Sunday brunch is one of my favorite meals of the week. I ate with my parents every week for a long time, but for the last year, it's been the one meal Adam and I share where there is only a cursory time limit. Brunch is a great option for people who work outside of the city because it offers lunchtime prices for some variations on restaurants' signature dishes. It also allows chefs room to play with ingredients they might not use in lunch or dinner courses.
The first place Adam and I had brunch together was Ore. I was lured out by the promise of delicious chicken and waffles and was not disappointed. Since then, the inside of the restaurant has been redecorated with chalk, flags and signs and reopened as Saw's Juke Joint. The space now has a grittier feel to match its cuisine and new music venue status. Opened as the third part of the Saw's brand, the no-frills approach to plating does not detract from the quality of the food. Instead, your focus is shifted to the food.
Almost half of my green eggs and ham was packed away in my stomach before the spice in the jalapeno Hollandaise built up. The yolk of the perfectly cooked egg mixed with the sauce, and the ham and biscuit tempered the peppery heat well. When I handed the rest over to Adam, I wished -- and still do -- that I had taken more time to savor it. His shrimp and grits was covered with rich sausage gravy. The gravy and cheese grits blended into a rich bed for the generous helping of shrimp on the plate. I was full long before the plate was empty, and will be going back soon to try more of the brunch menu.