My favorite food experience - Breakfast at Brennan's in New Orleans
This entry was posted on 8/22/2006 6:40 PM and is filed under Food,Travel.
Absolutely and without question, my favorite food experience, not meal, not dish, not food overall, but food experience is having breakfast at Brennan's in New Orleans.
First, be prepared to spend at least a couple of hours in the restaurant. Reservations are suggested, particularly on weekends.
While the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, each have their own personality, and breakfast is what Brennan's is famous for. Dinner is a much more formal affair, with the average person wearing at least a sports coat and tie and tuxedos not being unusual. Breakfast, however, is much less formal. Shorts and t-shirts are not unusual, although the waiters are tuxedoed no matter the time of day.
Brennan's breakfast menu includes a variety of items, although I would highly recommend the Table d'hote Breakfast, which is three courses, not including any drinks.
To start I would recommend a Brandy Milk Punch, a sweet kind of egg-noggy type drink perfect for re-introducing a little "hair of the dog", particularly if combined with some a cup of good, New Orleans coffee.
As to food, if you want to start your meal with something just a little sweet I would recommend the Southern Baked Apple with double cream. The apple is roasted with a hint of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter, and is served in a bowl with a healthy dose of double cream.
I always follows the apple with an extra course, the New Orleans Turtle Soup. For those of you not familiar with turtle soup it is a taste experience not to be missed. The soup starts with a rich roux, into which the chef adds finely minced garlic, onions, celery, etc. and, of course, the turtle meat. No, it doesn't taste like chicken it tastes like turtle. At the table the waiter adds a splash of sherry to round out the experience. The soup has just a hint of cayenne pepper, but it is very subtle.
Most people opt for some version of eggs for the main course. Eggs Hussarde is a Brennan's original and is described as one of the dishes that put "Breakfast at Brennan's" on the map. Poached eggs sit atop Holland rusks, Canadian bacon and Marchand de Vin sauce then topped with Hollandaise sauce. It is an experience and most closely resembles Eggs Benedict.
I prefer something a little different for my main meal and usually order the Oysters Benedict, which is a healthy amount of fresh, fried oysters served over Canadian bacon and Holland rusks and topped with Hollandaise sauce. The first time I ordered this I expected to get three or four oysters and instead was served with a plate containing enough to qualify as a dinner entree. The oysters are always crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I have never had them when they were less than perfect.
For the third course, dessert, I alternate between another Brennan's original, Bananas Foster and Crepes Fitzgerald, both of which are prepared tableside and add to the ambience of the experience.
It is rare that a place is both as famous and as touristy as Brennan's can actually live up to its reputation. If you are visiting New Orleans I highly recommend that you take a few hours one morning (not too early though) and enjoy this experience.
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