Brunch for us has been a streak of disappointments lately. It was only natural to be skeptical of a new experience. Bombers isn't known for any culinary feats unless you count bbq tofu fries. But brunch at its sister restaurant, The Olde English Pub, more than surprised us. J has been looking forward to trying The Albany Distilling Co.'s barrel-aged rum since our tour back in December. We saw a Facebook post for a drink special at OE and had to stop by. We're big fans of Crabbie's ginger beer so a Dark 'n Stormy was right up our alley. It did not disappoint. J picked up on some smoky notes but we both loved how smooth the rum was and it really is a perfect pairing with spicy ginger beer.
We're late risers so lucky for us brunch hours are from 11am to 3pm. The menu is small but covers your basic sweet and savory classics and some unique twists like a sweet potato and black bean breakfast burrito and Banana Bread Ale whipped cream on french toast. But how could we pass on something like the Breakfast Burger. You all know how much we love The Hollow Burger, so naturally we had high expectations for OE's version made with chuck and short rib meat, avocado, and fried egg. Even though the burger came out more toward the medium side rather than rare, the meat still tasted delicious. The burger was well- seasoned and the creaminess from the avocado and richness from the runny egg yolk made everything come together. They even seasoned the egg! Even the shoe string fries were delicious; perfectly crispy and salted. If it weren't for the The Hollow Burger's habanero ketchup, we'd say this burger is a pretty good contender for our top 518 favorites.
As for me, the specials board was calling my name. My go to brunch item is usually eggs benedict but housemade pastrami hash with hollandaise sauce with an over easy egg sounded just as good. It was a combination of my favorite benedict elements with another breakfast favorite. The potatoes had a nice crisp and the hollandaise was tangy and creamy, just the way it's suppose to be. I can't tell you how much I appreciate a well-seasoned dish. The pastrami was remeniscent of Montreal smoked meat and while a bit tough, had great flavor. Plus I finally got toast that wasn't stale nor heavily buttered! What a bonus that it was rye toast too, one of my favorites.
The brunch fairies have finally smiled down upon us. The Olde English Pub is more than the little house with beer in it. We've got to get down here more often.
Neither two feet of snow nor snow emergency could stop us from Sunday brunch. It's been awhile since J and I have ventured out for a late weekend morning outing. Our last brunch trip to New World wasn't up to par to our norm so we decided to give Umana Restaurant and Wine Bar a go. Umana also happens to be open later than most brunch places (11:30am-3:30pm) and perfect for us since we usually get a later start to our day than most people.
I drive by Umana almost everyday and have been intrigued by it since its renovation days. Umana's menu is inspired by global flavors and just what we needed to brighten our day from this dreary winter weather. Its brunch menu is small but spans many breakfast standards including fritatta, quiche, french toast and crepes all with an international twist. You'll find sweet fillings such as spiced mango chutney and cardamom honey sauce and savory ones like African spiced shrimp and salt cod in the egg dishes. Two brunch items stood out to us the most: the hash duet and pork belly omelette.
Now that J got a new job that frees up weekends, we can go back to Sunday Brunch. It's one of our favorite culinary adventures and we always go back to our go to favorite brunch spot: The New World Bistro Bar. As Food Network fans, we love the fact that owner Ric Orlando is a Chopped Champion. But NWBB is also one of few places where we've consistently been blessed with excellent service and delicious food.
NWBB prides itself in utilizing local, seasonal foods but also incorporates global flavors that give that unique twist that we love, especially Asian flavors. We love New World so much we're considering using their catering for our wedding. Perfect for blending my Asian family's palette with J's Irish American family's taste.
With each season comes a different menu and sometimes that means favorites like the Korean BBQ pork belly burrito doesn't stick around for long. However, it gives way to reincarnated dishes like the Korean Steak and Eggs. This delicious bowl of Creekstone all natural prime beef skewers, kim chee stew, Korean BBQ and local pea shoots with poached eggs captured those flavors that we were craving.
One of our favorite brunch items that is a regular on the menu is the hash trio. Why have one hash when you can have it three ways? This is J's go to plate (minus the veggie hash since he is anti-mushroom). The hash tasting comes with the Mystic clam has, quintessential corned beef hash, and veggie hash. I don't mind the veggie hash which comes with roasted eggplant, squash, potatoes, mushroom and peppers. It's a nice light bite to the richer versions of the clam and corned beef hash. The Mystic clam is rich and briny with chopped quahogs and creamy with the bernaise sauce. As for the corned beef hash, you can't go wrong with the classics;it's one of the best in this area. Canned corned beef and hash is an embarrasement compared to NWBB's corned beef. Other delicious brunch items to consider are the salmon eggs benedict and huevos traditionales with chorizo. One of these days I'll get around to trying the sweeter side of brunch, but I love the savory stuff! -R
