Brunch at Nightwood

On Sunday, Nina and Jessie and I went out to brunch at Nightwood. Nina and I dined there for the first time during Restaurant Week 2012 in the winter. It was nothing short of spectacular - a meal we wouldn't soon forget - so we knew we wanted to get back here for brunch. Service for brunch was decidedly casual (for dinner, silverware used for the first course is replaced; for brunch, silverware used for your first course - in this case bacon butterscotch donuts - is left on the table when the plate is cleared).

Nightwood's menu changes on a whim, or more accurately, with the changing crops. Every week or so the menu is reconceptualized based on what the farm is currently growing and everything is locally grown or sourced. This was the menu for our brunch.

Nightwood serves Intelligentsia coffee (local!), which happens to be my very favorite coffee. The flavors are always slightly nuanced depending on where you get it because they make special blends for just about everyone who carries their coffee.

We knew we were ordering whatever donut they were featuring to begin the meal. It just so happened to be a bacon butterscotch donut. The bacon was chewy and salty and the donut itself was barely sweet. This tasted more savory than sweet and it was really good.

Nina and Jessie ordered the bagel sandwich with Rushing Waters smoked trout, cream cheese, slaw, bacon, and an overeasy egg. I tasted it and it was otherworldly. I would order this in a second if it was featured on the menu when I return. The tots were shredded taters rolled in a ball and deep-fried. Holy greasy goodness, Batman!

I ordered the "Never Eat This Again." It was equally as delicious. New potato, spring onion, 8 year cheddar, foie gras fat (!), house cured bacon, overeasy egg, and maple syrup. The flavors were confetti in my mouth.

When Nina poked a hole in her egg it made a little yolky swimming pool. I would gladly swim in this pool if it were human sized. Runny egg yolks are God's personal gift to me, you know.

I had to get the inside of that sandwich.

And of course the inside of this tot.