A few years ago, Brandy bid a fond farewell to her dear friend, Brochette Barleycorn (world famous anthropologist and competitive basket weaver) when she set off for a multi year sojourn in West Africa. Unfortunately, the farewell had not gone quite as planned, with Brandy having taken her globe trotting friend out for a disastrous dinner. "It was one of the most horrid meals of my life," Brandy remembers, "They served us oysters rife with pieces of shell, over cooked pasta, there was a hair on the steak, and the desserts were frozen in the middle. I've never been so embarrassed by a restaurant. What a terrible memory to leave her with right before she left the country!"
So when Brochette finally returned to the States, Brandy knew she had to make things up to her friend. "It's not necessary," Brochette had told her, "I mean, yes that meal was pretty awful. Between the waiter telling us we looked like two flowers at the center of a bouquet and then spilling wine all over us and the horribly out of tune piano music, things were set for disaster before the food even arrived at the table!" "Even still. My heart has been heavy since you left and the only way forward is to remedy this grievous error. We're going to brunch and I won't hear another word about it."Taking a bit of a gamble on a new place, but one with an established reputation behind it, Brandy brought Brochette along to The Late Bloomer, which recently opened in the former location of Lyfe Kitchen in the New City complex. Coming from the same team behind Lyfe Kitchen, The Late Bloomer promised classic American flavors in a casual setting. Building on some of Lyfe Kitchen's ideas, the menu was scattered with lots of vegetable and produce focused dishes. The layout hadn't changed much for the location's days as a Lyfe Kitchen outpost, but the decor had shifted to more vibrant pops of chartreuse set against blues and grays, giving the restaurant a relaxed and contemporary feel.
As Brandy was feeling a little in need of something healthy, she began her meal with a Kale Banana Smoothie. The texture of the drink was surprisingly light and airy, while the flavor was mildly sweet with no hint of bitterness and had a slight zing of citrus juice. Brochette, on the other hand, was ready for a stiff drink, so she ordered the Good Neighbor, a mix of vodka, St. Germaine, bitters, and citrus. Brochette was very happy with how refreshing and bright the drink was, commenting, "This tastes like a breakfast cocktail to me. I could see it on any menu along side a mimosa and a Bloody Mary."They started things off by sharing a Beetza; a flatbread topped with roasted beets, caramelized onions, arugula, pesto, and Parmesan cheese. The crust was very light and crunchy with a flavorful char on it that complimented the earthy and sweet flavors of the toppings nicely. Brandy particularly enjoyed the thinly sliced beets, which had been roasted to perfection, while Brochette was enamored with the pesto.
Brochette picked the Norwegian Scramble for her entree, which came with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, a toasted bagel, and a crème fraiche sauce. The eggs were a little soft for Brochette's liking, but Brandy thought they looked just right. Otherwise, the dish was very simple, subtle, and satisfying. Brochette especially liked that the components could be arranged in any manner one wished, from an open faced sandwich to a hash.
Brandy went with the Shortrib Meatloaf sandwich, which came served on Texas Toast with a side of fries. The texture of the meatloaf was very unique, being flaky and very tender. Brandy liked the slightly tangy sauce and thought it did a good job of adding flavor to the meat without over powering it. Her only complaint was that the sandwich as nearly impossible to pick up because the meat was too substantial for the flexible Texas Toast, and so could only be consumed with the use of a fork and knife.
Finally, they ended their meal with an order of Monkey Bread, which came covered in a toffee sauce and toasted pecans. The bread itself was soft with a nice chew to it, allowing the toffee flavor to linger on the tongue in all its buttery goodness. "What an excellent idea for a shared dish!" said Brochette, snagging a lump of bread with her fork. "Yes, it's quite good. One of the better ones I've had," said Brandy, ensnaring her own bit of bread. Happily, they munched on their delectable treat without talking, until that inevitable moment when only one piece remained. The clang of their forks could be heard all throughout the restaurant. After an intense few minutes of starring, Brandy relented to her friend with a smile. "After all," Brochette said as she popped the toffee covered confection into her mouth, "You do owe me for that terrible dinner."
Apart from some wonky bits of service (which could mostly be excused by the place only having just opened) Brochette seemed quite pleased with her experience at The Late Bloomer, which finally gave Brandy the peace of mind she had been craving. The food was all done very well and the prices weren't anything that was going to start a wallet screaming in terror, but Brandy hoped that the restaurant would, in time, come to find more of a definitive identity that didn't so resemble it's older sibling. "I'm half tempted to order another plate of that monkey bread to go," Brandy confessed to Brochette as they headed out. "What a great idea! We'll take it over to the lake and have a little munch while we do some people watching," Brochette exclaimed. "Oh no, dear. We'll do nothing of the kind. My debt has been paid to you in full and now I fully intend on consuming an order of that oh so shareable dish all by my lonesome."
The writers of this blog were invited to dine free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
The Short and Sweet Review
That monkey bread looks fantastic!
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