The Third Decade

Endorsements

Ah...a brunch place I can wholeheartedly endorse. I had only been to the Trident for brunch once before, so I knew I was in for something good. Once again, they didn't disappoint. The French toast with pure maple syrup was delicious and the home fries were excellent. The eggs weren't as good as I would've hoped, but overall the meal was worth the trip down to Newbury Street.

I guess I should also add that I finally ate at McKenna's in Savin Hill just before New Year's. I forgot about my visit there until I saw eeka's comments on the previous brunch post. Just as Johnny claimed, I wasn't disappointed. The wait was longer than I would've liked, but once seated, the waitress came over quickly and we had our food in no time. I would definitely go back and thought that place was well worth the trip across town.

A New Chapter

Today marks the beginning of a period in my life which I will either come to regret very quickly or which will become a great jumping off point for something new. Whichever it is, all I know is that maintaining the former status quo simply wasn't an option.

Basically, I quit my job on Friday and I don't have another already in place. I'm fine financially as I don't have any debts and a decent enough reserve to float myself for a short time. But, there's nothing like joblessness to serve as a reality check. I think what I find the most amusing about my situation is that former co-workers and friends have been calling me brave and bold for my decision. Personally, I don't think I'm either; nor am I the opposite. My resignation was from a company which I liked, but also from a position which wasn't right for me. If I had stayed any longer than I did, I would've grown increasingly unhappy and unable to work competently. So, with few opportunities presenting themselves internally, I left. It feels like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders and other people have noticed the change. I can move forward with a clear mind and plenty of focus.

Now what? Well, I'm still working on that. Naturally it's time to enjoy the holidays. There's no sense in worrying over things which are unlikely to change until the beginning of January. After that, a full-scale job hunt is in order. Fortunately, my contacts are providing leads and I've been finding interesting openings on my own. Without a full-time job occupying my time and energy, this will be an chance to make a concerted effort toward a career change.

Meanwhile, this is also an opportunity to have some fun. I've been meaning to get more involved in the local art scene and ramp up my own work for a while. With time on my side I can finally do both. This is also the time to get back to the mission of finding the best brunch spots in the area. Somehow I lost sight of this goal in the middle of the year. Now seems like as good a time as any to revisit it.

If anyone has suggestions regarding any of my plans, feel free to drop me a line.

The Search Continues...

My search for the next great Sunday brunch continued today. After writing down all of the suggestions I received from the last post, I decided to head over to Dorchester today. Since I hardly ever have a reason to visit that area, brunch seemed like the perfect reason to go. So, the boyfriend and I drove over to Savin Hill to try McKenna's. Johnny wasn't kidding when he said it was next to the Savin Hill MBTA station. We drove down Dorchester Ave from Columbia Road to Hancock Street before I figured that the diner was a few blocks away. Business was hopping, but I was too hungry to wait in line for a table to open up, so we jumped in the car and headed back down Dot Ave to the Ashmont Grill.

Ashmont Grill is one of those places I've always passed by but thought would be a good place to eat, so I was excited to go today. Free off-street parking, ample seating, and a spacious, loft-like design were a fantastic start to the visit. However, I can't really say that I was thrilled by the experience after that. The Maitre d' was weirdly aloof, I couldn't tell if our waiter was unfriendly or just sleepy because of the overnight change to daylight savings time, and the food was just OK. Well, actually, I can't speak for the boyfriend. He liked his order, whereas I thought my omelet was so-so. We agreed, however, that the portions were too small, especially given the price. Can you believe that a small pot of herbal tea costs $4?! Maybe the locals can forgive the prices in exchange for having a stylish eatery nearby, but I've been spoiled by the portions and prices at Victoria's.

Anyway, my search for the next great brunch continues. There were 3 suggestions for Somerville, so that just might be the next destination.

Brunch in Boston

This morning I had brunch at a venue I've never been to before, Lucky's Lounge down in the Fort Point area. I had high hopes when I arrived. There was live jazz being played in a corner next to the bar and the crowd looked like a mixture of hip, young, possible artists from the area or perhaps on a field trip from Jamaica Plain or Cambridge. The lounge's atmosphere was pretty cool, too. The mood set by the live jazz was complimented by 1950s decor and included large photos of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack as well as an orange diamond-pattern tile floor and retro patterns on the light shades.

Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the expectations set by the atmosphere. My group waited nearly 45 minutes for simple things like pancakes and french toast. We thought that the restaurant might have been short staffed, but after looking around we noticed that there was actually plenty of wait staff walking around. Maybe the kitchen was having problems, though. Our waitress said that my tea was taking so long because they were having "hot water problems." We didn't ask what that could be exactly because we were too hungry after waiting for the food. When it came, however, the food was rather disappointing. My scrambled eggs had shells in them and my pancakes tasted like meat (I think they were bacon flavored, but it could've been sausage for all I know). Needless to say, I won't be going back to Lucky's for the food. The place was cool and the live jazz was great, but I can't eat there again. Perhaps the saddest part of the experience was reading that Boston Magazine listed Lucky's as one of Boston's Best back in 2004. How the times have changed.

Anyway, going there has inspired me to look for some new brunch locations. Usually I go to Victoria's Diner in Newmarket or Mike's Diner in the South End, but it would be nice to try some new places. I enjoy Gourmeli's in Copley Place, Donna's in East Boston, and Zocalo in Brighton - and will continue avoiding Sorella's in JP - but it's time to expand my knowledge of brunch places.

Suggestions are welcome.