshness and assortment of fruit.

Their french fries had an interesting flavor, which I couldn't figure out if I liked or not. Both Dana and I tried to decide what we thought the flavor was for about 10 minutes and stood with pensive looks while we masticated our fries to no avail. Raul thought this was very funny.

Dessert was much the same - a lot of items, not a lot of bang....except for one little chocolate blob. When I first approached the dessert "tower," I didn't realize when I picked up the little chocolate blob, that it would be my soul mate. It was just an unassuming little lump - all alone on its tray. I grabbed a brownie and maybe some other random dessert that failed to make an impression and headed back to the bar. Dana had grabbed one of the breads that was drizzled in red syrup to make it look more desserty and she declared there was nothing desserty about it. We both tried the brownies and thought they tasted like doughy dense swiss miss mixture and then I got to my blob. It tasted like soft gooey smashed Ferrero Rocher! Heck, for all I know, it may have been just that! But it was delicious and I loved it and little did I know, I had taken the last piece. I rushed back to the Dessert Tower, which they sucked at refilling, gushing to Dana about how good my little smashed Ferrero Rocher was, but she was out of luck! I even sent a cute little waiter, who made it very clear he was straight, to the back to look for more of my obsession...no dice. Thus, I advise you to hit up the dessert tower first! Find the smashed Ferrero Rochers (if you like gooey chocolate and hazelnut) and STOCK UP!

Environment: When we entered, I was not expecting the decor - I kept thinking it would be like a diner. Not so much. It's quite nice inside (most normal DCers already know this since Perry's, as I have learned, has a pretty famous rooftop - whatev).

Also, I was bummed to look around and see NO ONE in drag. I had been thinking "Drag Brunch" meant all the waiters were in drag. Not so much. They have two shows - 11:30 and 1, so be careful: if you come early, you could miss both since they open at 10am!

Luckily for us, we got there right before the first show started and stayed through both shows allowing me to come to the realization that I should have been born a drag queen!!! I would have been SOOOOOOOO good at it! I love being the center of attention and performing and dancing all over the room! Ah well, guess my DNA didn't think so....anywho, my consolation prize to not ever being able to be a drag queen was that the queens totally loved us! Who wouldn't? We're the DCBC!

Repeat? Heck yes! The show, as I alluded to earlier, made this visit well worth it! Why aren't there more drag shows in DC? It is like Disneyland with costumes and smiley faces and audience participation. Ok, so maybe Cinderalla doesn't sit on your lap in a see through outfit and feed you melon, but she should! Prude.   My advice when attending Perry's - go late. The second show is awesome because around the end at 1:45-2, they do a "finale" and it gets gooooood! If you have someone you want to see turn red - then get one of the queens to pick him/her as their "volunteer". It will make for some GREAT pictures! Speaking of pictures - I took a ton, but now realize I don't think I can put them on the blog due to privacy issues - sorry! Looks like you will just have to go and see for yourself!

Next week: Bustling Brunch Brood drop by Belga's Belgian Brunch

Strut Your Stuff at the Peacock Cafe Brunch - Georgetown

2007-11-28T14:57:00Z

As many already know, our beloved brunch club beginner has left the district to go work for a piece of fruit in tokyo. We are still trying to come to grips with Ann's departure, so we felt it best to keep the DCBC going. Like a dead relative...life must go on...plus, I NEED to have a reason to be a Sunday lush.

Our first sans-Ann brunch was at Peacock Café in Georgetown. Peacock is the first brunch we have done on the mean streets of gtown, so I was a little nervous we might have a small turnout. To my surprise, we had a great group show up - ready to eat, drink and send sugar packet messages to Ann.



ENVIRONMENT: With the winter approaching, we have moved brunch up an hour and it's a good thing we did...Peacock gets major hoppin' early. Definitely make reservations...thanks Open Table! Peacock opens at 9, which is pretty early in the brunch world making it a great destination for you early risers.

One thing we couldn't help but notice at this brunch was how attractive and stylish the patrons at Peacock Cafe are. Not surprising since we were in Georgetown, but this is a great morning eye candy spot. This is not the kinda place you go to in your sweats or jammies, which I enjoy doing - especially in the winter.

SERVICE: Once we were seated, there was much discussion about the menu options - everything looked good. After we placed our order, Mattie thought the service slowed down, as people quickly drained coffee and mimosas. But, the place was jammed and the consensus was it could definitely be worse!

FOOD: Mattie thought the salmon eggs benedict was unbelievable and this says a lot for someone who is picky.

Tiffany had the crab eggs benedict and she loved it, too. Ram was the odd man out and said he likes his EB a little runnier.

The omelet was perfectly stuffed according to Dana...no brown..nice and fluffy. She made a point to say in our brunch world where omelets are a dime a dozen, this one stood out from the crowd.

Lindsay said her egg sandwich was great, but it didn't come with a side, so it looked sad and lonely on its big plate...definitely get a side with the samich! I eyed the shoestring fries when I was at the bar and I would go for those as a side! (French Fry was my first word - that did not bode well for my adolescent years.)

BOOZE: I ordered an alcoholic bananaccino, which I have been dreamin' about, since I saw it on their menu. Unfortunately, I am idiot and didn't fully read the "bananacino" description. I was thinking it was a banana-flavored cappuccino...not so much, it was a frappaccino. It's not bad, but I was craving a warm drink, so I was disappointed. I asked the bartender to add a shot of Kahlua. I don't know if this annoyed him or he was trying to be nice, but he drowned the poor drink in Kahlua. I am don't often say a drink is "too" strong, especially when Kahlua is the 'cohol, but it had that rough rubbing alcohol aftertaste....yuck! Of course, I finished it because it would have been rude not to do so.

Bloody Mary's were blah and this crew would know! Tiffany and Dana are our Bloody experts!

The Mimosas were good but darn pricey.

No specials of any kind. Not cool.   I guess restaurants in Georgetown don't have to have good specials, but they add a lovely sense of excitement and make you feel as if you have accomplished something, so if anyone from a Gtown brunch endroit reads this post - HAVE AT LEAST ONE DRINK SPECIAL! A dollar off, an extra olive in your Bloody Mary - something!

For those that didn't feel like getting looped at brunch (slackers), the smoothies and frappaccinos were big hits. Mattie had a bananaccino, but he recommends getting two shots of espresso instead of one.

DESSERT: We don't usually order dessert at brunch, mainly because few places bring it up and if they do, it's just words, so we aren't overly tempted. WARNING: If you are stuffed and don't want desert, DON'T have them bring over the "menu." It is a scultpture of sinful sweets and you will succumb as we did. We ordered cream puffs, pecan pie, chocolate souffle and fresh berries. Really?? Can we say "Gluttony"...it's a sin you know.   But it's soooooo good. This is one of the reasons I remain an astute atheist, because I am a big fan of gluttony, oh, and sloth and lust aren't horrible either. (they are so not deadly...believe me) The souffle was the best...perfectly melty and warm. The Pecan Pie was too rich for my blood and I thought the cream puffs were bland.

OVERALL: the brunch was very good, but when we got our bill we realized for only 30 bucks more, we could have had the amazing brunch at the Willard. If you aren't going to drink a lot, then Peacock is great. If you are gonna tie one on, then I wouldn't recommend it if you are on a budget.

REPEAT? I would definitely go back...but probably wait until I had family in town and wanted to take them somewhere nice or had a "special occasion" brunch.