Grape and Grain 04-16-2011

Location: 620 E. 6th St.

Time: 1pm

People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: On this particularly windy day, we stopped at a quaint little wine bar that happened to be serving brunch. As we entered the restaurant, the strong aroma of bacon hit our senses. We also noticed that only one lovely server was working at the crowded space while college kids gave us a glare of annoyance towards the stroller. This sure is not Brooklyn.

Fortunately, the pillow covered back booth was open, which was ideal for two tired parents and a sleeping baby in a stroller. The restaurant had a very 90's coffee shop vibe, and with the pillows on our back, it felt like we were back in careless college days.

It was interesting to see them prepping food at the bar. I suspected that there was a kitchen downstairs, but they really did most of the cooking near us, hence, the smell of bacon. There is nothing better than sipping tasty coffee while soaked in the essence of bacon.

I ordered "The Francisco" ($9, scrambled eggs, asparagus, and chicken sausage which RB ate.), which was perhaps the most voluminous meal I have ever seen in the city...outside of The TGI Friday's. The eggs were overcooked, and I found the sliced asparagus rather strange. If you are hungover, this may be a perfect meal, but I tend to prefer asparagus spears. I thought my dish was big, but RB's "The Arturo" ($14, sunny-side eggs, chorizo, roasted jalapeno, mozzarella, and avocado pizza) was enormous. It was a giant loaf of focaccia and tasted very tomato paste-y. Not many restaurants serve breakfast pizza, so we appreciated this unique dish.

Grape and Grain is an ideal place for college students or young 20 something who reside in the area. The amount of food, the atmosphere, friendly and laid back service, and music, they seem to hit right on the target. Their dishes were something creative young kids would come up with after a fun night out. As I reminisce my college days, I felt we were just too old to be there.

Coincidentally when I got home, I found my first gray hair.