Bar Jules: When It Comes to Farmers' Market Brunch, No Compromises
Categories: Breakfast / Brunch
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The restaurant does only a few things every day, but
it does them very well. At brunch, served Sundays between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., the sungold tomato salsa smothering fried eggs
brightens up creamy polenta. Tarragon and Parmesan pair better than
expected with scrambled eggs, and grilled spring onions, impossible to cut
with a knife, are worth every effort for their salty crunch.
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| Fried eggs with polenta, spring onions, and sungold tomato salsa |
An egg-less dish, the albacore tuna salad with heirloom tomatoes, chives, and cucumber, sounds tempting enough to satisfy even brunch skeptics. The restaurant's famous Chocolate Nemesis -- a flourless chocolate cake that is also a dinner favorite -- will persuade you that noon is definitely not too early for dessert.
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| Scrambled eggs with tarragon and Parmesan, grilled boudin blanc sausage and wild arugula |
The brunch menu, like the dinner one, changes daily,
and it's constantly updated on the restaurant's website. Items are not cheap; most entrées cost $13 to $15.
The ever-evolving menu defies institutions many brunchlovers have come to cherish. Like cappuccino: Bar Jules serves only French press coffee, and staff will give you cream and sugar, but not milk. And jam: Sorry, but the grilled toast must stand alone. There are no side dishes of biscuits and bacon strips, and no substituting a fruit cup for the hash browns. But at least it's Blue Bottle's Three Africans coffee, and the toast is really good.
The ever-evolving menu defies institutions many brunchlovers have come to cherish. Like cappuccino: Bar Jules serves only French press coffee, and staff will give you cream and sugar, but not milk. And jam: Sorry, but the grilled toast must stand alone. There are no side dishes of biscuits and bacon strips, and no substituting a fruit cup for the hash browns. But at least it's Blue Bottle's Three Africans coffee, and the toast is really good.
The Bar Jules crew is fun to watch. Sit
at the bar and you'll see the handful of staffers scurrying around, sweating
in front of the wood broiler stove, and pouring mimosas in Champagne
flutes. Like the restaurant's interior, they are casual and hip, and
unapologetic about the lack of jam.
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Bar Jules is the neighborhood spot we want to fall
in love with, but with which we're not getting quite enough affection in return. No one inside seems eager to learn your name -- and it goes without saying that you can't order the same thing every week. And for some, a $15 price tag may be a lot to swallow for eggs and sausage alone (yes, even a juicy boudin blanc).
That said, if it's truly fresh, well-prepared food
you're looking for, you've found the right place. Just check your
weekend morning rituals at the door, put yourself in Bar Jules' hands, and
prepare to be wowed.
Olivia Ware works for Williams-Sonoma, where she contributes to the company blog, The Blender. She also writes a food blog at LivBites.com.
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