Washington House Restaurant
55 South Finely Avenue
Basking Ridge, New Jersey
(908) 766-7610
http://washingtonhouserestaurant.com
“But never eat out on a Saturday night,” counseled Jim Quinn in his 1983 book of the same name. Saturday night is, for want of a better term, “tourist season.” If the shit is going to hit the fan – and this can happen even in the best of eating establishments – it will mostly likely do so on a free-for-all Saturday night… when the invading hordes storm the Bastille… the chef and his minions are pushed to the max… the wait staff is “in the weeds,” and the only thing management cares about is turning over tables as fast as humanly possible.
More recently, in his Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain warned us about Monday evenings as well; especially that yellowfin tuna special that sounds so appetizing. To quote Mr. Bourdain: “Chances are good that that tuna you’re thinking of ordering on Monday night has been kicking around in the restaurant’s reach-ins, already cut and held with the mise-en-place on line, commingling with the chicken and the salmon and the lamb chops for four days, the reach-in doors swinging open every few seconds as the line cooks plunge their fists in, blindly feeling around for what they need. These are not optimum refrigeration conditions… This is why you don’t see a lot of codfish or other perishable items as a Sunday or Monday night special – they’re not sturdy enough. The chef knows. He anticipates the likelihood that he might still have some fish lying around on Monday morning – and he’d like to get money for it without poisoning his customers.”
Then, of course, there are other – more publicized days – that are best avoided. Valentine’s Day, for example, is numero uno on my in absentia agenda. Quality goes down; prices go up…. Ditto New Year’s Eve. The surf n turf generally dispensed is strictly for gastronomic losers. Easter and Mother’s Day also tend to wreak havoc within restaurant precincts. I have always avoided them like the plague.
So when I was recently invited to join friends at a Mother’s Day brunch at Washington House in Basking Ridge, NJ – an offer I could not refuse – food- and service-wise, I expected the worst. However, I freely admit that I was pleasantly, very pleasantly surprised.
When we arrived for our 1:30 p.m. reservation, the light and airy dining rooms we’re, as you can well imagine, packed to the gills. Despite the Mother’s Day mob, however, the service remained personable, attentive, and as smooth as a Japanese railroad.
Several people at our table started things off with a Bloody Sunday. Think of it as a Bloody Mary on steroids. Tito’s Handmade Vodka, produced in Austin at Texas’ oldest legal distillery, is combined with a house-made Bloody Mary mix and topped off with a three olive tiara. And, trust me, this house-made concoction has one hell of an addictive kick; it’ll either cure your hangover or give you one. If you’re particularly sensitive of palate, however, a glass of the 2015 Acrobat Pinot Gris – a wine produced by Oregon’s King Estate from organic grapes – should go down nice and easy.
When it comes to the main courses, there are eggs aplenty. Possibilities include the cheese omelet of your choice; chef’s frittata of the day; farmer’s omelet replete with spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus and cheese; spinach, tomato and goat cheese fondue omelet; and a wild mushroom and gruyère omelet, a fave of two of our tablemates… But it was the Baked Eggs & Avocado (pictured) that stole the show. The eggs were pillowed on avocado halves, topped with cheddar & jack cheeses and sprinkling of crisp bacon, and companioned by a side salad nestled in a parmesan tuile. A feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
But no brunch would be complete without the ubiquitous Eggs Benedict. Popular legend has it that the dish originated at Manhattan’s famous Delmonico’s at the behest of Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, who, in search of something new & exciting on the restaurant’s luncheon menu, suggested the following to the maître d’: two English muffin halves, each topped with a slice of Canadian bacon, a poached egg, a dollop of Hollandaise, and a truffle on top (the truffle is now usually omitted).
There are numerous variations on the eggs Benedict theme, including substituting salmon or smoked salmon for the Canadian bacon. This dish is variously known as Eggs Atlantic, Eggs Hemingway, or Eggs Copenhagen (also known as Eggs Royale and Eggs Montreal in New Zealand). The Sunday of my visit, Washington House added smoked salmon to the proceedings, along with perfectly cooked asparagus spears, and the result was as eye catching as it was delicious.
For those more in the mood for a “lunchy” type brunch, the Reuben – pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese & Thousand Island dressing grilled between slices of rye bread – should fit the bill nicely. Although, according to Hoyle, in order to be considered an authentic Reuben, the sandwich must contain corned beef rather than pastrami. But let’s not quibble, as the pastrami was lusciously lean and all the other constituents in proper proportion – I would have preferred a bit more dressing, however – and the accompanying fries delightfully crisp.
No question, Washington House made all the right moves… and that included a Mocha Brownie à la Mode passed around the table and potent cups of coffee and espresso to conclude our afternoon together. Any restaurant that can escape from a zooey Mother’s Day brunch unscathed must be doing something right… and I want more of it.
I’ll be back…
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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