Turning 21 really lends itself to you when it comes to brunch. Honestly, boozing and brunching are a match made in heaven. I love Bloody Marys so much that I used to drink them virgin style. Also, you can’t forget the Mimosas and Bellinis.
My first brunch as a 21-year-old consisted of both of those classical brunch libations. Bagels and lox go so much better with a spicy Bloody Mary, and the same goes for a sweet and savory french toast with a Bellini.
Last Sunday, my partner Ben and I journeyed to Tamari in Lawrenceville for some brunch. Tamari is a cool pan Asian restaurant that offers my favorite sushi in the city. Their brunch keeps some of their Asian inspired dishes, but you can also get brunch favorites like a make-your-own-omelette.
Tamari is usually very busy, and you have to make a reservation unless you want to sit at the bar–which isn’t so bad either. For their brunch on Sundays, however, they seemed to be pretty slow. This is not a sign of a bad brunch, though. The prices shouldn’t be deterring anyone, either. You can order a “prix fixe” brunch for $23, which consists of a cocktail, a small plate, an entree, and a delicious cinnamon roll. We did not do the prix fixe lunch, but I think it is a great option if you are hungry.
To start, we ordered their small plate of Hamachi Crudo ($11). To drink I had their guava-mango Bellini ($8). The Hamachi Crudo consisted of half-inch thick slices of yellow fin tuna. It was served raw, and it tasted sweet and fresh. It was served with tangy house-made pickles, Tobiko (flying fish roe), and Crème Fraîche. The dish was delicious and had a surprising amount of sweet notes. It all worked together nicely.
I didn’t want a full on sushi dish, but I wanted something along those lines, and this dish was a perfect compromise that fit into our brunch nicely.
As Ben’s entree, he had the Hanger steak and eggs ($12). I was kind of expecting something heartier to look at, but it ended up being an artfully composed plate of small portions. That’s great if that’s the type of brunch you are going for. I am pretty much always in need of big portions of cheesy, starchy, and spicy foods.
The dish was still tasty and innovative. Hanger steak is lean piece of meat that is best served Pittsburgh-style. The roasted corn succotash was probably the best thing on the plate other than the steak. It also came with a gorgonzola cream and a fried egg. It was keenly done, but I was left unsatisfied–and it wasn’t even my entree.
I had the made-to-order omelette ($10). The cool thing about an omelette is that you can judge a chef by their technique. It is known that sometimes, instead of an interview, a chef will be asked to make an omelette to assess their skills. This omelette was cooked nicely, and I chose to stuff it with aged cheddar, asparagus, kale, and shrimp. It was pretty bland, and was crying out for a little spice or just a pinch of salt. The omelette comes with some toast and some potatoes.
I had their Bloody Mary with my entree, spicy style. You can choose from three different types of Bloody Marys: Traditional, Rye Mary, and Spicy Mary. Mine was good, and the spice level was on point.
This review sounds like I really didn’t enjoy my brunch at Tamari, but a brunch has to be pretty bad for me not to. I have a feeling that it was a pretty slow day, and maybe their A-Game chef was home awaiting their dinnertime rush the next day.
Their dinner is always amazing, and I truly think that their brunch has the potential to be the same. The food was good, but if they are going to be expensive and classy then they need to pump it up to the next level. I think Tamari is great for birthday brunch if you want to splurge a little bit, or go out with your friends for a get together. I will try back again soon–I refuse to give up on you, Tamari!
