I have been wowed. A brunch has finally left me speachless…and really, really full. I was a little bit nervous when I first set this event up. Would brunchers want to drive out to Newton? Would they want to brunch at a place with Bar & Grill at the end of its name? Would a tasting menu fill people up?
Yeah, lets just say that not one of those worries were warranted. Especially that one about not being full!
This was an unusually exciting brunch for us. It was kind of like the first brunch all over again. Why? Well, because we had a whole slew of bloggers joining us who were new to the brunchers. It was fascinating to be joined by fitness and wine bloggers in addition to new foodies! It really spiced up the conversation.
You can view some amazing pictures of the venue on Justin’s Blog. I don’t want to hit ya with the same pics you’ve seen before. But I agree with Kimmy, that this is the type of bar & grill EVERY neighborhood should have. You just want to belly up to the bar once a week to see what the chef has in store! But not every neighborhood bar & grill can boast food like this!
Reading our tasting menu (and I use the term tasting VERY loosely, each portion could have been a meal in itself!) would not do the Chef justice. The amount of flavor and the textures they were able to produce in each item was truly a treat to experience. The fact that Biltmore sources their ingredients locally is extremely evident in every forkful.
We were able to sample 2 “chef’s special” plates (lobster fritata and chive scone w/ poached egg and hollandaise) and 3 of their regular brunch items (pigs in a blanket, chicken and waffles, and the granola & berry parfait). And by sample, I mean we were each given a giant plate of amazing food, and were left to our on devices to eat just enough of it so we still had place for 4 other courses!
Each course could win a top 10 place on any brunch list. BUT, the absolute best, I’ve died and gone to heaven dish….the chive biscuit with poached egg and hollandaise. And it sounds so simple! I am not a biscuit fan. But this biscuit, with the perfectly poached egg and the subtle sauce…well it all just melted together to make you want to keep eating it for days! Lets also pause here for a second to appreciate a chef who can poach 12 eggs for the same table PERFECTLY! I have never seen it happen before this brunch. This kitchen knew the value of sending plates out 2 -3 minutes apart rather than sending out over-cooked eggs. Bravo I say!
The other star of the show for me, the house-made hot sauce! This stuff was stellar. It was the perfect combination of quite a bit of heat, and lots of flavor. I’m not going to lie, I asked for a portion of it to take home! I thank the chicken and waffles for inspiring me to ask for this amazing little condiment!
I am also not ashamed to admit that I played clean-up batter with the scrumptious mini mimosas made with fresh squeezed OJ and a tad of pomegranate. Any where one went untouched, I was happy to step in! I even tried the bloody mary! But only because I was told it was high in horseradish. It was. I was happy. The house pickled veggies in it were wonderful too!
I would like to send my most sincere thank you to Biltmore Bar & Grill, and GM Matt and his team. They went above and beyond for us, and made this one of the best brunches to date. The cozy, non-imposing atmosphere also made us feel comfortable enough to linger and enjoy the company of our new friends!
Disclaimer: This special tasting event was provided to us free of charge courtesy of The Biltmore Bar & Grill. We were not required to review the brunch, and all opinions are my own. Believe me, if you saw the packed house of smiling, full faces, you would agree! I mean, I saw about 16 unbelievable looking hamburgers go by during our brunch, and everyone who got one looked like they were in heaven!
Biltmore Bar & Grill is located at 1205 Chestnut Street, Newton, MA 02464-1308 (617) 527-2550
Bloggers in attendence:
- Amanda (@wineingwoman) http://www.thewineingwoman.com/
- Athena (@financefoodie1) http://www.financefoodie.com/
- Carolyn (@dreamaboutfood) http://dreamaboutfood.blogspot.com/
- Justin (@F2Percent) http://f2percent.com
- Katy (@TheRecipeCan) http://recipecan.com
- Kimmy (@kimmybingham) http://www.lighterandlocal.com
- Krista (@MondayBaker) http://mondaybaker.com/
- Marie (@ChocoandWine) http://www.cookwithabandon.wordpress.com/
- Megan (@CookingWhims) http://cookingwhims.wordpress.com/
- Corey (@RunnersCookie) http://runnerscookie.com/
- Michelle (@SavoryFlavors) http://savoryflavors.blogspot.com/
- Renee- That’s me! (@renh77 & @BostonBrunchers) – www.eatliveblog.com & http://www.bostonbrunchers.com
Wow indeed!!! What an amazing place–I’m so incredibly excited that it’s a 7 minute drive from my apartment! Thanks again for organizing brunch, Renee–they’re always such a blast 🙂
Wow .. thanks for the shout out and great post. LIke the way you combined photos! Nice stuff.
JI
I am happy to belly up to that bar with any of you at any point. What an amazing meal. I know that poached egg was a “chef’s special” but I believe it needs a permanent home on their menu. I will dream of that!
So funny because I was thinking the same thing on my way home from work today! Yeah, that’s right, I was thinking about the poached egg this afternoon while driving….
Pingback: Wow. Just Wow. Brunch @ Biltmore – Eat.Live.Blog | Boston Brunchers
Those mini mimosas are such a fun idea. Glad this brunch was a success!
yea, wow would be my first reaction too. I’m dreaming about this brunch on a regular basis after reading all the reviews!
wish I was there, sounds fantastic. Will have to
go there if I ever get to Boston again 🙂