Starting off 2016 with a brunch fave!!

HAPPY 2016!!! Hubs and I kicked off the year with a date at our favorite brunch spot in Old Town Alexandria, Fontaine Caffee & Creperie.  We came across this local gem about five years ago when I moved back to the DC area, and it's our go-to place on weekend mornings when I'm too lazy to cook breakfast.

Norwegian Crepe. My fave!

Everything I've tried there has been excellent.  Though my favorite brunch dish would have to be the Norwegian Crepe, and that's what I got on our most recent visit.  I love the mix of smoked salmon, caramelized onions, creme fresh, balsamic glaze.  The side salad is perfectly dressed.  Plus, I feel like I am starting the year off right by having some veg with brunch.

 Hubs got the Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartine (not pictured), which served over a slice of toasted brioche.  This special has rapidly become another favorite and has been ordered by one of us on our last few visits.  No lie, I stole a bite or two when possible.  Since it's on the "Specials" menu, there's no telling how long it will be around.  I hope that it will be made part of their regular menu in the near future.

All-in-all, brunch at Fontaine was a great way to start our year. And I'm sure that we'll be back there again.


Side notes:
- Towards the middle of the day, the wait can be a bit long - and Hubs and I often go soon after they open to avoid the long wait.
- I've also enjoyed this place for brunch with friends, but they do have a 3 card limit on the check. Also, you can reserve a table, but know that you won't be seated until all members of your party have arrived.

Brunch with the girls at Barrel & Bushel

Mrs. K, Dr. Black, ADP, and me

I love these ladies! We lived together at VT during the early part of my Ph.D. years and had all sorts of shenanigans - Weekly Food Network inspired dinners, TRPH, Man Wall, Big Foot Tests. Admittedly, we don't get together as much as we like. But our last meet up we went to some fabulous breakfast over at Barrel & Bushel at Tyson's.

After pursing the breakfast menu, we were at a loss of what to get... everything on the menu sounded delicious. But after a few recommendations from our server, here's what we got.

Crusty Bread and Ricotta (Me) Under the mound of figs was a creamy fresh ricotta. Paired with some season grilled bread, this dish was nice and light. Simplicity at its best.

Avocado Toast (Dr. Black) I stole a bit of this one. It's very tasty and makes me want to improve on the egg and avocado breakfast that I sometimes make for myself. 

Grilled Cheese Eggs Benedict (Mrs. K) This looked tasty, and the description by the Washingtonian makes me wish I got it too.

Sabra Pastrami Hash (ADP) ADP recounted a time that she made up breakfast with pastrami, because .... why not? She and Chef Dan definitely have similar thoughts because pastrami was on the menu for this hash. 

Bourbon French Toast (all) The name of this dish hides the fact that this is basically a pan fried Nutella sandwich with a side of butter and syrup. And it's DELICIOUS!! We split it and it make for the perfect "dessert" to our awesome breakfast. 

While we were dining, we noticed that there was an event being set up in the court yard outside of the B&B. Little did we know that the same day we decided to have brunch, we'd also be able to participate in a in a burger challenge. We didn't have enough stomach space to fully participate, but the burgers that we did get to try were flavorful and made it really hard to pick a "favorite."

Would I go again? Hands down yes! The cuisine is the local Americana food hubs and I often have at our "go-to" places. Plus, they have a lunch & dinner menu and an entire refrigerated wall full of libations to try. I have a feeling that I'll be back soon. 

Starting 2015 with a healthy brunch.

HAPPY 2015! OK, I'm a bit late with the New Year's post. But I have a good reason - I was on my honeymoon for the past week or so. 

Since it's resolution season, my blog related resolution is to update this blog every couple of weeks. Hubs and I go out pretty regularly, so it's a shame not to share our gastronomic adventures.

As we are all in the "healthy eating" phase of the year, I'm going to share my thoughts on a brunch hubs and I had at True Food Kitchen in the Mosaic District.  

View of the kitchen from our table. Hubs commented that it has a Founding Farmers meets Ikea feel. 

Mmm... Tea

Decision #1: Drinks? During brunch, why not? Though I had a sore throat that morning and wanted something warm and soothing. The tea choices aren't on the brunch or beverage menu - they're on the desert menu - so I had the waiter list them. Hearing all of the eight choices of teas overwhelmed me a bit, so I went with the Oolong since that was one that I recognized. (Side note: the teas are individually priced, ranging from $4-6. I ended up ordering the lone most expensive tea. Luckily, $6 doesn't break Hub's bank).

There are a bunch of different drinks, particularly the juices that sounded interesting. I've made one similar to the Kale-Aid before. I'll have to try theirs to see if it tastes similar. The bar is also well stocked with a bunch of organic wines. Plenty of reasons to try this place again during lunch or dinner. ;-)

Decision #2: Appetizer? The menu boasts some tasty looking starters, but I was in the mood for something more "breakfast" than what was offered. So we decided to get the Goji Berry Granola to share with the hubs. The granola was good - light and a bit tangy from the goji berries - and decent starter for brunch.





Decision #3: What to eat? I love breakfast foods, which often is sweet. But, that morning I was looking for something more savory. The Chicken Sausage Scramble sounded like a good fit. I think what surprised me about it was the strong shiitake mushroom favor that permeated throughout the dish. I would say that they kind of overpowered the other flavors. Overall, it was very tasty.

Hubs got the Street Tacos (not pictured) with beef, which were well seasoned. The only complaint about them was that there was a lot of cabbage that the beef was a little lost.

Decision #4: Dessert? Why not! I was a bit full, but my sweet tooth was winning out. So hubs and I shared a pomegranate sorbet. A nice and refreshing way to end the meal. 

Overall, I had a tasty little brunch with hubs at TFK. It was nice to know that the restaurant boasts the healthy factor. I look forward to coming back and trying their lunch and dinner options.  

I LOVE YOU SHEENA!!!!!  <----- AHH!! Hubs graffitied my post when I was drafting it. Had to keep it. ;-)