April 12th, 2009

Yuppie Brunch: Celebrating Restaurant Consultants on Easter Sunday

Looking for brunch in Boston before 11am? Good luck.  Seems like this city has no interest in taking money from people who eat before 11am or after 2pm on Sundays. So me + friend Ann “I want my internet presense to be net-zero, so don’t use my last name” [redacted] were strolling around the South End at 10am, and found Stephi’s on Tremont (571 Tremont Street, South End) which was miraculously open.

I have never before been in a restaurant that so reeked of “restaurant consultant”. The menu was trend central: short ribs, serrano ham, chorizo, ahi tuna, eggs benedict plus another *fancy* eggs benedict option, and arepas.  My usual experience with these places is that the restaurant consultants are great with details – orchids placed in just the right spots, excellent choice of glassware, perfectly rehearsed dialog from the waiters, “jam of the day” gimmicks, etc, but the food never actually tastes that great (example: Daedalus in Harvard Square – one of the few places that does brunch on Saturday). This is why I usually stick to greasy-spoon diners. At least when you say runny yolks at places like Sunny’s or Brookline Lunch (both in Central Square), that’s what you get.

I went with the arepas with chorizo and fried eggs, and MAN it was tasty. Artfully done, too, but not the sort of plating where you feel bad stabbing the egg yolks and soaking your entire meal in delicious cholesterol. I am now officially re-considering my stance on restaurant consultants (please note: I have zero proof that Stephi’s actually employed a restaurant consultant. I am merely postulating that their setup, menu, and decor is exactly what any good consultant would put in place if given the opportunity).

So congrats, Stephi’s – your brunch is rock-star.  You might want to make your coffee a lil hotter though.