Brunch @ Baker & Banker

[ Originally posted November 2011 ]

After great dinner at Baker and Banker, I was excited to return for brunch, particularly given that some of the highlights of my meal were the breads and desserts, and I thus had high expectations for some of the breakfast pastries.  And they take reservations!  But I left town two days later for an extended business trip out of the country, and never got the opportunity until now.  This was the best brunch I've had in the city, hands down!

Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll.

HUGE roll with layers of cinnamon filling, covered in caramel like icing. The roll was nice and moist, good amount of cinnamon, just not really my thing. Icing was delicious.

Pumpkin pie beignet: filled with pumpkin pie filling, rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Fresh, made-to-order donut holes, rolled in cinnamon and sugar, filled with pumpkin spice filling (like the inside of pumpkin pie). Nothing wrong here, but didn’t wow me at all. They were kinda just … donut holes with pumpkin pie filling.

Cajun Eggs Benedict: poached eggs, tasso ham, Tabasco hollandaise, seared greens.

Poached eggs with hollendaise over spicy ham over braised greens on house made biscuit. Definitely one of the best benedicts I’ve ever had, and the best in San Francisco. The ham was spicy and flavorful, the braising greens added a lovely touch, and the use of a fresh biscuit rather than generic english muffin brought this to a new level.  Would order again, best savory dish of the meal, and second best dish overall.

Eggs in purgatory: spicy tomato sauce, mascarpone-brown butter polenta, house-made sausage .

Eggs baked in tomato sauce with sausage, served over brown butter and marscapone polenta. Good for what it was - the sausage was incredibly flavorful, the polenta nice and cheesy, the flavors all came together well. I’d never go out of my way for this, but it was well done.

French toast bread pudding: apples and quince, cream fraiche whipped cream, pecans, dried apples, maple syrup.

Brioche bread turned into french toast turned into bread pudding! Covered in maple syrup, cream fraiche, stewed cranberries and apples, pecans, garnished with dried apple slices. ZOMG. It was everything delicious about french toast and bread pudding and pie all in one. Ridiculously sweet, ridiculous decedent, but amazing. I can’t believe how fantastic this was. One of the top food items of 2011 for me.  Best dish of the meal and would order again immediately!