etta - Brunch

 

  

 

A recent brunch brought me to a location that I had visited a few times before, though not to this restaurant.  etta is in the former The Southern location, though there was a complete redo of the space.  The Southern had a small, but very open dining room on one floor with the door on the west side and the bar on the east (North Avenue was south of the building).  There was also a large patio with a fireplace.  With etta, the entrance is now on the southeast corner, facing North, the bar is on the south wall, with its back to North, there are two floors, the main dining room is much bigger, and there is no patio.  I was by myself, so I sat at the bar and talked to the bartenders.  I started things off with a cup of coffee because it was a cold and wet morning.  I then followed with a spin on a brunch cocktail classic, a Bloody Mary made with Gin (actually called a Red Snapper, but I will go with Gin Bloody Mary).  It was served with a Miller High Life Side Car and garnished with a variety of bites without going completely overboard.  It was garnished with an Olive, Mozzarella, Ham, Bacon, a Pickled Pepper and a Lime.  Gin plays well with Bloody Mary mix with its botanicals complementing the spices in the mix.  The tomato juice tasted very fresh and the spices and botanicals made for a very refreshing drink with the Miller High Life acting as a palate cleanser for the food.

There were several pastries that looked really good, so it was going to be a bit of a choice to decide what would go on the sweet side of my brunch.  There was a basket available, but I wanted to eat something other than pastries, so I had to make a decision.  I decided on a pastry I discovered earlier in the year that has become a new favorite, a Kouign-Amann.  A Kouign-Amann, literally a butter cake originating in Breton, France, is made with a dough similar to puff pastry and is like a Muffin-Shaped Caramelized Croissant.  Sprinkled with sugar, it was sweet, flaky, buttery, and very good.

 

For the savory side of my brunch I had an Elysian Tart Flambe and a side of Crispy Potatoes.  The crispy potatoes were exactly as described.  They had a nice crispy exterior, but from the texture on the inside, I have to guess that they were boiled first.  They were good in any case.  The Elysian Tart Flambe was essentially a breakfast pizza that had been cooked over an open flame.  It was round with charred and bubbly edges and topped with Uplands Cheese, Bacon, Onion, Creme Fraiche, and Egg.  It was salty, savory, and with everything else made for a filling and satisfying finish.

I ate and drank a lot at etta and really enjoyed what I had.  My bartenders and servers were very friendly and helpful, and I would happily return.