We went out for brunch on Sunday morning. Like out. To a restaurant. It was delightful. And we walked! From our house!! Clearly I am so excited by this potential that I’m speaking writing in clipped non-sentences.
But I do long for a more walkable neighborhood, even though we have vastly more accessible by foot than any other place I’ve lived since college. Maybe then I long for more taking advantage of the walkability? In either case, on Sunday when we decided to check out Park Bruges and I spontaneously suggested we walk (apparently the veritable 40 degree heat wave inspired me), I was totally tickled when the boys agreed.
The short version: Amazing food, delicious cocktails, lovely design, pricey menu, no line.
Totally recommend it, especially because I’m going to let you in on a little secret. There is no wait at the Highland Park location (so far). While people line up around the block at Point Brugge for Sunday brunch, we walked right in to Park Bruges at 11:30am. Awesomesauce.
And the food. Oh my, the food! Maybe I should just show you.
The mussels. Of course we had the mussels. We all had the same number to be completely fair; Avi would have eaten more if we had let him.
Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and field greens on challah.
Liege waffles with apples, cranberries and blueberries.
Steak and eggs with frites.
Not convincing enough for you? We tried several cocktails as well, two of which were completely new to us.
Bloody Mary and Prosecco.
Pim’s Cup – Pimm’s #1, ginger ale, soda, lemon & cucumber garnish.
Rte. 8 Mule – Boyd and Blair vodka, ginger beer, fresh lime juice. Incredible.
Such a fun family morning. I am seriously looking forward to more little walking excursions as the weather gets warmer and we emerge from our sickly winter cocoon.
Oh, and lest you think this was a brunch of ridiculous excess not in keeping with my avowed moderation, I can assure you that we *all* took a good amount of food home. I haven’t lost 25 pounds since January 3 by breaking the rules, but I still get to live a little, too ;)
having fun storming your castle 
OMG LOOKS AMAZING
I heard that Jon told you our feelings on Brugge yesterday and we’re not friends anymore. Here is a recipe for red curry mussels without the yuppy :-) :
1) Buy a bag of mussels and a baguette.
2) Clean your mussels by soaking in a bowl for about 20 minutes and pulling off the beard. Discard any that don’t close when tapped against the counter.
3)Saute an onion in a little oil, then add 2 tablespoons premade red curry paste (I use Thai kitchen), a tablespoon of brown sugar, and saute for a minute or two until fragrant.
4) Add one can of coconut milk (lite is fine) and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (this will stink, but don’t worry it tastes good).
5) Add your mussels and cover the pan. Let steam until mussels all pop open, giving it a stir every one in awhile. Discard any mussels that don’t open.
6) Serve mussels and sauce in a big bowl with pieces of baguette.
It’s super easy and really cheap too.
Thanks ;)
I make mussels at home, too – though I usually prefer a lighter, non-curry sauce (so does Avi!) since I do a lot of curry cooking with tofu. Jon and I were talking to some folks last night about making curry from scratch – and how much more delicious it is! Don’t have the time always, but when I do…soooo worth it.
Go you! It took me close to a year to lose that amount!
Of course, after seeing all of that food, I may have to brunch soon and put some of that weight back on, lol.
Wow, that all looks de-li-cious. And no wait? Perfect.
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