Split Rail - Brunch

For our monthly brunch in November, we went to Split Rail.  I have a long history with the chef and enjoyed her food at Ada Street, her pop ups pre-Split Rail, and dinner at Split Rail, so I was confident that I would enjoy brunch.  Located in a former Doughnut factory in Ukrainian Village, I mentioned that it looked to me like Ada Street had grown up and moved to Wisconsin.  Like Ada Street it has black exterior walls and a white stenciled name.  In the case of Split Rail, it is more stylized and near the entrance as opposed to on the door.  The ceiling inside is also black and unfinished, there is a very nice long bar, and a banquette opposite the bar for seating, in the case of Split Rail, it was decorated with Polo players.  This is where we sat.  The kitchens of the two restaurants are semi-open, though in Split Rail's case, it is off to the side and elevated somewhat.  There are other tables over Persian rugs providing additional seating and the soundtrack is provided by vinyl LPs.  Split Rail is about twice as big as Ada Street, but it still feels cozy.

 

As we were there for brunch, coffee was a prime consideration.  The coffee we were served was from Dark Matter.  It seemed to be a medium roast, was nice and savory, and was served in a very nice Split Rail mug.  There were also 6 interesting cocktails being served for brunch, so I had to try one of those as well.  My drink was called Two Celestials.  It was pink, served in a Rocks Glass with ice and was made with Earl Grey Creme-Infused Prairie Gin, Combier Creme de Cassis, Grapefruit, and Lemon.  It had the bitter, floral, earthy flavor of Earl Grey Tea which combined well with the botanical flavor of the gin.  The Creme de Cassis (a liqueur made from black currants) added a bitter tang like a cross between a blackberry and a pomegranate.  The grapefruit and lemon added some sour and complemented the bitterness of the tea and the Creme de Cassis.

Starting things off, I ordered a bowl of Beignets for the table.  These were were fluffy fried yeast balls of wonderfulness like other beignets, but were covered in granulated sugar as opposed to the powdered sugar that most beignets are covered in.  They were also filled with Raspberry Jam.  They didn't have the mass amounts of jam that most bismarcks have, but these were like a beignet/bismarck hybrid and were very good.

 

For my main course, I went with Duck Confit Hash with Fingerling Potatoes, Fried Duck Egg, and Giardinera.  It was good and very flavorful with each piece adding something in flavor and texture, though at the same time, maintaining its individuality instead of combining into a homogeneous mess.  It was rich and savory with some significant spiciness added via the giardinera.  I am a huge fan of Reubens and there was a Reuben on the menu.  While I didn't order it, one of my friends did.  It was not the overstuffed thing that the Reuben from a Jewish deli would be, but it had everything necessary for a Reuben:  Toasted Rye Bread, Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, and Russian Dressing.  It was crunchy, flavorful, and satisfying, despite being a little on the thin side.

Generally one sweet and one savory are my limit for brunch and will not generally go for dessert.  There was, however, something on the menu for which Chef Zoe is famous for, her bread pudding and I had to order it, ideally to be shared, or to take home if there was any left over.  This Bread Pudding was made with French Toast, served with Maple Syrup and Whipped Cream, and served in a Cast Iron Baking Pan.  It was sweet with a little crispness and enjoyed by all that tried it, but because the rest of brunch was also much enjoyed, I ended up taking about half of it home to be enjoyed later.
Like dinner, I very much enjoyed my meal here.  The food was very good as was the service, and I enjoy supporting and introducing friends to chefs that I have met in the past.  I will certainly return.