Brennan's for Breakfast & Fantasyland

This Saturday, I finally made it down to Brennan's restaurant for breakfast. My first experience with Brennan's occurred back in October, while on an impromptu hooky date with the boy. We stumbled into Brennan's on Royal to escape the rain and realized that this essential New Orleans facility was our place to be. It wasn't until after about fifteen minutes of chatting with the hostess and looking over the menu in the foyer that we realized that they weren't even serving at that time, so we reluctantly left. We ended up spending a wonderful two hours at Galatoire's, but more on that in another post, maybe.

Anyway, I was taken Saturday morning by my late grandmother's childhood friend and cousin and her husband. I love Dawn because she sounds, looks, and acts just like my Grandmother, probably because they grew up together. They treated me to a wonderful three-course breakfast of strawberries with double cream, ham and cheddar omelet, and bananas foster for dessert. Though Brennan's has a tradition of suggesting a separate bottle of wine to go along with each dish at breakfast, I stuck with three cups of hot tea (I was disappointed that all the server could offer was Lipton) to go with the crusty baguettes typical of the New Orleans traditions.

Strawberries and double cream might be a sin, but it may be the best thing I have ever tasted in my life. It's all the luxury of whipped cream without the distracting fluffiness you get from a can or tub of Cool Whip.

Whenever I come here with my girlfriends for breakfast, I think I might stick with the strawberries because I've never been much of an egg fan, and almost all the main courses at Brennan's are egg-based. They are beautiful and creative, though; the Eggs Portuguese looked like beautiful poached eggs atop Grands biscuits.

The bananas foster is a Brennan's staple. Picky me has never cared for heated/cooked/seared fruit in any way, shape, or form, but I managed to enjoy the cinnamon and banana liquor-simmered banana slices over vanilla ice cream topped with bourbon. It's prepared in front of the table, flames and everything.

I'm currently occupied with Haroun and the Sea of Stories, my first Salman Rushdie experience. So far, it seems to echoe Roald Dahl and Madame L'Engle in its central foreign character and vivid landscapes to go along with the dreamlike quality of plot events. I'll write a formal review (hopefully!) as one of my new projects when I complete it!

It's going to be a beautiful week. I can feel it !

Oak Street Cafe and the Tree of Life

I spent a lovely Saturday with the boy doing what we love to do best--eating, reading, and shopping.  We first had a delicious (huge portioned) breakfast at the Oak Street Cafe, an incredibly charming restaurant that screamed, "I'm traditional--know me; love me!" 

In addition to quaint green-checked tablecloths, Oak Street Cafe features local artwork and a pianist who plunks away at "Georgia on my Mind" and "Eleanor Rigby."

 

After breakfast, we found an adorable used book store on Oak Street, one of the first I've ever found that has a satisfying selection of near-perfect condition, fairly priced used books. I bought Rosemary's Baby, which I've been searching for since the Spring, and finished it in one day.  Anna Karenina had to take the backseat for 12 hours, but she's back on my mind now!  Also, since my subscription to the New Yorker recently expired, my wonderful boyfriend brought me his copy!