Wow.. January has been super busy! It's kicking me in the butt... so I've been behind on my posts. And haven't really had much time to try anything new lately.
As you know, last last weekend I was in Ft. Worth for a wedding. So on Sunday, we stayed in Ft. Worth for brunch! I chose to check out Brewed. The menu sounded yummy and the place seems pretty cool. They serve brunch on Saturday & Sunday from 9:30AM - 2:30PM.
Brewed
801 W Magnolia Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76104
(817) 945-1545
http://brewedfw.com/
Price (for brunch): $-$$
The place is super cute! Very eclectic decor, reminds me of places in Austin. There are 2 different dining areas and also a small area with a bench and tables where you can chill or do some work. We were seated in the main room. It was cool how they had a bar area in the middle, one side was for coffee, the other was beer. Hence their name, Brewed!
They had some neat contraptions for making coffee. It made me wish I actually drank coffee so I could order one. haha. But they also had other interesting drinks so we tried a few.
Kombucha on Tap (blood orange flavor; 12 oz.) $4~
Kombucha is a "fermented tea filled with probiotics, antioxidants, enzymes and amino acids that will help "jump start" your digestive and immune system." Their taps change from time to time, so make sure to check for latest flavors. I've always heard of Kombucha but never tried it. I asked the waitress for some samples and she said sure! Not really my thing since I don't like fruity flavored teas. I like my teas simple... green or black, no fruit or spices or sugar. But my bf liked it so he got one. It's got a slight effervescence to it which was interesting. It's not overly sweet which was good. Hard to really describe it, so you're just going to have to try it for yourself! :P
He also got The Texas Honey (steamed local milk served with local honey; 12 oz.) $3.75~
He was coming out of a cold so wanted something to soothe his throat and it definitely did the trick. "Brewed is committed to providing local and sustainable Texas products, including local non-homogenized low-pasteurized, fresh milk from Mill King Dairy."
I got a Chai Tea Latte (a rich and spicy blend of tea and steamed milk; 12 oz.) $4.50~ Different than chai teas I've had before. It was quite spicy! Very interesting!
On to the food!
Cinnamon, Apple, and Cranberry Waffle (Belgium style waffle serves with Nueske's bacon) $8.25~
My bf got this. He knew he wanted this as soon as I showed him the menu online a week prior. haha. This was ok. The fruit on top of the waffle made it soggy pretty quickly. I'm picky about waffles, I like the crispy edges. But the flavors were good, you didn't really need any maple syrup. But I added some anyways cuz that's always yummy right? haha.
Scotch Egg (two soft-boiled farm eggs wrapped in house sausage, breaded and fried; served with arugula salad) $8~
This was my choice. I know what a scotch egg is but have never tried it before. The waitress says it's one of her favorite things on the menu. They were pretty big. And I loved it. The egg had runny yolk on the inside, the sausage had great flavor and the best part was the crispy breaded shell! The combo with the arugula was nice since arugula is kind of peppery and slightly bitter, it cuts the richness of the egg and sausage. It was also topped with some sort of lemon aioli. The acidity in the aioli rounded out the whole dish really well.
Side of Veggies (tri-colored cauliflower and Brussels sprouts) $3.50~
I didn't know the scotch egg came with an arugula salad so I ordered this as a side. Always gotta have my veggies! And I love everything in here. I was sad that I only got like 3 pieces of Brussels sprouts but oh well. It was a good side to my scotch egg.
Donut Dippers with Fresh Fruit Compote (apple and cranberry compote) $5.50~
We also wanted to try this. We ordered it at the beginning with everything else and they said they would bring it out first. But the food came out really slowly. I was noticing other tables not really getting anything either and the table next to us complained a little about not getting their drinks. Before this came out, our waitress came and apologized for the wait and said they went ahead and took it off the bill. That's nice of them. We were taking a slow leisurely day anyways so we weren't too upset about the wait. I WAS getting hungry tho! :P These were like cake donut holes covered with cinnamon sugar. They were piping hot. Yum! The compote was nice too. It tasted like the topping on the waffles.
Despite the wait on the food and drinks coming out, it was a good brunch. We loved the atmosphere and setting. The food overall was tasty. I loved my choice. hehe. And if I lived closer I'd probably go there all the time to work/study.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
I'd have to say brunch is probably my favorite meal of the day. My bf and I were on our way to Ft. Worth this past Saturday for a wedding so we stopped at Smoke for some brunch! Ever since we went the first time, he's been wanting to go again. Can't blame the guy. It was soooo good! :)
Smoke
901 Fort Worth Ave.
Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 393-4141
www.smokerestaurant.com
Price (for brunch): $$
We arrived around 12:30PM. My sister and her bf had already checked in with the hostess and she told them it was a 45 minute wait! :( But I'm hungry now! haha. But like last time, they quoted us some ridiculous wait time but it was so much shorter than that. Within 10 minutes from our arrival, we were seated. Woohoo!
My bf knew exactly what he wanted. Smoked Brisket Cornbread Hash (with poached egg and green chili rajas) $14~
Same thing he got last time. It was really good, I totally would have it again. And this time it didn't disappoint. He gobbled it up so fast... This dish just has so much flavor and texture. The soft poached egg with the smoky brisket and slightly crunchy cornbread. I'd say this is the best dish on the brunch menu.
Hungry Bear Smoked Ham Steak & Farm Egg Fritter (with sweet corn griddlecake and Dr. Pepper Red Eye gravy) $12~
I had several options but chose this one. The farm egg fritter really sounded interesting. Turns out it was a poached egg that's breaded and fried. YUM-O! It was definitely a sweet and savory dish. Totally up my alley. The ham was savory and smoky with a hint of sweetness. Plus the slight sweetness from the corn in the griddlecake. And I really enjoyed the Dr. Pepper gravy. It was a lot of food. I had to leave some ham and griddlecake on the plate because I was full! Oh no! :P I enjoyed the combination, however, I think they should do a version with their thick cut bacon instead of the ham steaks. hehehe.
The Full Monte (steak, eggs, biscuit, potato cakes and peppercorn gravy) $15~
My sister and her bf shared this because it had a little bit of everything. They were awesome and split the plate for them (so the picture is only a half portion). I got to try a bite of a few things. The steak was a bit overcooked since he liked it more medium well (we like it med rare, so they settled on medium). The potato cakes were kind of hard, not a fan. But they seemed to enjoy the overall plate.
They also got some sides to share:
Thick Cut Pork Belly Bacon $3.50~ If you love bacon, can't go wrong with this. I think ALL restaurants should serve bacon like this. Thick cut and tons of flavor.
Cheese Grits-Hominy Casserole $3.50~ Tried this for the first time. The addition of hominy was interesting and good. It added an extra texture in the grits. And it was cheesy and creamy. Went well with my ham steaks.
Once again it was a great brunch. We thought this time we'd try their desserts but didn't have room... haha. Oh well, that just means we have to return another time!
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Before we left for Canyon Lake for the Christmas holiday, we finally made it back to Whiskey Cake for brunch. We've wanted to go ever since they changed up their french toast option. :)
Whiskey Cake
3601 Dallas Pkwy
Plano, TX 75093
(972) 993-2253
whiskey-cake.com
Price: $$
We went on a Saturday about 1PM, the place was still super packed. Good thing I called ahead so we were seated pretty quickly.
Of course we ordered the French Toast Switch-Up (seasonal fruits layered with something the chef likes) $11~
The current french toast is loaded with Greek yogurt, fresh blackberries and strawberries, and pure maple syrup. It was such a pretty plate. All the different colors and textures looked so delicious. And it was. The french toast was soft but still had a griddled crust. I liked the blend of the berries with the yogurt. It was sweet and tangy and the flavors balanced well. I still liked their last french toast with the nectarines better. But definitely have no complaints about this one!!
My bf also got the Corned Beef & Caramelized Fontina (slaw, louie aioli, brioche) $12~
I had a different idea of the dish when he ordered it. I had mistaken it to be something else. So I was pleasantly surprised. This was so good. The bread was soft yet held up really well to the filling. The corned beef was salty but the caramelized fontina and the slaw contrasted the saltiness and worked really well together. We both loved it and fought over every bite. haha.
Delicata Squash (roasted with gorgonzola, pepitas, garlic, fresh herbs).
I had seen Whiskey Cake post a picture of this on their facebook page months ago. I was so happy that they still had it. It was everything I dreamed it would be. The squash was roasted nicely so it was sweet and tender with a slight char. The topping of blue cheese, pumpkin seeds and bread crumbs were awesome. Salty, creamy, crunchy... equals NOM! We fought over this as well.
**Side note: I went for dinner last night and got this again. It's SOOOO good!
It was a fantastic brunch. A great way to start the holiday break. I can't wait for the next time we go back. And I look forward to them changing up the menu again.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
