The Hash Kitchen (3.5 Plates)

Turn your head the other way if you want a relaxing and quiet Saturday brunch. If you feel like extending your Friday night girls/boys night out, then The Hash Kitchen is your place.

We immediately got a table soon as we walked-in. The vibe was so alive. If you just got out of bed, walking-in to the restaurant would definitely wake you up to the tenth level. They have a DJ on a Saturday brunch. An actual club DJ!!! (I started to look for the dance floor when I walked-in).

The service was really nice. My glass of water was always full. Food was served fast and hot. Our server also gave good recommendations (a sign that he knows the menu). The restaurant was also very clean. Tables were set and cleaned as soon as the customer leaves the table.

The dishes that we had were just OK. I did not get a chance to try their famous Bloody Mary bar (which looked awesome by the way). I'm not a Bloody Mary fan but I guess it's something I'll consider trying the next time. Back to what we had, the food that we ordered had good points and some room for improvement. I had the Breakfast Lasagna and my wife ordered the Herb Fried Chicken and Waffles.

The Herb Fried chicken was a little dry for my taste. A little over-cooked but had some good flavors. The herb wasn't very prominent but you know it's there. The waffles were nice. Soft and tasty on the inside and a bit crunchy on the outside. I would have wanted a little more bacon mixed in to the waffle but it wasn't a deal breaker. I still enjoyed it and the fried leeks on top complimented the dish very well.

The breakfast lasagna was a bit of a let down for me. Maybe I would have loved it if it had a little more sausage and a little less potato. The potato and the lasagna pasta just had very little texture and flavor differences that it tasted very one dimensional. The bacon was crunchy but the dish needed more protein. The egg that was placed on top of the dish helped add flavor. The creaminess of the yolk gave some good points but I couldn't get past the potatoes. There was just too much. To be fair, the breakfast lasagna is new to their menu. That's what the server told us. Hopefully, improvements are on its way.

(The egg was properly poached)

A great place with an OK food selection. I would definitely come back. Maybe I’ll try the Bloody Mary bar the next time. Maybe I’ll order one of the popular options. Maybe they deserve a 5, but for now just a 3.5 (4 at the most).

The Bloody Mary Bar

The Menu

Benedict's (4 Plates)

Eating at Benedict's made me feel like having brunch at my favorite aunt's house. The place was homey, the service was warm and the food was comforting. 

The place was small and only had a few small tables. There were some tables outside that offered seating for larger groups. I can easily understand if it would take a while to get a table on a busy day. Good thing (or unfortunately) we got to Benedict's a little past lunch already. We immediately got a table and we were greeted as soon as we went through the door. I don't think they have a lot of servers. Take note of this when you visit this place when it's busy. I would think everyone would scramble to make sure everyone is helped and taken cared of. As I've written, the place felt like home, even my own mom or aunt would have a hard time managing several guest at one time.

The service was hands-on. The lady who served us during our visit was very warm. She was engaging and very friendly. Again, like what I wrote, she was just like my favorite aunt. I did have some concerns, else I would have rated this with 5 stars. I ordered 3 items from their menu that were not available. Thus, why coming here late might be a disadvantage. They ran out of fruit for the crepe, challah bread for the french toast and avocado for the California eggs Benedict. Would have been nice to try it out. Maybe i'll come in early the next time so I get to try what I want.

The food that were served to us was very good. Let me correct that, it was very good. It was better than other big time brunch places that I have visited. it was original and full of flavor. We had the Arizona eggs benedict and their egg and bacon croissant sandwich. The croissant sandwich was soft, airy and tasty. The additional kick on the sandwich was the pesto sauce. The egg was cooked nicely and the bacon, though not as crispy as I wanted had a good bite as well. My wife loved the Arizona eggs benedict. It had tomatillo sauce instead of the usual hollandaise sauce. There was also a hint of corn tortilla taste on the sauce that gave the dish a mexican finish. Eggs were poached perfectly and the runny yolk complimented the sauce. The sausage wasn't bad as well. Not too salty and but had enough kick at the end to tell you that you are eating a sausage. 

Coffee and pastry were also very good. Add the warm ambience and service with good, Benedict's Cafe just felt like home.

Croissant Sandwich

Arizona Eggs Benedict

Visit their site at http://www.benedictscaterers.com

Crêpe Bar (5 Plates)

Brunch on a Tuesday???? Yup!!! We were around the Tempe area for an early appointment so we decided to have brunch around Tempe as well. We decided to have crêpes. If you want crêpes, you go to a place that specializes on Crêpes, right? If a place is called Crêpe Bar, I guess that means they do good crêpes.

We found the place off of S Rural. The place is small but can probably sit 50 people. The vibe of the place was upbeat. Music played in the background but it wasn't very loud. Just kept the place cozy and vibrant. The colors on the walls were appealing. Hues of blue and grey fill the place with accents of green, orange and pastel colors.

Let's talk about their food. It was AWESOME!!!! My first five star on Yelp. From the service, to the place and ofcourse the food... IT WAS AWESOME (it was so awesome I wrote it three times already). We had The Burro (savory), The Grand Prix (savory) and the Vanilla Bean Custard (sweet) crêpe. We also had the Maya tea and the Hot caramel latte for our drinks.

The Burro... this is your breakfast burrito on a crêpe. Crêpe was chipotle flavored with scrambled eggs, chorizo, avocado and pepper jack cheese. I would have wanted a little more of the sauce used for plating. I feel that it really complimented the dish. The little sauce on my plate did not make the experience less enjoyable though. There was a surprising kick on every bite with a hint of sweetness from the crêpe and savory delight from the chorizo. The avocado definitely completed that southwest flavor and added a refreshing flavor to the dish.

The Burro

The Grand Prix was my favorite. I love the creamyness of the fat from the pork belly that was cooked to perfection. It melts in your mouth. There was also the added crunch from the maple glazed pork jowl. The pork glory is placed on a bed of coffee Crêpe topped with a sunny side up egg. I would have loved it more if the egg was little runny but overall I would order it again and recommend it to everyone. 

The Grand Prix

We ended our meal with the vanilla bean custard with strawberries, almonds and salted caramel. It wasn't too sweet considering the salted caramel and vanilla custard. The perfect bite would be a piece of crepe, a bite of strawberry, a dash of candied almonds, topped with custard and salted caramel. Everything just goes well together.

We would definitely come back. Maybe we'll bring friends with us next time to share our new found favorite Crêpe bar in Arizona.

Certified yum for the buck!

Visit their site at http://www.crepebar.com/