Granddaughter, Coco, chows down on a beignet much like those you’d find in New Orleans.
Brunching at The Brasserie
When I’m looking for a restaurant that “has it all,” I often turn to Brasserie in the Central West End, that evokes the charm of a vintage Parisian café. Tables come clad with ample-sized cloth napkins, and a centerpiece of small, live flowers.
On a recent Sunday morning, I brunched at Brasserie with family and was surprised to see the restaurant had live music. Yes, live, pleasant, guitar music in the morning! What a treat!
Bliss on a Plate
On a pleasant day, treat yourself to a seat on the spacious street side patio and a passing view of Central West End fashionistas. Dine on such French delicacies as pomme frites, gougères, profiteroles, and beignets.
Eggs Benedict with Roasted Potatoes
What’s the Diff?
If you get confused about the difference between a beignet, profiterole, and gougère, here’s a cheat sheet to jog your memory.
Gougère: a baked puff of choux pastry flavored with cheese, usually Gruyere and sometimes stuffed with a savory filling. The delicate cheesy puffs literally fly off the plate. Or, as they say of the little appetizer, “Once you pop, you can’t stop.”
Beignet: A type of fritter, or deep-fried pastry usually sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Profiterole: a.k.a., cream puffs, are filled with whipped cream, custard, or ice cream. Savory versions are made with meats and cheeses. At Brasserie the simple, but stunning dish, also comes with a side pitcher of chocolate syrup.
Eggs en Cocotte, a French way of slow baking eggs in a water bath. The Brasserie version contains spinach, cream, and bacon lardons, served with brioche toast.
Brasserie Burger capped with dome of fries.
I didn’t get the French Onion Soup this time, but I drooled each time it passed by. The soup contains croutons, Comte cheese, and chives and is great fun to play with.
Floating Island of poached meringue, crème anglaise and toasted almonds.
Feast of French Goodness
While Brasserie is far larger than it’s French counterparts, it still maintains the quaintness of a Parisian café as it serves up haute cuisine along side rustic fare.
Brasserie by Niche. 4580 Laclede Avenue, Central West End. Open: Dinner, Mon-Sat 5p-10p; Brunch: Sun 10a-2p and Dinner 5p-9p. Chef/owner Gerald Craft. (Includes Bowood, Pasteria, Cinder House, Fordo’s Killer Pizza at City Foundry.)
Leave a Reply