Breakfast/brunch recommendation

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

If you haven't yet eaten at The Neighborhood Portuguese Restaurant and Bakery in Union Square, do so at your earliest convenience. The breakfast/brunch that we had on Saturday was delicious and the portions were just right for the price which was totally reasonable.

I recommend that you go on a nice day so that you can sit outside, however. Inside is a little crowded

Comments

[inahandbasket]

that place ROCKS. Haven't been since last summer, but only due to being too damned busy.

[cleanup-davissq.livejournal.com]

Is this relevant to Davis Square?

We should be supporting our Davis bruncheries.
Anyone care to start a recommendation list for Davis?

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, there isn't a Union Square community. It's really not so far from Davis to be irrelevant. It's about a 20 minute walk or a 10 minute bus ride to get there.

I also adore Orleans brunch, though it costs too much for the amount of food you get.
I love Kelly's (but that's in Ball Square).
I've heard good things about Johnny D's but never been.
I love Supreme kitchen (but that's up Highland, so also not relevant, really)

[ron_newman]

There's a somervillemass community, but it's not very busy compared to this one.

[majes.livejournal.com]

I second that recommendation. I've never had anything but good food there, and my only problems with it were related to it being crowded.

[gilana]

I haven't been there in way too long. They are pretty awesome.

[komos.livejournal.com]

I never bring up the Neighborhood without mentioning that their specials run in excess of $11 a plate and that you need a lumberjack's appetite to finish one. They also will not allow you to split a plate unless you pay an additional fee.

I'll agree that their food is quite good, but it is on the spendy side. While it's true that you get enormous portions (and a super-tasty turnover that the table can fight over), you are paying a premium for the privilege.

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I also must mention that the service is not so spectacular (coffee with a sneer). But the food is delicious and non-specials are reasonably priced.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

I definitely had no issue with the service. Our waitress was even accommodating and let one of our party get half hash brown and half corn beef hash so she could try it.

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

Good to know. I don't go there regularly so maybe I just had a bad server who despised refilling coffee!

[bryant]

Bah, or spend like 7 bucks on a normal omelette and get just as much food. And it includes coffee.

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

And the pastry plate. AND the fruit cup.

I've never spent more than $8 there, and I've still walked away full for the rest of the day.

[komos.livejournal.com]

Actually, for $7-8, you get one heaping plate instead of two. You'll note that I was only talking about their specials.

[bryant]

Every time I've ordered a normal breakfast there, I've gotten whatever I've ordered, plus cream of wheat (or fruit), plus coffee, plus orange juice, plus the plate o'bread. It's exactly the same bonus food as I get when I order a special.

[komos.livejournal.com]

The normal breakfasts consist of, for instance: a) juice, b) cream of wheat/fruit, c) coffee, and d) plate of X with homefries and often meat. The table shares a bread plate.

The specials usually consist of: a) juice, b) cream of wheat/fruit, c) coffee, d) plate with eggs, meat and homefries, AND e) plate of X. The table share a bread plate.

Hence 1 heaping plate v. 2 heaping plates.

Incidentally, this is the same formula they have been using since the specials were $7.99 and there was no sharing fee. Inflation is a bitch.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

True, the specials menu was $10.95 each, but the other offerings are less. I think that for juice, coffee, fruit or cream-of-wheat, the entree, toast, hashbrowns, those little pastries that they give you and whatever else your meal comes with, though, it's worth it.

Basically, for me, if it came down to a 30 minute wait at Sound Bites or a 30 minute wait at the Neighborhood (which may be a little more money, but I don't recall) I'd wait at the Neighborhood because I know I'll get more food.

[komos.livejournal.com]

I've said this elsewhere, but I think Sound Bites is perhaps the single most over-rated brunch venue in the area. More doesn't necessarily equal better, but in this comparison, it's more and just-as-good-if-not-better.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Personally, my favorite is Kelly's Diner in Ball Square.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

Kelly's is damn good, too! Good greasy food cheap. =)

[ex-cayetana730.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Brookline Lunch in Central?

Cheapest brunch this side of dim sum, and huge omelettes overflowing with fresh non-greasey things. They usually just throw in whatever vegetables they have, to delicious effect. Love that place so much.

I heard they are closed in the summer though because the family leaves the country :_(

[bryant]

So now I'm curious. Not that I don't agree with you on Sound Bites, but you've dissed three brunch places so far -- where /do/ you like?

[komos.livejournal.com]

Actually, I didn't "dis" The Neighborhood. What I did say was that their specials were too much food for one person and that they ran expensive. I also said that their food was good, even if oddly plentiful.

There's just one that I will outright "dis," and that's because their food is truly uninspiring and their owner is an ass. Yes, I have said that to his face.

I also reserve the right to criticize other venues freely if I believe that the value is underpar, or if you're paying more for ambience than anything.

As for what I do like, it really depends on my mood, and I'll limit it in and around the Square just for argument's sake. Kelly's is a good bet for greasy spoon fare, and there are some surprises there as well. They don't really know how to handle asparagus, but that's really minor and there are very few places that do it right. Renee's is a decent middle of the roader. They push the envelope a bit and still manage to keep prices and lines reasonable. Sabur is fantastic, if spendy. My biggest issue there is that they open too late unless your plan is for a truly lazy Sunday. Orleans has a wonderful hollandaise - rich in mouthfeel with just a hint of citrus - but you will pay a premium to be there and the menu is not at all kid-friendly.

And holy carp, I have opinions! Considering that I've been doing weekend brunches in the area for the better part of 14 years, I should hope that would be the case. I've given most places plenty of chances (the glaring exception is Soleil, which I can't seem to time right), and when I'm willing to say that a place is overrated, I really do mean that it's overrated. Here's the kicker, though... everyone else is entitled to their opinions as well. I'm not interested in pissing matches. I'm just here for the food.

[bryant]

I'm not either. If I ask for opinions, it's cause I'm curious -- there's a lot of good brunch out there that I just don't know about.

Thanks!

[spatch]

Please add me to the "I love the Neighborhood" list! Heapin helpings of good food.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Is it big enough that a group of 6 or 8 could make a morning of it, like doing Portuguese Johnny D's?

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

maybe. but that's a HUGE maybe. a group larger than 6 would be hard for them to accommodate, I think, but I don't know if the rules for outdoor seating are different from those of the inside. a table of 6 or more probably couldn't be done inside.

[komos.livejournal.com]

If you sit outside, the picnic tables are probably fine for six. Eight would be a lot trickier.

Aside from the Jazz and booze, Johnny got nothin' on this place.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Your icon...is bacon....

*drools*

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

Bacon is the best part of brunch for me. Sadly, I was disappointed with the bacon at the neighborhood. everything else was so good, though, that it was kind of okay. ;)

[dawneliz.livejournal.com]

Aw, this makes me miss The Neighborhood (I was in Union before I was in Davis). I've really been diggin' Renee's Cafe (which is technically not in Davis, I know, I know, it's Teele). The service can be s-l-o-w but it allows me to enjoy the conversations I'm having (versus Soundbites, where the guy put his hand on my companion's shoulder once as she was finishing up and said 'we're very busy today...'). The coffee is meh, the homefries are great, the corned beef hash benny is really good, the waffles are always nice. I haven't had the bacon. I'd feel to meaty if I had CBHB *and* bacon...

[azores.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think the Sound Bites reputation for getting you in and out has taken on a "Soup Nazi" quality- you either think it's charming and gives the place character or you think it's arrogant and annoying as hell. Guess which one I think it is?!

Speaking of breakfast/brunch, anyone tried the Broken Yolk at Powderhouse?

[azores.livejournal.com]

Also, Redbones is now serving brunch as is Tu Y Yo in Powderhouse as well. Have tried neither. Yet.