From the get-go, I promised that there would be Brunch and I have not lived up to that promise. That saddens me. 2013 has been 'Brunch-Lite' by my standards - I've only gone to 'church' twice. My favorite Brunch Partner in Crime, Stephanie of Love and Lace, was in attendance at both, naturally. And without further ado - the wrap-up.
My first Brunch of the year took place on January 13th at Cedar Creek Inn in Brea. While you will want to visit for their fantastic food and bottomless bubbly, keep in mind that it does not open until 11:30, which by our standards, is a 'Brunch-fail'. We rarely have an early start-time, but on the one occasion that we do, of course it had to be at this place! Thankfully, we sort of like each other, so we were able to keep ourselves occupied for a half hour.
Per usual, Stephanie went the sweet route and ordered a very decadent french toast.
Also, per usual, I saw a ham less Eggs Benedict on the menu, and could not help myself. I was especially excited about this one. Never before have I seen a crab-scallop cake Benedict - and it was divine!
This year's second Brunch on February 10th was technically a fact-finding mission. Oma is turning 86 in June and up until the last minute last year, she did not want an 85th birthday party. Since there was not enough time to plan anything once she'd agreed to the party, we decided to do it this year instead. She thought perhaps we should consider catering for the party, so my mother found a restaurant that does German catering and we decided to go check The Jäger House in Anaheim out. Brunch is not required to be a fancy affair, but it does need to be experienced with some classy company!
We went at noon, but we able to chose from both the breakfast and lunch menu. Since I do not eat land animals, my choices were rather limited - I know, I'm such a bad German. While the Germans do meat very well, they also do something called Mehlspeize incredibly well. In doing some background research, I see that this term is now mainly used for baked goods, but I grew up with this being the term for flour based dishes like Spätzle, Knödel, and Nudel. Throughout history, much of the German population living outside the cities was quite poor, so meat was not eaten on a daily basis, making Mehlspeize very popular and a cuisine staple.
I saw an omelet with Spätzle and was intrigued, so of course I had to try it. These Spätzle were probably the best I've ever had (a fact that my mother was not too happy to hear) and if you ever find yourself at this place, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you do not order them! I substituted the ham for cheese and avocado, but the avocado was completely unnecessary. Since it was so dense, the slightly sweet house Rhone white worked well with it.
While a German meal is typically not sexy or fancy, it is always tasty and filling - each dish can be considered comfort food. My sister ordered the potato pancakes and they were phenomenal - also should not be missed if you find yourself here.
From what I hear, the meat dishes were also quite good. There was Chicken Schnitzel, Wienerschnitzel, and Sauerbraten on our table.
Since everyone was so full they could barely move (despite everyone having a doggiebag), it was decided that we should try dessert - you know, for research purposes. The Apfel Strudel was good, but the Black Forest Cake was absolutely out of this world!!
Both were absolutely lovely days with some very lovely ladies! And I am very much looking forward to Brunch tomorrow. It does truly make the world go round.
Hope all your Brunches tomorrow are fabulous, Kittens! Oh who am I kidding, it's Brunch, how could it not be?
XOXO!!
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