Monday, November 13, 2006

Sunday Brunch at Saege

Sunday was maybe the last time this year to go for a warm afternoon stroll and have a late brunch in the city. Plus it was the last day the Public Gardens would be open, so L and I chose to head down to the Spring Garden Road area and have brunch at Saege. Now, this is not a place I can go and be anonymous, as I know several people who work there, including the manager and one of the chefs. Sure enough, on entering we are met by the lovely Karin, who greets us warmly and shows us to a seat by the window on the sidewalk.

The full menu is there on the table, but on top of it is a Special Brunch menu. About 10 or 12 different items are listed, and we don't get past this before we both find something we like the look of.

I order a Mimosa (hey it's brunch!) and the chicken crepe, and L chooses a fritata. The Mimosa comes quickly. As I look around the room, I see that just about everyone has their food, or is already finished eating, and as it is about 2:30, I'm looking forward to food, soon.

The Mimosa tastes like it has bourbon added...

I watch Karin do a wonderful job helping a slightly handicapped senior with a walker find a seat and get comfortable. She seems to have just the right sense of when to help, and when to allow the person to do for themselves.

Just as I have decided that maybe the Mimosa tastes like it has tequila in it, and not bourbon, the food arrives. Now that was fast! Our server agrees, saying that the specials come quickly.

Both dishes are atrractively presented, and hot. No waiting around under a heat lamp. L's fritata is excellent, tasty, and approaching comfort food. My crepe is less intensely flavoured, and starts off as a bit plain. The smokey bacon sauce does tend to grow on one, as you eat it. One thing I can say - don't order a Mimosa with it! The combination was downright unattractive.

Both brunch items are over $10, more like $12-$13, which seems a bit pricey, but not for the location, I suppose.

We leave happy, taking our time through the Gardens, and walk down to Botticelli's at Bishop's Landing, where we are completely blown away by the gelato (pistachio, Italian cream, mango, pumpkin pie). Waddling back up the hill to Pete's Frootique for late supper groceries, it feels like a great day to be living in Halifax.

I am still wondering what was in that Mimosa, though....

2 comments:

Brewnoser said...

I later find out that they probably thought they were doing me a favour and made it into a Grand Mimosa. By adding Grand Marnier. It was way too early for that.

Brewnoser said...

Even later I take the time to look up what goes in a Mimosa. Huh - not just Champagne and OJ. Nope, it requires Grand Marnier, or sometimes Triple Sec, to be a Mimosa. My bad.