Monthly Archives: June 2014

Highland Kitchen – Somerville, MA

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Highland Kitchen

 

My first exposure to this place was wandering over from the Armory where Talls and I were going to catch a charity music performance (which was awesome), and learning that there was at least an hour wait for dinner.  Shit!  We ended up having some tasty Thai food down the street instead, but obviously I had to look this place up.  Their menu online looked fab AND they did brunch.  Talls and I agreed that we would try again for brunch some time… and promptly forgot.  We tend to be somewhat early brunchers for Sundays, and so a place that doesn’t open til 11am kind of fell off our radar.  FINALLY we focused our sights back towards the Armory and got our asses (plus one friend’s ass!) over to Highland Kitchen.  We were parked and in line at 10:45am and got a table as soon as they opened.

So why wait in line before a place unlocks its front door when there are plenty of other places to go?  Because food, baby.  Because food.

There were two other hushpuppies prior to our descending upon them.

There were two other hushpuppies prior to our descending upon them.

Food exhibit A: they have goddamn brunch appetizers here that included gloriously golden hushpuppies.  Those tasty little fucks didn’t stand a chance.

Chicken liver and bacon omelet. I'm not normally a liver girl, but I was interested in all the other bits. And it still delicious-ed my face off.

Chicken liver and bacon omelet. I’m not normally a liver girl, but I was interested in all the other bits. And it still delicious-ed my face off.

Neither Talls nor Jenn were into the liver bits, but that was cool because it meant more for me.  Also?  Those home fries were perfectly salted.

Jenn opted for a pork hash that came with BBQ sauce on the side. I have decided this means pulled pork hash needs to become a THING.

Jenn opted for a pork hash that came with BBQ sauce on the side. I have decided this means pulled pork hash needs to become a THING.

My companions both went for a hash, and they were both different and nummy.

A gentleman's hash.

A gentleman’s hash.

Talls wasn’t happy that they used home fries for the potato part of their hash without changing anything, which is a fair complaint.  Surely shredding taters isn’t too much extra work?  Also, they charged him an arm and a leg for a very small amount of orange juice.  If it was bottomless like the coffee (which was seriously good – Jenn agreed with me on this) then the $4 for a small glass wouldn’t be too bad, but that wasn’t super clear.  Best to ask.

Highland Kitchen was definitely good food, but not so fucking amazing that I’m itching to go back and brave a line again.  It seems to be the only brunch or dinner place of note in its immediate area, so that may contribute to how packed it gets.  If I were a local and got up later on Sundays I suspect I’d spend a lot of time here, but being able to walk to several places that are at least on par with no line means I don’t think we’ll be getting back here prior to opening time any time soon.

Johnny D’s – Somerville, MA

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Johnny D’s Uptown Restaurant and Music Club

Johnny D’s is open both super early and super late, so if you want to randomly get your brunch on in the Somerville area this is the place to go. Also, if you have Southern or Jazz tastes, Johnny’s will meet your oddly specific wishes.

Talls and I ended up here originally because we didn’t want to wait until 11 for brunch on a Sunday. Totally fucking worth it. Every meal begins with a choice of oatmeal or grits and just gets better from there.

Grits come with a "choice" of cheese, but obviously the correct answer is YES.

Grits come with a “choice” of cheese, but obviously the correct answer is YES.

When I saw the menu I had such plans!  Plans for one of their delicious-sounding omelets, or maybe a hash.  But then my eye strayed down to the bottom right, and I saw they had blintzes.  I have a long, sordid history with blintzes that involves the S&S Deli in Inman Square fucking ruining me for a blintz anywhere else.  But since I only go to the S&S with my grandfather and he died two years ago, I had been pining for their cream cheesy goodness.  To hell with it!  I ordered blintzes in honor of grandpa and deliciousness!

And FUCK were they good.

And FUCK were they good.

I also got some eggs on the side so they I had some protein.  This is how I learned Johnny D’s doesn’t really do side portions.

Basically I was buried in food.

Basically I was buried in food.

Talls helped me with my homefries whilst working on his own massive plate of deliciousness.

dfhfghdh

He went for Eggs Benedict and reported favorable flavors.

We arrived and left prior to the jazz performance that accompanies brunch after 11am every Sunday, so I can’t weigh in on the quality of the music.  Still, Johnny’s is a music club so I can’t imagine it would be bad.  If Jazz is your thing, of course.  Regardless, the blintzes are absolute heaven, so if you also have family members you associate with them you’ll enjoy the memories along with the flavor.

 

Trident Booksellers and Cafe – Boston, MA

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Trident Booksellers and Cafe

 

I know what you’re thinking: this going to be a shitty little bookstore with a three wobbly tables and four books and it will be the worst experience of your life because no one can do books and food well and you’re going to track down my address and burn terrible cookbooks at me so I can understand you emotional fuck-uped-ness after having to read this horrific review.

BUT YOU’D BE WRONG, BITCH.

Trident is so fucking incredible it has raised both the cafe and the book selling sections of its business to an art form.  They have a pretty interesting selection considering that they’re on the small side of bookstores, and I will always love them for having a copy of Voodoo Histories the one time I was in a bookstore and actually had a book I was desperately trying to track down.

But come on, this is not a book blog.  This is a brunch blog.  On to the brunchings!

Trident has breakfast all day, so Talls and I were technically having dinner when these photos were taken.  Whatthefuckever, it was all fucking delicious.  I had the Monte Cristo, which is a ham, cheese, and fruit compote sandwich on two slices of french toast instead of regular bread.  In a word: mind-blowing.

And in the words of this blog: mind-fucking.

And in the words of this blog: mind-fucking.

Yes, that is real maple syrup on the side for dipping.  Perfection!

Talls had a special that I can’t remember the name of, but was basically a cross of their frittata and Eggs Benedict on a crepe.  Even after I was stuffed with my own food my poor guy was fending off my attempts to steal all of his.

I don't remember the name of this, but I do remember it was delicious and I wanted to steal the whole thing.

I don’t remember the name of this, but I do remember it was delicious and I wanted to steal the whole thing.

To sum up: get your ass to Trident.  They are definitely busy at standard meal times, so there will be a wait that may cause you to buy books you didn’t plan on getting if you come then.  If you show up at 7pm on a Wednesday like we did it will be about 3/4 full and you may even score a booth seat.

Also all their juices are fresh squeezed and amazing, so do yourself a huge fucking favor and have one of their hippy-ster juice blend things no matter how weird they sound.  Their tea selection is also excellent.  They’re also open 8am to midnight every day, so it is an excellent place to scratch your brunch itch even at the strangest times.

Common Ground – Allston, MA

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Common Ground

This post was a long time in the making.  Long ago, I resided within walking distance of this pub/amazing land of Sunday brunch and would go way too often to revel in the amazing french toast.  This was before this blog, of course, which came about as a joke between me and Talls that occurred after I moved away.  Six plus months later we FINALLY got back to my old stomping grounds (Ha! Joke!) and the french toast was just as good as I remembered.

Look at this delicious motherfucker!

Look at this delicious motherfucker!

Caramel banana brioche french toast.  This is the best fucking pile of food ever.  This was the first french toast I’d ever had that didn’t need maple syrup – the amazing stuffed french toast at Veggie Galaxy was the second.

Eggs, yogurt and granola, turkey bacon, corn beef hash, and home fries.

Eggs, yogurt and granola, turkey bacon, corn beef hash, and home fries.

We only go on Sundays because Super Talls likes the brunch buffet and I have it on his authority that the Saturday buffet is subpar.  He does two full plates AND takes a muffin for the road, so clearly the Sunday buffet is excellent.  It has everything freshly made/cut there, and I tend to steal eggs from the boy to round out my carb fest.  These are also lovely.

It was a lovely day, there was no line at 11 when they open at 10, due to it being in a college student-heavy area.  They sleep in late.  You can always booze up with your brunch if you want here, and the coffee and orange juice are great as well.  I’ve always enjoyed the waitstaff, who are at the very least competent and very often fun to talk to.

And for you crafters out there, it’s also a wonderful to do swear-oriented projects!

This post was rather clean because the cross stitch has absorbed all my swearing.

This post was rather clean because the cross stitch has absorbed all my swearing.