This cute little restaurant has charming original artwork decor, granite tabletops, and little jade plants in white pots sitting on each table. The menu is gourmet, but not inaccessible. The service was friendly and nice. Though this place specializes in wines and holds wine tastings on Wednesday nights, we went for Sunday brunch. We walked in last-minute at 1:30, though they stop brunch at 2pm. The place was empty save for a family of 5 at one table that was clearly enjoying themselves with a little champagne and dessert.

I was in the mood for a chicken sandwich with a nice mustard, but the mushroom-asparagus-goat cheese omelette caught my eye. I had it with a side of bacon. The asapargus was sliced on the bias and very tender. The mushrooms were a mix of button and I think cremini and/or shitake, very meaty with just the right tang of goat cheese. The home fries served with it were a little crisp/crunchy on the outside, but nice and moist on the inside served with ketchup. I found myself picking at them till the waiter took my plate away because they were so yummy. I think the only thing missing might have been a little onion or garlic on either the omelette or the potatoes. Perhaps they were lightly seasoned so as not to compete with a glass of wine?

Actually we skipped wine. We had been out the night before for a birthday party and alcohol was off the menu for us. Though the wine list was great ranging from $6 wine by the glass to a $100 bottle from Italy (A Barolo I think). It has a lot of appealing wines by the glass, and despite the name, not all the wines featured were from California. I was really pleased though that they had Domaine Chandon champagnes. They’re some of my favorites, and the happy family’s mother asked for hers with a strawberry and they poured a glass of it for her garnished with a strawberry.

Boyfriend had what was by far the best French toast we’ve ever had in our lives. Though I cannot eat strawberries, he cut me a little piece that had a dab of strawberry sauce on it. It was divine. Thick 2″ slices of French bread, soaked in egg custard (that’s what Alton Brown calls it), fried, then arranged on a plate with sliced strawberries with strawberry sauce and fresh chantilly cream. No extra icky confectioner’s sugar, just pure freshness for spring. Delicious. My mouth still waters remembering it.

BTW, he got a side of sausage and I got a side of bacon. Mine was nicely crisp, just the way I like it, but I’ll be honest. I prefer single slices that aren’t stuck together. That makes for a bummer because then you end up crunching it up with your fork to get a bite size piece and it makes a mess. Stupid, but honestly, they can’t cook single slices of bacon? It’s not like their kitchen was super busy. Of course, this is nitpickery and never a dealbreaker.

What is a deal breaker is the pricing. Part of why we skipped on their appealing menu of wines by the glass was the cost of our entrees. In the neighborhood they are located, they are definitely on the higher side. Boyfriend and I agreed that we couldn’t eat brunch here every week because of the price, but that we would gladly be be regulars if it wasn’t quite so expensive. We’ll probably still go there once a month for a nice treat if we can get there before 2pm. (We’re late risers.) The manager asked us how our meal was and we raved about the French toast. He invited us to come back around sometime for dinner, which I think we definitely will do. I know I will try to make it out on a Wednesday night for a wine tasting. And the service throughout the meal was good, except at the end when boyfriend ran out of water and no one came around to refill his glass. That’s ok. I just let him drink mine, but if the day had been warm and I had been thirsty, that oversight would have been much more noticeable.

Total for brunch, two vegetarian entrees, two side orders of breakfast meat and tip was $37.00 and change. This does not include any beverages other than water.