Weekend Brunch @ Estelle's Southern Cuisine in the South End (Boston)

One gloom morning plagued with a light drizzle, I awoke with a hankering for Brunch.  I wanted eggs, potatoes, meat, and bread.

Then I remembered a proclamation I read in one of the bazillion food/restaurant newsletters I subscribe to: "Check Out Estelle's Brunch Menu".  This came on the heels of opening night at the new South End Southern Cuisine establishment. I quickly called up a brunch date (my friend Meghan) and obliged.

Thank goodness for Uber car service.  Somehow, riding around cloudy, damp Boston feels better in a plush Cadillac with complimentary bottled water and the kindest, most professional drivers around.  Sometimes grumpy taxi drivers can turn a dreary day that much so.

During the ride over, as Meghan and I caught up on the haps in each other's live (she just finished a major assignment for The Boston Globe), I recalled opening night's dinner at Estelle's just a couple of weeks back and shared my excitement about the brunch menu.  We both needed the girl talk and sustenance.

Most of the patrons were seated at the tables.  I coaxed Meghan into sitting at the bar with me to dine.  I like the view from the bar in most establishments.  You can check out the scene without staring directly into the plate of your neighbor's table and I enjoyed the bar staff very much on my first visit.  Once again, they provided great service.

We start with a split of champagne for me and a South End Screwdriver (made with organic vodka...of course) for Megs.

We looked over the menu (which I've internet stalked several time prior to arriving- as is my modus operandi) and my favorite part (besides eating) commenced: I spewed off my order like a shopping list and immediately became embarrassed as I always feel like a total glutton afterwards when the person taking my order attempts to figure out how to pace it.











Of course I ordered the spicy, smoked chicken liver deviled eggs that rocked my world at dinner service.

Spicy, Smoked Chicken Liver Deviled Eggs

We enjoyed flaky buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage gravy.

Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

A few sides (1/5/13):

"Hot as Hell" Scotch Bonnet Sausage:

Cheesy grits with pecan relish:

  
Molasses grilled banana:

  
Crisp fried chicken livers were partnered with sweet, brightly flavored, sticky orange marmalade drizzled atop fried tobacco onion, served atop garlic seared greens.

A perfect bite!

 
I could eat Chef Gburski's "Monte Cristo Style" stuffed french toast daily!  With it's savory stuffing of smoked turkey, tasso ham, and gruyere cheese, this is one delicious dish.  The crispy spiced fries  were wonderful and the toast cooked to a perfect buttery crisp.

What's brunch without a magnificent hash?  Gburski served up tender, fall-apart braised brisket scrambled with tender sweet potato, onions, and peppers coupled with medium-bodied, creamy, cheesy scrambled eggs, buttery toast and house marmalade.  I'd claim this rich dish as an absolute favorite and two neighborhood guys who are clearly fans totally agreed.

Brisket and Sweet Potato Hash

 Dare I say, no respectable Southern Cuisine title-toting restaurant should omit chicken and waffles from their menu?

Estelle's does it right with their "Wings over Waffles".  The same lovely fried chicken from dinner service were served over cornmeal Belgian waffles but, instead of sausage gravy, a sweet and sour dried cranberry gastrique graced the plate.  Syrup?  What's that?  The gastrique should honestly be bottled and labeled: "Estelle's Cranberry "No Syrup Necessary" Gastrique.  You can thank me later Chefs Eric and Brian.