Brunch at Craigie

We've enjoyed a number of great dinners at Craigie St. Bistro and its relatively new incarnation, Craigie on Main. Sunday we had my folks all lined out to watch our young fellow, only to find L'Espalier was booked for brunch. Fear not, Craigie on Main had openings--and we'd never tried their brunch. It was time to remedy that!

The larger, modern and spacious layout of Craigie on Main seems more conducive to brunch than the cozier confines of the old spot. And foodies of all ages, including a well-behaved one year old at the table next to us, gathered to enjoy this Cambridge restaurant on a warm Sunday.

The brunch menu offers more typical morning options like pancakes and omelettes (granted with some creative twists) as well as meatier choices. Jodi and I were both pretty hungry when the server came to us, so went with the same hearty selection. They had a three course prix fixe available for $29, and that proved to be a good value.

We started with a refreshing combination of fruit and yogurt, which whet our appetites for the next course...the Red Chile and Spice Crusted Skirt Steak with Farm Fresh Eggs, served with potato galette and a touch of Hollandaise sauce for the steak. The steak was cooked just right, medium rare, and the spice rub added just enough flavor (though I wouldn't have minded a touch more). The difference in the fresh eggs was notable, a richer earthier flavor than typical store bought eggs. And the potato on the side added a nice savory element...and didn't leave much room for dessert, but...

Before touching on dessert, though, I should mention our wine selection. Now, on the rare occasions I'm having an adult beverage ad mid-day on Sunday, it's more likely to be a mimosa or something else sparkling. But red wine seemed to be in order to go with the steak, but the eggs seemed to be a stumbling block--I don't have much red wine & egg pairing experience to draw upon. Craigie's list is primarily French, with nice coverage of its diverse regions. I wanted to stay away from pricier Burgundy or Bordeaux bottles, and first was looking at the Cote du Rhones. Our server seemed a bit skeptical about the match, and with a bit of back and forth we landed on a Beaujolais as a better choice--and that was spot on.

We wound up going with the 2007 Morgon Bio-Vitis from Michel Guignier. This Beaujolais was a good choice to go with our brunch. Delicate, yet with some complexity, nice finish. Berry fruit and some earthiness. Enough substance to go with the steak and spicy rub, but not so much that it overwhelmed the eggs.

We didn't have a lot of room left by the time dessert came, but we'd already ordered the profiteroles, so did our best to eat what we could! They were filled with mint ice cream, a very fresh taste.

Too much time had elapsed since our last visit to Craigie, this enjoyable brunch is likely to get us back sooner rather than later. Especially seeing as I managed to get through brunch there without enjoying any pork, despite Chef Tony's predilection for it!