no compromises to be seen
the place: craigie on main, 853 main street, cambridge
the date: sunday, 03.29.09
the plan: brunch
oh, I have been waiting for this one. I never managed to make it to the much-beloved craigie street bistro despite ryan and several other friends being devotees. I’m very impressed by maws’s commitment to local and fresh— I think it’s the best option both for taste and for health of people and the planet. so when I read that the new version would have a full bar (with cocktails by the cocktail genius formerly of eastern standard), more seating, and brunch, I was inexpressably excited. and finally the day came when I was actually headed over there for a pre-movie (bromance I love you, man which was enjoyable) brunch.
for whatever reason, we skipped the breakfast cocktails and just made do with coffee. probably related to the rain and coldin some way. the space is absolutely gorgeous with the bar and open kitchen each dominating their side of the restaurant. for brunch, the open windows let in enough light to make the space feel light, open, and airy despite the grey and dreary weather. the host, servers, and (I think) manager, all helped us get to our table (we got separated due to parking issues) and our waitress was absolutely delightful, super cheerful and offering recommendations. the entire experience was off to a great start and we hadn’t even eaten anything.
the main event: the waitress recommended the pancakes if we were thinking sweet and the corned beef hash for savory. these actually happened to be what we were leaning towards anyway, though we did go back and forth a bit before settling on those. we also added a side— the potato galette. the waitress said that the pancakes (with the stewed bananas) melted in your mouth, but I didn’t really believe that because it seemed a ridiculous thing to say about pancakes. except they totally did. it was amazing, though a bit of a weird sensation at first. they were so light. hands down the best pancakes I have ever eaten. the house-brined corn beef also met expectations of greatness. and the potato was light, not greasy, and absolutely perfectly seasoned.
we were early for the movie, and if I’d had my way we would have sat there for another hour just drinking coffee and enjoying the sounds of the expeditor calling orders, but clearly they need to turn over tables, so we had to leave. but I’m already looking for reasons to go back, for dinner and to brunch again. oh, and also for cocktails. definitely for cocktails.
