Brunch at Maple Ave Restaurant

Make reservations.  There are nine tables in this tiny little restaurant on Maple Avenue in Vienna.  We showed up for brunch at 9:50am (they open at 10am) and waited outside with two other parties for the restaurant to open.   Lucky for us, we were able to get a table before another brunch reservation at 11:15am.  So I guess it's true, good things come to those who wait. 

Maple Ave Restaurant is a small, simple restaurant in Northern Virginia (gasp! not located in DC!?!) that serves eclectic American cuisine comprised of Asian, Latin American and French flavors.  Maple Ave Chef Tim Ma is a nominee for a RAMMY in the category "Rising Culinary Star of the Year."  And since I went to Blue Duck Tavern on Thursday (nominee for Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year) and Green Pig Bistro on Saturday (another nominee for Rising Culinary Star of the Year), it was only fitting that on Sunday, we go to Maple Ave Restaurant to complete our RAMMY nominee circuit.  You know, in case someone steps down from the judging panel, I want to make sure I'm ready.  

The menu at Maple Ave is deliberate and focused, offering a select number of brunch plates, small plates, and a brunch tasting menu.  As an added bonus, they have a bottomless brunch cocktail special for $15 and you can pick/vary any brunch cocktail you would like (mimosa, poinsetta, and bloody mary).  Maple Ave also sources local ingredients from some of my favorite farms in the area, like Polyface (where we get our meat and eggs from for our family).  I truly appreciate a dining experience that emphasizes not just the final product, but places importance on sourcing sustainable ingredients.   

To start, I ordered a mimosa and coffee.  The mimosa was delicious, perfect mix of champagne and orange juice to start  off the morning.  The coffee, served in a French press, was rich and bold.  I loved the serving of the coffee in a french press.  It's that sort of attention to detail that sets apart a dining experience. 

For brunch, I decided on the Eggs and Kimchi which consisted of scrambled eggs mixed with chinese sausage, jasmine rice, and caramelized kimchi with a slice of grilled Spam.  There was no way that I was going to pass up such an interesting and spicy egg dish.  It was outstanding... I loved the eggs with the spicy kimchi, it was a delicious pairing and a great use of a non-traditional brunch ingredient (I do love surprises!).  The sausage mixed with the eggs added a savory, salty flavoring while the Spam served as a whimsical addition.  Definitely one of the most creative and spicy delicious brunch dishes I've had in a while. 

My husband opted for the truffled eggs served with applewood smoked bacon, potato hash and mesclun.  The slight truffle flavoring of the eggs was tasty and added richness to the dish.  Again, a well executed brunch plate with an emphasis on select flavors.  I really enjoyed the attention to the main ingredients in each dish.  Too often you eat dishes that are sort of all over the place -- too many flavorings, too many ingredients.  Not the case at Maple Ave, and it was refreshing.

Overall, we had an exceptional brunch dining experience at Maple Ave.  Based on my experience, I would say Chef Ma is a strong contender as a Rising Culinary Star of the Year.  Best of luck for the RAMMY award! 

My take away is -- excellent food in a non-pretentious setting with great service.  I will definitely head back for dinner!   


 


   

Spicy Brunch Recipe: Huevos Rancheros

I love spicy food (with meat) and I love brunch.  My loves come together in perfect harmony in Huevos Rancheros.  

Spice, meat and brunch.  I'm in love.

There are lots of different ways to make Huevos Rancheros, but here is my all-time favorite recpie, made with chorizo.  And the great thing about Huevos Rancheros is that it is super simple to make.  Dare I say, easier than pancakes?!

Please note, I used cooking short-cuts.  If you don't like it, then I invite you to come make me brunch.... but this girl was hungry and needed to eat.

Ingredients:
3 chorizo links (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 package of Southwestern style hashbrowns
4 corn tortillas 
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
4 eggs
salsa
hot sauce
 
Preparation:
1.  Slice the chorizo into 1/2" circles.  Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  Add the chorizo and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes.

Smokin' HOT!

2. Remove the chorizo from the pan and add about 1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 the package) of Southwestern style hashbrowns.  Fry hashbrowns on one side until browned and crispy.  Flip the hashbrowns to brown the other side, about 6 minutes per side.  (PS - you can take the long way here by peeling Yukon gold pototoes, boiling them for 12 minutes, then grating the potatoes when cooled, adding diced onions and peppers and then frying.  I just chose to cut open the bag)

Easy peasy...

3.  Once the hashbrowns are browned, add the chorizo back to the pan and cook for another 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors.

I could eat this alone, but I figured I would finish the dish

4. Remove the chorizo and hashbrowns from the pan, add a tablespoon of butter.  When the butter is melted, add one corn tortilla to the pan to brown on one side (about 3 minutes) and flip to brown the other side (DO NOT USE FLOUR TORTILLAS, you need the corn tortillas for Huevos Rancheros).  Repeat with the 3 other tortillas.

Browning the tortillas makes them crispy

5. Place each tortilla on a plate.  Place about two spoonfuls of the mix of chorizo and potatoes on top of each tortilla.

Look, little meat piles!

6.  Add a 1/2 of tablespoon of butter to the pan.  Once melted, crack an egg in the pan and heat until the bottom is cooked (about 3 minutes).  Flip the egg to lightly cook the top (about 1 minute), keeping the inside of the yolk in liquid form. Remove from the pan and place on top of the potatoes and chorizo.

You gotta flip it fast before the yolk runs off...

7.  Top each egg with a few dashes of hot sauce and a spoonful of salsa.  I prefer Crystal Hot Sauce and Green Mountain Gringo Hot Salsa.  In case the chorizo wasn't spicy enough.

Mild is one step away from diced tomatoes and medium is not much better, go for HOT!

8.  Disfrute de su picante y delicioso huevos rancheros!  
 


 
 
 
 

Sunday Brunch at American Tap Room

I love brunch.  Brunch is hands down, my favorite meal and sadly, it generally is only available on Saturdays and Sundays.  At brunch you can get breakfast and lunch foods paired together as a mid-day treat, embellished with fantastic beverages like mimosas and bloody marys.  Seriously, what is not to love?!?

Given that at this point in my life I have two young children, I don't get to frequent brunch very often because it interferes with pool visits, birthday parties, and nap time.  Total bummer.  But this past weekend, the kids had a sleepover at their Grandmom's house so we got to go to brunch!  I could just hear the mimosa calling my name when I woke up on Sunday morning (in a quiet house - which was a treat unto itself).

We decided to go to American Tap Room in Clarendon for brunch because we work nearby and have often wondered what it was like.  So off we went for our highly anticipated, much coveted brunch experience.

We had to wait for a table (about 15 minutes) since it was prime brunch time (around 12:30pm on a Sunday) -- not bad at all considering if you head to Eastern Market for brunch you could find yourself waiting about 30 min to an hour.  We went to the bar and ordered a drink (don't judge - it was after noon and it was brunch!!).  I got a mimosa and my husband ordered a bloody mary.  My mimosa was delicious but from what I was told, the bloody mary could have been a bit more spicy. 

I hear you mimosa, and I'M COMING!!!

We were quickly seated at our table (in an oversized chair that was comfy but a little unwieldy) and I ordered the eggs benedict while my husband ordered the carolina pork hash - we agreed to share our order because we honestly wanted a little of both.  I am no fool though, and I knew that I had to order the eggs or I would get nothing of those because my husband can put food away really quickly.

The eggs benedict were fantastic.  Perfectly poached eggs, the right amount of hollandaise sauce - yum.
  

Break the yolk!  Break the yolk!

 My husband absolutely LOVED the carolina pork hash.  I tasted some and it was good but apparently for my husband the very idea of bbq for breakfast was the hook, and he could not get enough.  I swear when I wasn't looking, he licked his plate clean.

Bar-be-Que for breakfast, a special treat

It was about this point in the meal, while I was sipping my mimosa and chasing it with coffee, that I realized that we were listening to crappy 'house' music.  My husband maintains it was not 'house music' but some version of pop, but either way, it was distracting from an otherwise relaxing brunch experience.  It was just a weird mix.  I would expect this type of music at a bar at 11pm, but not really at brunch.

Regardless of the music, the waiter came around with a dessert tray and we were hooked.  We had to have the dessert equivalent of what was described as an "Irish Car Bomb" - something about a brownie made with Guinness topped with Bailey's flavored ice cream.  It was really, really good.

Couldn't wait to take the picture, had to get that spoon in there!

It was a great brunch experience at American Tap Room and I will be definitely be going back to try their dinner menu with fried pickles!