Cracker Barrel

http://crackerbarrel.com/ After seeing billboards lining I-95 for hundreds of miles, we finished our chain restaurant tour of Florida at Cracker Barrel.  It was my first time, and I think it beats the pants off of iHop and Denny's.  Loved the biscuits and gravy.

Old Timer's Breakfast with 2 eggs sunny side up, 2 sausage patties, with a side of grits, biscuits and gravy and hashbrown casserole ($7.49).  Sunrise Sampler with 2 eggs sunny side up; sampling of country ham, sausage and bacon; fried apples, hashbrown casserole, grits and biscuits with gravy ($7.99).

Overwood in Old Town

After running the Army 10 Miler, my boyfriend took me to brunch at Overwood in Old Town. It's owned by the same people as Boulevard Woodgrill and Faccia Luna.  It's menu is diverse, the space was nice and bright and at brunch the place was teeming with families with peacefully-sleeping babies.  http://theoverwood.com/New_Overwood/Overwood_in_Alexandria.html 

Bloody Mary ($5.75)

I'm not sure why there was a spiced shrimp garnish, but this is a nice and spicy rendition.

Eggs Florentine ($10.50)

Poached eggs on a bed of spinach and English Muffin and a light hollandaise sauce. The potatoes were spicy and a nice contrast.

Charleston Frittata ($11)

3-eggs with andouille sausage, crawfish, peppers, roast potatoes and cheddar cheese.

Asiago grits ($5)

Creamy and good.

***

We had read some reviews that said the service was not spectacular, especially in the evening, but we had a very pleasant experience.  The burger looked nice and juicy, our server was efficient, and it was a nice treat after the race.

Lyon Hall Brunch with the Girls

 I have really patient friends.  They're kind enough to indulge my unrelenting desire to take pictures of our meals, for which I eternally heart them.  They're also super fun to catch up with over a leisurely brunch.  We met for brunch at Lyon Hall in Clarendon.  I knew from a previous visit that their breadmaker was good but didn't realize how good.  For the first time ever, I saw my step aerobics-teaching friend's head turn and watch a plate of donuts make their way through the room. 

 Bloody Mary with Grolsch chaser ($5)

 Kir Royale ($5)

 Selection of Housemade Donuts ($7)

My friends enjoyed the chocolate and the pistachio. 

I bet a plate of these warm donuts with LH's french press coffee is delightful.

 Scallop salad with citrus and arugula ($12)

 Lyon Hall burger with Chimay cheese and delicious frites ($10)

Poached eggs with spinach and hollandaise sauce on housemade English Muffins ($10)

Side salad ($4)

***

Once again, service was pleasant and it was lovely to catch up with my friends.  It's a small menu, but there's something for everyone and a nice addition to the Clarendon weekend brunch options.

Diner food at Denny's

My boyfriend is a Southern boy at heart, and he loves breakfast.  Before we started dating, I had never been to a Waffle House or a Denny's.  It's a good thing we like to hike and exercise a lot, because the meals at Denny's are huge. 

Vegetable omelette with spinach, mushrooms, red and green peppers, onions, tomatoes and Cheddar cheese and a side of hash browns.

 Lumberjack Slam with two strips of bacon, ham, 2 sausage links, 2 eggs sunny side up, hashbrowns, English Muffin, 2 pancakes and a side of grits.

 Vegetable omelette with a side of roasted potatoes.

Lumberjack Slam with a bowl of grits, 2 pancakes, 2 sausage links, 2 strips of bacon, grilled ham, 2 eggs sunny side up, hash browns and toast.

Masa 14

Sometimes fusion restaurants work well. Sometimes they flop. I think Masa 14, the Latin-Asian fusion restaurant on 14th Street NW, belongs in the former but depends on your wallet. http://www.masa14.com/
It's hard to be all things to everyone. Masa 14 does a nice job of being a fun place to gather, have some cocktails, tequila or sake, and try out a few small plates. It does get quite loud, although a recent brunch service was very laidback and relaxing.

Veggie Benedict with spinach, red peppers, poached egg, green chili hollandaise sauce ($8)

Great flavor, although it would be easier to cut the toasted bread with a serrated knife.

A bit pricey for only one poached egg IMO. Side order of Anson Mill Grits with chipotle pepper, Oaxaca cheese and scallions ($4).

My favorite part of brunch. Creamy with a slight heat.

Chilaquiles - corn tortilla with chorizo, scrambled egg, queso cotija and salsa verde ($7)
Messy.

Side order of fried yucca with chimichurri and citrus aoili ($4). Good texture, small portion.

Salted Caramel chocolate flan smores concoction. My friend loved this, I was put off by the burnt marshmellow aroma. Texturally interesting, loved the nuts/brittle on top of the flan.
***

Spicy tuna temaki ($6). Cute presentation, a little more fish would have been nice.

BBQ salmon with achiote sauce, spinach and bacon ($9).
Great flavor, but still priced a bit high for a tapas dish.

Wild mushroom flatbread with Oaxaca cheese, red peppers, avocado ($9).

Maybe Churchkey/Birch and Barley spoiled me, but this rendition of a flatbread was very disappointing. Anthony Burrell needs to do something better for the non-meat eaters.

***

In general, I really like the space, think the menu is full of interesting flavor combinations, and the hits have outnumbered the misses. However, the price point, while it fits with Cork, Bar Pilar and the rest of 14th Street, does not make this a super value dining option.

Weekend Brunch - Option B

In 2009, Travel & Leisure magazine published an article "America's Best Burgers" www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-burgers/1 I often wonder if these publications truly test out their picks, or even where they come up with the contenders. I love cheeseburgers and highly recommend any of the burgers at Rays Hell Burger or Palena's truffled cheeseburger. So...I had to check out this so-called "America's Best Burger" from a DC restaurant. Kemble Park Tavern is located in that odd area called the Palisades. It's a cute area, but I really have very little reason to be over there other than to try the brunch burger. http://www.kembleparktaverndc.com/

Brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, red onion, 2 strips of bacon, fried egg, cheddar cheese and beef patty.

Pretty wan lettuce and not quite ripe tomato. The bacon was decidedly not crispy...blech...and the fried egg was cooked over-medium, and not sunny-side up like the pretty T&L photo.

At least it was pretty when all stacked together.

Dissection shot: Definitely not the medium-rare I ordered. The bun was not the freshest.

***

While it was a decent burger, if this is what America's best burger looks like...we've got a lot of work to do.

***

3/31/11 Update:  Maybe it was the obscure location, but Kemble Park Tavern shuttered its doors.

Weekend Brunch - Option A

Maybe you don't think about going to a pizza place for brunch, but you should. Matchbox alternately amuses me and annoys me. I like the menu, but I hated the looong wait at the Chinatown location. Anything more than 30 minutes and I'm going somewhere else. I'm just not that patient. With a second location in Capitol Hill, it's a lot easier to get a table, some sliders and a pie. http://www.matchboxdc.com/brunch.shtml

Matchbox has a fun list of Bloody Marys. The Fire one in particular is deliciously spicy. Sriracha rim? Yes please. They also have a more whimsical rendition called the Bloody Beer, with a PBR tall boy and your choice of bloody mary mix.

Fresh fruit waffle with strawberries and bananas. The raspberry whipped cream was a little sad though.

Veggie Frittata with cremini mushrooms, roasted red peppers, goat cheese, fingerling potatoes, baby spinach and pesto.

Cast-iron chorizo and manchego egg tortilla with salsa verde, chipotle sour cream and brunch potatoes (the potato sticks on top).

Small Simple Salad with parmesan cheese crisp, dried cherries, tomatoes, red onion and balsamic vinaigrette.
Fire and Smoke pizza with roasted red peppers, Spanish onions, chipotle pepper tomato sauce, garlic pureer, smoked gouda and fresh basil. Spicy and delicious.

Veggie with cremini mushrooms, Spanish onions, roasted garlic, roasted poblano peppers, mozzarella, fresh herbs and fingerling potato crisps. The crispy potatoes added textural interest, were kind of unnecessary.