Brunch at LJs

When I found out that some friends of mine hadn’t eaten at LJs, I couldn’t help suggesting that we try them next time we do brunch, especially when I heard that one of them was a self-declared pulled pork fiend. She even went so far as to describe the food as “one of the best things humans ever came up with”. So when Sunday rolled around, LJs was the plan.

I love, love the Big Mess: potatoes, pulled pork, poached eggs and BBQ tinged hollandaise. Throw some hot sauce on top and dig right in. The BBQ and hollandaise and egg mix together with the pork… oh my gawd. Delicious.

The Modern Diner introduced me to the idea of pulled pork with eggs with one of their specials, a pulled pork omelette – but LJs homemade pulled pork, BBQ sauce and hollandaise just takes it all to the next delectable level. So much so that three out of the four of us got the Big Mess and loved it.

The other at our table – my wife – got another amazing staple, the LJs Benedict. Almost like the Big Mess, but with a few welcome additions: poached eggs and chipotle hollandaise over pulled pork and grilled cornbread with a side of homefries.

The atmosphere is a little Southern inspired for sure, but still feels down home in New England. The tables are covered in that standard red gingham that lets you know you are eating BBQ, and instead of napkins there’s a big roll of paper towel on the table. Dig in!

It should be noted that we have tried other things on the menu, but these two dishes keep us coming back. Their cornbread pancakes with bacon bits cooked in are amazing – they make pancakes savory again. Their sweet potato pancakes are also really good, and if you can’t choose, get the pancake sampler: one buttermilk, one corn cake, and one sweet potato. The Power Tool is great – chili and cheese with homefries – and their sides of grits are delicious. All around, I don’t think you can really go wrong with brunch – or dinner – at LJs.

Brunch at Brickway

It’s been a year or maybe two since I’ve been to the Brickway. It’s not because the food isn’t good, or affordable. It’s because it’s always just so busy. Good for them, really. I mean, its not a bad thing. It’s just tough for me as I usually arrive hungry and then get cranky if I have to wait for more than ten minutes.

This morning the four of us waited for just about 20 minutes, which isn’t bad. Most of the students are on Winter break, which I hoped would help us with the wait. We got shown our table with merely a point, but like I said, it was busy in there. Even though I hadn’t been there in so long, I still remember what most of the menu was, and you really can’t go wrong with most things. So, I went with something off the wall – literally. I decided to get a special.

Now, it was called The Hot Mess and had chili, cheese, poached eggs and hollandaise served over potatoes with toast. What’s not to like? But I really got it because it reminded me of one of my favorite breakfast items, The Big Mess at LJ’s BBQ in Pawtucket. So, while I liked it, I guess it was doomed from the beginning because I just love LJ’s pulled pork so much.

Still, it was pretty good. With some Frank’s hot sauce on top and a bottomless cup of coffee I was very happy. My wife got a great-looking fruit cup (esp. for winter-time) and the veggie sandwich (with avocado! Food kryptonite, says Adam Richman). A friend we were with got the Brickway staple, the S-Pet, which is a poached egg sandwich. The other friend of ours got a french toast special with blueberries and strawberries and yogurt cream which looked amazing, and smelled great. He was the first to clean his plate.

Bottom line – if it wasn’t always packed, I’d go more often. The food is solid, the prices are great, and the people watching is pretty good, too. It’s slightly better in the summer when you can sit outside.

You know, I hate to downgrade place a little just because they are busy – they wouldn’t be busy if they weren’t so good. So, it’s a lame reason, but I’m a lame old guy I guess.

Brunch at DownCity, downtown Providence

While I think I only ate once at the previous DownCity (located in a building that burned down due to some over-cooked brisket and an old, dirty greasy chimney), I can also say that since the new incarnation opened, it took me three+ years to eat there. Other people have eaten there that I know, and have had ok experiences. Often now, instead of taking a chance by spending my money at a place that may or may not deliver the goods, I’ve opted to spend instead at a place that is tried and true where I can’t go wrong. Not very adventurous, I know, but less disappointing, too.

All that said, when some friends suggested DownCity for brunch one Sunday, I was ready to give them a shot. Six of us met at a large table towards the back and we looked over their one-sheet brunch-only menu.

For those of you who haven’t been, the decor is fairly restrained. Orange is the main accent color, and the space is somewhat industrial – with exposed brick and beams, and an internal second floor, with an open two-story space to one side. It’s quite nice, and since it is downtown, one might even say “chic”. I think the decor and the location make the prices higher than they need to be, but whatever, it was an adventure.

Brunch items ranged from hash to poached egg options to some sandwich options, like a Croque Madam. Prices ranged from $10 to $16 for a fancy steak and eggs options. The coffee was good – strong and dark – and the waiter kept it coming. I was feeling very adventurous, and decided to go for a new menu item, the Chicken and Waffle.

A few weeks ago – December 31, to be exact – another group of friends had “Drunch” at Thee Red Fez. They were doing an adult dunner/brunch theme with great beer and mixed drink selections. A friend of mine had their Chicken and Waffles and quite liked it. I had a pulled pork and chipotle hollandaise over grit cakes option called the “Thunderdome” that was delicious. His Chicken and Waffles was the inspiration for me to try it at Downcity.

Maybe it’s a trend for Providence to start experimenting with normally traditional southern comfort food. Whatever it is, don’t stop. The fried chicken was very crisp, having been coated in what seemed to be corn flakes. They had a slightly sweet crunch. They were boneless, too, which was unexpected but great considered the crunchy coating masked what was underneath – I kept expecting a bone but wasn’t finding any. They had a light smear of apple butter on them, which was a great compliment. The waffle was unadorned save for the chicken on top. I would have actually liked some butter (though I was already in heart-attack city), but maple syrup helped the waffle go down and the syrup was a great addition to the chicken as well. It still couldn’t help the large, deep-pocketed Belgium-style waffle get a little old and rubbery, though. It was the only complaint I had about the preparation… and really, if the chicken wasn’t so good, the waffle wouldn’t have felt like such an afterthought.

All in all, a good experience on my part. My wife ordered the Corned Beef and Hash with a poached egg and liked it, but was a bit overwhelmed by the shear amount of meat and salt. Normally, one expects hash to have meat and potatoes, but the potato ratio seemed light and eventually the salty corned beef made it hard to finish, though she did by some miracle. Others at the table seemed to have a good experience as well.

The waiter was helpful and attentive. Nothing to complain about or give particular praise for. Water had to be asked for, which is something that peeves my wife… why can’t water be assumed?

One last note may be for the bathroom… they have pretty cool sinks that are worth a look, though the way they are built opens up possibilities for lots of splashback onto your pants. Be wary!