Typical Florida weather means one minute it will be so sunny that not even the highest UV glasses will do the trick and the next it will be raining cats and dogs. Today was one of those days. But who was that going to stop? Not me and my mom, and our brunch adventures pt. 2.
Last week was so fun and full of laughter. I couldn't help but beg for another brunch trip. My dad was out of town and my sister was with friends, so it was just my mom and I once again. We couldn't decide wether we wanted a brunch or a linner, but my mind was set on brunch because a.) breakfast is possibly my favorite meal and b.) I would be hungry for a pint of ice cream later in the evening.
So I narrowed it down to several choices but SoCo fit our fancy (plus it's walking distance!).
But before our brunch trip, we headed over to park ave and window shopped. (Being short and petite does NOT have its benefit when it comes to trying on clothes!!). Even though nothing was bought we still wasted time (in a good way). Plus, it kept us distracted from our hunger!
We drove home, redid our hair (because it's humid in Florida, and you simply can't go through the day without your hair becoming a frizz ball), and grabbed our umbrellas. Ironically, it was pouring while the sun was still shining. We waddled over to the resturaunt and quickly got seated.
We were so hungry that we couldn't help but order to appetizers (one of which was actually a side dish). My mom ordered a bottomless mimosa, and as for me... No luck in the latte department:(
Originally we order the cheddar grits with an andouille crumble. MMMMMM they were so thick and cheesy. The grits were perfectly down and seasoned to excellence. The andouille was a perfect addition to the plate. It reminded me of baked mac and cheese (both southern dishes, but both so good!).
Then we couldn't help but order the Johnny hot Cakes which were corn pancakes with an artichoke and crab salad. The were perfectly sized and the crab was nice and fresh. The artichoke made the plate giving off that almost bitter taste. This paired extremely well with the pico de gallo and crab. Everything melted in your mouth like a perfect melody. The corn pancakes were so well done and nice and fluffy.
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It was time to order our main course and boy was I ready. I got the lobster eggs Benedict and my mom got the grilled meatloaf and fried egg sandwich on brioche.
The Lobster eggs Benedict was spectacular. It was a huge buttermilk biscuit sliced in half, layered with a slice of juicy ham, a poached egg, and a lobster infused hollandaise sauce. In all honesty the star of this plate was the biscuit. It absorbed all the juices and flavors of the plate, making it the perfect bite.
If I could have made this plate better I would have added salt and pepper onto the poached egg. I also would have asked for a side of sriracha (because you can't go wrong with eggs and sriracha). For me, the ham was a little fatty and chewy (I'm not the biggest ham fan), but it didn't really bother me. The lobster was so vibrant and fresh!
Madre got the meatloaf Sammy which was incredibly messy but superb. It also came with truffle fries and housemate ketchup! The meatloaf was perfectly grilled and cooked, the egg was so runny, and the brioche gave a soft balance to the dish. All the fresh veggies didn't over power the star of the dish, the meatloaf. It was like a homemade classic, perfectly modernized with a big heaping of truffle fries!
After we were so full (at this point I'm regretting wearing a crop-top), we headed on down to publix and picked up some (well actually 5) whole pints of ice cream.
Here goes another ice cream story.
So our publix is always out of all the flavors of Ben and Jerry's (so upsetting), and this time was no exception. BUT UNTIL THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING HAPPENED. They were restocking the Ben and Jerry's freezer. All my favorite flavors were being stocked up right at the moment we arrived to the freezer door. OH AND GUESS WHAT. It was a BEN AND JERRY'S BOGO!!!!! So we got 4 whole pints of Ben and Jerry's (Karamel Sutra, Americone Dream, Chunky Monkey, and Fudge Brownie) and my mom got her Hagan Daaz chocolate peanut butter ice cream. Yes- we probably looked like some maniacs buying 5 pints of ice cream, but it was so worth it.
By 6:30 my mom was ready for her pint and ate it with no problem. I on the other hand wanted to be really hungry for it. So I wanted till seven because I just felt the urge for it. I choose the Karamel Sutra flavor because that's what I was craving.
Big announcement: I FINISHED THE WHOLE ENTIRE PINT. I have zero guilt, in fact the last bite I actually smiled. When there was only a quarter of the pint left, I almost gave up. But then I laughed and finished it. I'm so proud of myself (laugh all you want, tell me I'm a pig, I DONT CARE!).
I think I can say I'm a passionate Ben and Jerry's fan. I even subscribed to there newsletter! My goal is to try every pint. Then like a marathon, at the end, I'll go to the factory and celebrate.
Sunday Funday, good eats day- whatever you want to call it went well. Until next weekend...
(DISCLAIMER: it may or may not be a daddy and daughter weekend. Which means lots of Vietnamese and crazy food findings)