Kick or Spice World

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy has a complicated history with spicy foods.  While she is admittedly a bit of a coward when it comes to climbing the Scoville scale, she has acquired a certain level of tolerance for the hot stuff over time.  It was this realization that she actually enjoys moderate amounts of spice that she attempted to explain to her sweets loving friend, Mama Bee.  "Where as I used to be so afraid of spice that I rarely even added salt to my food, I now find that I occasionally crave a bit of heat," she said, surprising even herself.  "Oh, not me!" exclaimed Mama Bee, "Spice and I will never be friendly."  "But occasionally, spice can get along quite well with sweets, can it not?"  "No thank you!"  "But what about honey BBQ sauce?"  Mama Bee pursed her lips.  "Alright, you may have a point."  "I think we need to be a little brave and seek out some spice the next time we brunch.  You and I will learn to love the heat!"

So Brandy chose to take Mama Bee to Kick, a restaurant themed on spice and featuring a mix of world cuisines.  The restaurant resides in the old Sola space, a fact that understandably elicited mixed feelings from Brandy, and features a gorgeous patio as well as a spacious interior.  The layout of the inside hadn't changed much from its previous incarnation, but the color scheme of red and black with exposed brick walls and raw wood floors along with several fire features certainly spoke to the spice that was in store with the food.

Starting the meal off with some liquid courage, Brandy and Mama Bee ordered up some cocktails.  Mama Bee went with the Peach Mimosa, which was nicely bold in its flavoring, quite sweet, and very bubbly.  Speaking of bubbly, Brandy picked a cocktail called the Bubbly Berry.  This drink was lighter, less sweet, and more refreshing than the mimosa but still seemed to walk along the same path, with lemon juice, elderflower, berry flavors, vodka, and sparkling wine.  Finding their courage hadn't quite been leveled high enough, the two ordered a few more mimosas in Wild Raspberry and Grapefruit, both of which were very fresh and bright tasting.

Deciding to start with some sweets first, Brandy and Mama Bee tried a plate of the Challah French Toast.  This toast, straight away, was one of the best French toasts Brandy had ever tasted.  It had been coated on the outside with crushed up cereal ("Who is this Captain Crunch anyway?" Brandy asked, "I've seen his name around town.  Does he pilot one of those cruise ships docked at Navy Pier or something?")  and then topped with a cinnamon apple compote with cranberries and candied pecans.  Because of the coating, the outside had a nice light crunch, while the inside had a melty texture.  The apples and cranberries added a nice tartness to counteract the sweetness of the dish, and the pecans, which actually had a bit of spice to them, provided a contrasting crunch.

Still avoiding the inevitable, they next sampled a special of the weekend, some Red, White, and Blue pancakes.  This included one of each of the Red Velvet, Blueberry, and Buttermilk Pancakes, topped off with some fresh whipped cream and berries.  The pancakes were thin and a little chewy in texture, which Brandy liked, with a very buttery over all flavor.  Despite the garish food dyes, each pancake actually had a subtle flavor difference, though Mama Bee detected more of the flavors than Brandy did.  "Even though these are a denser type of pancake, they don't seem too heavy," Mama Bee commented, "And I do have to admit I have a soft spot for colorful sweets!"

Finally resigning to their delicious fate, the ladies tucked into their entrees.  Mama Bee had decided on something called The Silence of the Hams, which was a hash of sorts with bacon, prosciutto, and sausage over spiced house potatoes and topped with two eggs and a white wine sauce.  The flavor of the dish was quite smokey and savory, of course, with enough meat to please even the staunchest of carnivores.  The potatoes at the base were the real surprise, as they were the main source of heat in the dish, eliciting a slow burn on the palate that didn't overwhelm everything else.  Thinly sliced into rounds, some of them were crispier than others, which Mama Bee enjoyed picking out and crunching on when the heat got to be too much for her.  "Even though this is rather spicy," she commented between sniffles, "I'm beginning to understand how heat can be used to enhance a dish rather than as a gimmick."

 Brandy went with the Lobster Omelette, which came loaded with lobster meat, asparagus, prosciutto, and fresh mozzarella, all smothered in an Old Spice spiked hollandaise and serviced with more spicy potatoes, and toast with raspberry jam.  While the omelette was pretty tame on the spices, it was full to the brim with lots of tender lobster, crunchy veggies, and melty cheese, which Brandy enjoyed.  The potatoes too were almost too much for Brandy, but a bite or two of jam covered toast helped to alleviate the building burn.  "Do you know, I think there might be peppers in this jam as well!" Brandy exclaimed, "And I think I rather like them!"

After downing a glass of water to rinse away the residual heat and wiping their dripping noses, Brandy and Mama Bee headed out of Kick.  Their heat filled adventure had been quite satisfying, with prices right around average and very friendly service to boot.  "I think I may be becoming one of those pepper head people," Brandy smiled at her friend, "I might just start carrying around a bottle of hot sauce in my bag."  "You could barely handle some red pepper flakes on those potatoes and you're going to start dousing everything in hot sauce?" Mama Bee scoffed.  "Maybe you're right.  Well then, I suppose I just have to carry around a thermos of hollandaise instead, as per usual."

The writers of this blog were invited to dine free of charge by the restaurant in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

Revisiting Siena Tavern with Fabio Viviani

Over the last five plus years of compiling Chicago's ultimate brunch guide, Brandy has often been asked about her favorite brunch spots of all time.  While she has a stock of answers ready to go at all times, the constant questioning occasionally causes her to pause and think over all the various restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops she's visited over the years.  "Its funny that some of those favorite simply don't exist any more or have become entirely new restaurants," Brandy often ponders, "But there are a handful that always immediately come to mind when I'm asked about my top picks, and if the memory of those meals can trump all the other clutter in my brain, they must really have been something special."

One of those places that makes Brandy's short list of all time favorites is most certainly Siena Tavern.  After visiting the location shortly after they began serving brunch, Brandy was incredibly impressed by the work of executive chef Fabio Viviani, who packed every plate full of bold, fresh flavors and well thought out presentations.  So when the opportunity came to not only return to the site of one of Brandy's most treasured brunch memories, but to meet Fabio in person as he guided her through a succession of new dishes and cocktails, Brandy could hardly turn the oppurtunity down.

The morning began, as every morning should, with a few cocktails.  First up was the Summer Spritz, a fruity concoction made with melon flavored vodka, aperol, citrus juices, and finished with prosecco, which Brandy found fresh and perfectly revitalizing.  After those cocktails had been consumed, the mimosa and bloody mary kits made an appearance.  Brandy especially liked the array of fresh fruit juices and purees available to mix into one's mimosa to make it a one of a kind breakfast beverage experience.

The first course was a taste of the Smoked Salmon Board.  As a play on a traditional lox plate, this one threw out the bagels and came in  instead with a "crispy dough" that resembled a cream puff shell as well as chive cream cheese, a little tomato, cucumber, capers, and red onion.  Never a huge fan of lox, Brandy was surprised by just how much she enjoyed the little bite, which was very tender and practically melted away on the tongue.  She especially enjoyed the buttery flavor of the crispy dough, which complimented the sharp veggies quite nicely.

Next up was the House Made Granola with fresh berries, Greek yogurt, and honey.  For such a simple dish, Brandy found that she really enjoyed each spoonful, delighting in the not-too-crunchy granola bits, which had just been barely touched with sweetness, combined with the silky smooth yogurt and the slightly tart berries.  "It's rather ingenious to make a sweet dish that is actually quite healthy for you," Brandy mused, "Helps to trick that nasty little sugar craving in the back of one's mind that insists on ordering lots of sugary things at the end of every meal."

The main course was the Italian themed house Benedict, made with a pesto hollandaise sauce, some crispy mortadella, and a base of toasted brioche.  Brandy really loved how different this benedict was to the traditional ones she sees about town, but she also appreciated that it didn't stray too far away from the basic formula of bread + ham + poached eggs + hollandaise.  "I always say that its not a brunch without at least one eggs benedict on the menu, and when you've got one this special, it certainly bodes well for everything else on offer."

Then came the sweets, represented by a plate of Tiramisu French Toast.  The buttery brioche had been soaked in espresso and then topped with a marsala whipped cream, fresh berries, and roasted white chocolate.  Brandy simply could not get enough of the little morsels of white chocolate on the plate, scooping up every tiny toasty bit.  The French toast had a lovely eggy texture to it and the fresh berries really helped to balance out the richer flavors.

Lastly, a sampling of house made sorbets came to the table in strawberry, mango peach, and grape.  Each one was simply made with just fresh fruit and water, making for bright and clean flavors that did the job of cleansing the palate nicely.  The only thing sweeter than the sorbets, in fact, was when Chef Viviani brought in his tiny sous chef in training, otherwise known as his son, Gage.


"I am glad that my memory isn't failing me after all and that Siena Tavern still deserves a place in my brunch Hall of Fame," Brandy commented as she leaned back in her chair, "Perhaps I should be revisiting my favorite spots a little more often.  After all, I wouldn't want to give anyone out dated information when I'm asked for brunching advice!"

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at the restaurant free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

World Burger Tour at the Hard Rock Cafe and GIVEAWAY!

A few weeks ago, Bunny was informed by Brandy that the Hard Rock Cafe was hosting a little event called the World Burger Tour through the end of June, in which the rock and roll restaurant would be showing off burgers with lots of international flair and flavors.  This meant that Bunny would have the chance to relive some of her favorite culinary mouthfuls from across the globe without leaving a single restaurant.  However, there was one problem; getting to try more than one of the burgers on offer without developing an exploding gut.  "I'm fairly sure which of their offerings I'm leaning towards," Bunny mused, thinking of the English Breakfast Burger, "But I would like a wee little taste of some of the some of the others.  I can't bring Brandy, because trying to sample something off of her plate would be like doing battle with a snapping turtle.  But bringing someone along is not such a bad idea.  In fact, I may bring more than just one someone..."

And so after convincing Bailey and Hawk to accompany her, Bunny and friends headed into the Hard Rock for a large dose of meaty goodness.  That particular night, a band called Lance Lipinsky & the Lovers set the tone for the evening, playing vintage rockabilly and swing numbers on the stage at the back of the restaurant to the delight of the crowd.  Seated at a table on the second level just under a guitar once owned by Richard Marx and across from Billy Joel's blazer, Bunny was able to enjoy the music as well as the conversation with her friends.

The meal began with cocktails, of course, like the All Jacked Up, a delightfully tropical cocktail made with two types of Jack Daniel's whiskey, spiced rum, and fruit juice, or the Crisp Sipper with gin, cucumber, lemon, orange, and raspberry flavors, both of which came served in a Hard Rock emblazoned mason jar.  Next, the table ordered up some appetizers, feasting on a fresh tomato bruschetta and a surprisingly authentic poutine.  "Now don't spoil your appetites," Bunny warned them, "I've heard these burgers are pretty big!"

Hawk had gone with the Java Lava Burger, which took the flavors of Seattle as its inspiration.  The burger itself had been prepared with a custom espresso rub, then topped with melted cheddar cheese, bacon, crispy onions, and a spicy sauce, and then garnished with a whole fried pepper.  Hawk liked that the burger started with a classic combo of beef, cheese, and bacon, and built on it with a good amount of spice and flavor.  Feeling adventurous, he even added on some of the new Chili Spiced fries for an extra bit of kick.

Bailey went with the Jamaican Jerk Burger, which came topped with mango and jalapeno cream cheese, banana pepper slices, and jerk seasoned mayo.  Bailey was especially pleased that her burger came perfectly rare, as per her request, and she really liked that the spice on this burger built slowly with every bite.  The cool cream cheese helped to balance out the particularly pungent peppers, and the jerk spice very nicely set off the meat and made sure that the burger was the foremost flavor.  Bailey accompanied her burger with some garlic and herb fries, which did a nice job of cooling off the gentle fire on her tongue.

Bunny, of course, went with the English Breakfast Burger, which came stacked high with sliced ham, a sausage patty, fresh arugula, roasted mushrooms, a fried egg, garlic aioli, and a side of baked beans.  "I can barely get my mouth around this thing!" Bunny exclaimed, and ultimately had to resort to slicing off chunks of the behemoth burger when the juice from the mushroom began to compromise the integrity of the bun.  The overall flavors were certainly spot on with the English breakfasts of Bunny's youth ("Could do with a little HP sauce and a roasted tomato though," she commented) and were nicely paired with the Parmesan fries, which came served with a garlic aioli.

Last of all, with their guts preventing them from ingesting any more solids, Bunny and crew picked a few liquid desserts in the form of boozy shakes.  Bailey chose the Iced Caramel with Irish cream, amaretto, and salted caramel liqueur, which had her swooning after a single sip.  Bunny went with the Twist and Stout, which, as its name implied, contained a healthy dose of Guinness along with spiced rum and chocolate liqueur, blended with vanilla ice cream and topped with crumbled bacon.  "Far be it for me to turn away from anything topped with bacon," Bunny laughed, "But I certainly have eaten my fair share of meat today!"

Bunny was so pleased by her evening of rock and roll and food and drink that she has decided to give away some Hard Rock Cafe goodies to one of our loyal readers!  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment, telling us what city you would like to see inspire a burger, and make sure to include the hashtag #WORLDBURGERTOUR!  Get one entry for commenting here, and additional entries for commenting on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.  A winner will be picked at random by the end of the day Friday June 3rd.  Also, don't forget to stop by the official World Burger Tour site to learn more about the burgers now on offer at the Hard Rock through the end of June and also find out how you can book your own World Burger Tour by visiting every city that has inspired this year's burgers!

The writers of this blog have been provided by Hard Rock International with information as well as any meals featured in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

The Chocolate Sanctuary or Purple Reign

The Slow and Savory Review

Poor poor Bailey Blue.  Brandy's dear friend has been put through the ringer in recent months due to classes she has been taking to become a certified expert in decoupage, wood work, and all the things one would need to know to run a refurbished furniture business.  "I'm just exhausted all of the time," Bailey told Brandy, "I can't even relax at home because every time I look at my nightstand, I think how it would be so much better if I sanded it down and painted it teal.  I've constantly got glue under my finger nails and my hand have a permanent yellow tinge from wood stain."  "What you need is a a nice little afternoon road trip ending in a relaxing brunch," Brandy suggested.  "Brunch is your answer for everything," Bailey laughed, to which Brandy responded, "Brunch does fix a lot of things.  But you know what's even better at fixing things than brunch?  Chocolate."

What Brandy had in mind was the newly premiered brunch at The Chocolate Sanctuary in Gurnee.  The nearly year old restaurant recently debuted their "cocoa infused" brunch with two different dining experiences offered: an a la carte menu with lots of sweet and savory options and a buffet for $22, which includes a complimentary mimosa.

The restaurant, which is situated on a sunny corner of a plaza, had an L shaped interior with a bar and high tables on one side and a large dining area on the other side, bifurcated by a gorgeous fire feature.  Dark woods and sparkling tiles set off the interior, predominantly featuring rich purple linens, which Brandy absolutely loved.  "Would you look at that cabinet in the back with all the glassware!" Bailey exclaimed.  "Darling, look away from the furniture.  You're here to relax, remember?"

Brandy and Bailey started off with some coffees to awaken their palates; a macchiato for Brandy and a hot chocolate for Bailey.  The ladies were delighted when they were presented with their beverages to find out that they came accompanied by a couple of the house made truffles.  Brandy's drink, which was rich and warm and delicious, came accompanied by a raspberry heart, which Brandy could not have been happier with, from its thin milk chocolate coating to its luxurious berry center.  Bailey, who commented, "I could drink this hot chocolate for the rest of my life and be happy," received a massive cookie dough truffle, which a thicker dark chocolate coating and even more chocolate, in chip form, dotting the inside.

Heading to the buffet, the ladies first eyed up the array of freshly made pastries and gorgeous fruit.  Bailey especially liked the chocolate croissants, which were buttery and flaky, while Brandy sided with the miniature muffins with fresh berries baked into them.  Next, the ladies attacked the seafood selections, like the chilled shrimps, lox and cream cheese rolls, and a surprisingly delicious ceviche.  They also adored the goat cheese and beet fritters, which were presented beautifully on metal spoons suspended on a magnetic board.  The main event of the buffet was the meat selection, which included ribs doused in a chocolate 5 spice sauce, prime rib with a cocoa dry rub, and cocoa candied bacon.  In fact, one could get the bacon made into the center of what was referred to as a Waffle Pop, where the stick mounted bacon was dipped in batter, cooked in a special appliance, and then topped with the diner's choice of a variety of toppings, like caramel, chocolate sauce, fresh berries, and maple syrup.  "If you would have told me I'd be eating brunch foods off a stick and loving it, I would have thought you'd inhaled too many furniture polish fumes," Brandy laughed.

Of course, no meal at a restaurant themed on chocolate could be complete without some decadent desserts.  There were plenty of bite sized delights to be found on the buffet, such as tiny cups of chocolate mousse, lemon scented cream puffs, chocolate eclairs with a touch of fruit jam, and white chocolate mini cupcakes.  Not content with the amount of sugar they had already injected into their veins, Bailey and Brandy also sampled an item off the a la carte menu, the signature chocolate sourdough bread made into a scrumptious French toast and covered in white chocolate cream and fresh berries.

"You know, a seafood and chocolate restaurant is certainly not something you see every day, but I think it makes for such an interesting contrast!" Bailey mused as she downed one last cream puff.  "I just love that this buffet isn't full of unwatched chaffing dishes, grey eggs, floppy pancakes, and over cooked meats," said Brandy, "Everything here is fresh, very well presented, and original.  It's not every day you see levitating fritters or chocolate infused ribs!"  The service was also exemplary, especially considering how busy the place got towards the late morning, and at only $22 for the buffet, Brandy thought the quality and variety of the food made the price more than reasonable.  "So, have you found a bit of inner peace now that you've had some chocolate for brunch?" Brandy asked Bailey.  "Maybe a bit too much peace," Bailey yawned, "I'm ready for a nap.  I guess that table and chair set I'm supposed to patina for my final will just have to wait until tomorrow."

The writers of this blog were invited to dine by the restaurant free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Baked Carbonara with Monograno Pasta

Few know this, but Brandy's most favorite food away from the brunch table is actually pasta.  Presenting her with a plate of fettuccine or rigatoni is a sure fire way to win her heart.  "Pasta is just the perfect sort of canvas for which a chef to paint upon," as Brandy likes to say, "It can be rich and decedent, or light and fresh, depending on the sauces, meats, and veggies used.  There's not many ingredients that are so versatile."

Of course, pasta is not often seen at brunch, which does make Brandy melancholy at times, but recently when she discovered a new and exciting line of pasta from Monograno Felicetti, it sent her brain into over drive. The new line uses organically grown grains cultivated across regions such as Umbria and Puglia, where the land is ideally suited to produce flavorful grains that are then milled into incredibly flavorful, nutritious, and high quality pasta. The Monograno line of pasta represents the culmination of four years of testing of hundreds of ancient strains of wheat, farro and kamut, resulting in superior pasta that can be traced back to a specific organic field.

These pastas are so finely crafted that the different grains used actually create unique tasting experiences.  Pastas made with the Kamut release scents of white flowers and freshly peeled fruit while cooking, while tasting like pine and macadamia nuts.  The Farro pasta has a flavor like peanut butter and dates, perfect for pairing with red wines.  The Matt pasta is the most traditional of the ancient grains, giving off the scent of dried coconut and hay while tasting buttery and bread like.

Completely enamored with these pastas, Brandy set a quest for herself to complete a brunch themed pasta dish to honor them.  "Now let's see... pasta... with brunch... eggs... bacon... of course!"

And so the Baked Carbonara was born, using the Matt penne as it's canvas.  The buttery richness in the flavor of this particular pasta made it the ideal base for rich and smokey bacon and loads of cheese.  "Why have I never thought to do this before?" Brandy wondered after she'd finished her masterpiece, "From now on, I'm going to start adding pasta into all of my brunch dishes!  Just imagine how good a Benedict would be on top of linguine instead of an English muffin!"

Monograno Felicetti pastas are available for purchase on Amazon or at Eataly in Chicago.

The writers of this blog were sent products by the company free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Baked Carbonara

1 box of Monograno Matt Penne
1 side of bacon, cut into bite sized pieces
1 lb of asparagus, cup into 1 inch pieces
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs
1/2 cup of heavy cream

Pre heat your oven to 375 degrees. Slightly under cook the pasta in salted water, then drain and set aside to cool.

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crispy, then remove and drain, leaving about a table spoon of grease in the pan.  Add the garlic and asparagus to the pan and cook over medium low heat for about 7 minutes, then salt to taste and remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, and cream, then salt to taste (remember to account for the saltiness of the bacon).  Add in the pasta and stir to combine, then add in the bacon and asparagus and stir again until everything is distributed evenly.  Add the pasta mixture to a greased 9x9 pan and leave to bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Serve hot, optionally topped with more Parmesan and/or a poached egg.  Makes 6-9 servings.

Max and Benny's or Matzo Ball Soup for the Soul

The Slow and Savory Review

Brandy sometimes worries that her extensive brunching adventures have turned her into a brunch snob.  "There was a time when a simple omelette, a couple of strips of bacon, a buttered crumpet. and a cup of coffee was all I needed to satisfy my hunger, but now I seem to get personally offended if there isn't local vegetables in my eggs, the pedigree of the pig my bacon came from isn't spelled out on the menu, exotic fruit jam isn't on my crumpet, and a meal pairing suggestion isn't presented with my coffee.  Maybe I've become too spoiled by all these chefs vying for my attention and approval with their culinary magic tricks, their modern twists on classics, and their seasonal produce obsessions."

Expressing her fears to her friend Hawk, he had to agree that perhaps Brandy's palate had become too pampered.  "You need some good old comfort food.  A greasy spoon diner or a mom and pop bakery or an established family restaurant," he said, "Hey, that gives me an idea!  What would you say to a road trip out of the city to visit a beloved suburban Jewish deli and eatery?"  Brandy mulled this over.  "I just don't know if my sophisticated palate is up for that kind of thing any more," she admitted.  "We'll put it to the test then.  If you don't like this place I'm suggesting, then it may be true that you are forever ruined."

So Hawk and Brandy headed out to Max and Benny's, a 30 year old institution and bastion of good old fashioned Jewish comfort food.  The location was at the head of an unassuming strip mall with the deli at one end and the dining area at the other of the massive space.  Resisting the urge to spend all her money at the deli before they'd even been sat, Brandy took in the unassuming restaurant interior, which was already buzzing with tables full of regulars and the servers who knew them all by name.  "It's not the most glamorous place I've ever been," Brandy said, "But I can't deny that its already putting a smile on my face."  That smile expanded once they were seated and the pair were presented with a basket of fresh bread rolls, and as their waitress (who had been at Max and Benny's nearly 15 years) explained to them, all the bread was baked in house twice a day.

To start off their meal, Brandy eyed up an old favorite of hers, the Fried Matzo (otherwise known as Matzo Brei).  She put in an order for the plain version with onions, which also came served with a side of apple sauce, and was delighted to see the dish presented simply.  The matzo provided a nice slightly crunchy and chewy contrast to the eggs, while the sweetness of the onions was really brought out by an accompanying dunk in the apple sauce.  "Needs a bit of salt though," Hawk commented, to which Brandy pointed out that that issue could easily be overcome by ordering the version with salami the next time.

Hawk decided on the Grandpa's Favorite, with consisted of corned beef, pastrami, and chopped liver on rye bread with a side of cole slaw and a pickle.  The beef was perfectly spiced and melt-in-your-mouth tender, which Hawk really admired.  The liver was maybe a tad overwhelming in competition with the other meats, but it ultimately fit in quite nicely.  "Does liking this sandwich mean that I'm now officially an old man?" Hawk wondered.  "No, it means your tastes have finally reached full maturity," Brandy corrected him.

Brandy had picked the Veggie Breakfast Skillet with corn, mushrooms, green beans, potatoes, and cheese, topped off with two over easy eggs and a side of pancakes.  Not only did she get what she ordered, but the meal also came with a wedge of cantaloupe and two slices of fruit cake, meaning Brandy was overwhelmed with things to sample.  The pancakes had an inherent sweetness and denseness to them that actually made them perfect as a side dish ("I prefer my entree pancakes light and fluffy and my side pancakes substantial," as Brandy put it) and the fruit cake was moist and flavorful.  The skillet was jam packed with crisp veggies and melty cheese, Brandy especially liking that the potatoes at the base of the dish had a lovely crisp crust on them to add in a bit of extra texture variation.  "I never thought I'd been swooning over a plate of eggs, vegetables, and cheese, but... swooning I am, none the less," said Brandy.

Lastly, they finished off with a plate of Red, White, and Blue Blintzes.  The crepe that formed the foundation of the confections was perfectly thin and eggy, while the filling was plentiful.  The red (cherry) and blue (blueberry) blintzes were sweet, almost like the filling of a pie, and perfect with a scoop of sour cream to balance them out, while the white (cheese) was sweet, creamy, and utterly savorable.  "It almost tastes like cheese cake!" Hawk exclaimed in delight, this being the first ever blintz he had experienced.

Still taken with the incredible food at Max and Benny's Brandy rounded out her day by raiding the deli for bagels, brisket pot pies, noodle kuggels, and matzo ball soup to take home with her.  She had been fantastically charmed by the authentic food, done thoughtfully and with love, served by knowledgeable an hard working servers at a price point that was more than fair.  "I may still be a brunch snob," Brandy said as Hawk helped her to haul bags of food out of the restaurant, "But its good to know I can still recognize good food when I see it, no matter where it's being served.  I tell you, this place is enough to make an old city girl like me think about moving out to the suburbs!"

The writers of this blog were invited to dine free of charge by the restaurant in exchange for an honest review.

The Short and Sweet Review