Let me share with you, friends, a universal truth I learned this weekend. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a friend who will go halfsies with you at brunch is the kind of friend you should have brunch with OFTEN.
I kidnapped everyone's favorite, long-suffering public accountant, miss Claire, this Sunday morning and basically dragged her to brunch with me to ensure she met her weekly quota of fresh air and girlfriend time. Knowing a good brunch would cheer her up, I decided one of my family's favorite places ever, Highland Grill, would do the trick! Without further ado:
Location/Ambiance:
Okay, here's my thing. Highland Grill has some of the best brunch food around. As such, it gets craaaazy-long wait times, and needs to be "at least three times bigger!" (Name that movie!) Decorated like a kitschy, cute 50's diner, it's totally full of charm...but being crammed in so tight you're rubbing elbows with the table next to you isn't ideal. That said...the ambiance has never detracted from the deliciousness in my eyes.
Score: 6/10
Beverage:
Claire had, as usual, "a water with a lime, a lemon, and a straw." And a skim milk with her meal. She is 100% consistent and that is wonderful. I had a mimosa. And it was a perfectly nice mimosa. Not too orangey, not too pulpy, not too champagney. It made me happy, and that's just about all that you can expect from a mimosa. I'm just noticing now in the picture above that they have a great craft beer list...and if I could have a do-over, I'd probably just have a Sugar Shack Maple Stout because that stuff is yummmmay.
Score: 7/10
Food:
And here, my friends, is where the magic happens. Claire and I were both mulling over the menu and struggling with the fact that everything on it sounded amazing. We came to the conclusion around the same time that the only possible solution was to go splitsies on two dishes. We quickly settled on a savory breakfast: Eggs Benedict; and a sweet breakfast: a "Killer Banana Waffle." This might be the first time I've ever failed to photograph my breakfast, but there are no pictures of the Eggs Benedict because of these babies:
YES. Talk about a cheat meal! The "Killer Banana Waffle" was served with grilled bananas, pecan praline caramel drizzle, and a side of house-made syrup. Excuse me while I go cry because I can't eat that for every meal and still fit in my pants. It was so amazing that the also-delicious Eggs Benedict ended up completely ignored on my part. One of the best breakfasts I've ever had.
Score: 10/10
Best part of brunch, though? The hour and a half of random-but-profound girl talk and laughter that helped me wind down my weekend. Times like that, when you and your brunch partner are both stricken dumb by just how amazing the breakfast is and you can't stop laughing at your own awesomeness, are why I enjoy brunch so much. It's the friendliest, happiest, most easy-going meal ever.
To check out Highland Grill for yourself, go to http://www.highlandgrill.com, or check out the rest of my brunch challenge here!