Just a few brief notes on a couple of recent places I tried ...
Let me start by saying that I absolutely adore brunch. It is my favorite meal — partly because it really is two meals in one. You can have your sweet or your savory. And you don't have to get up early.
A few weeks ago, I went to Cafe Brioche for the first time. I had read all sorts of rave reviews about how it was supposed to serve one of the best brunches in Palo Alto. As I expected, there was a short wait for a table for two when I arrived that Saturday morning. I wish I could tell you what I ate, but it really was THAT unmemorable. Nothing special. At all. So I'm not sure why there's so much love for Cafe Brioche. (Maybe I just made a bad menu choice?) The service was friendly but oh so very s-l-o-w. Even though I can't remember what I ordered, I do remember waiting 30 minutes for the check. And asking for it TWICE.
This past weekend, I met some friends for brunch at Scott's Seafood in Town & Country Village. First of all, I probably should have known better than to pick a brunch spot that has the word "seafood" in its name AND is a sort of a mini-chain here in the Bay Area. And secondly, that strip mall is one giant mess. The parking lot is a disaster — with people and cars behaving badly. I ordered an omelet that was decent, but not better than anything I can whip up at home (and that's saying a lot since I don't even like to cook). The accompanying home fries and biscuit were horrendous. I am a firm believer that it is really hard to go wrong with potatoes, but these? These had some sort of funky taste to them that I just couldn't figure out. The service at Scott's was very good, but it didn't make up for the blah food.
I wish I had better things to report. But after these two experiences, I think I need to go back to Alana's for my next brunch outing.
