Guest Author - Karon Warren

Although I’d heard of Brennan’s Restaurant on numerous visits to New Orleans, I’d never had the opportunity to experience this time-honored tradition. However, during a recent trip to the Crescent City, I was able to partake in this historic restaurant’s famous “Breakfast at Brennan’s,” which is more of an event than a meal.

Situated in the French Quarter on Royal Street, Brennan’s epitomizes the area’s rich history of enjoying a meal for its culinary prowess rather than just as food for fuel. This point strikes home with diners upon opening the restaurant’s breakfast menu, which rivals many eateries’ most impressive dinner menus. While items are available a la carte, the best way to go is with the three-course prix fixe menu, which includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert. You read that right; an appetizer and dessert are a part of breakfast.

For my selections, I selected the strawberries with double cream as an appetizer. Despite the rich cream, it was a light start to what would become quite a filling breakfast. For my entrée, it was suggested that I pick half of one entrée and half of another in order to fully experience what Brennan’s had to offer. Therefore, I selected the Eggs Owen, roast beef hash with poached eggs and a Marchand de Vin sauce, and the Eggs Portuguese, a pastry shell containing sautéed tomatoes and topped with poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. I also ordered a side order of grits, a personal breakfast favorite.

Given that I’d never had dishes like this before, I was a bit hesitant at what I would find on my plate. It turns out my worries were for naught. Everything was absolutely scrumptious, and I spent considerable time cleaning my plate. After all, I was looking forward to the Crêpes Fitzgerald (crêpes filled with cream cheese and sour cream topped with strawberries flamed in Maraschino) for dessert.

Although the service at Brennan’s is top-notch, the wait staff definitely put on a show when it comes to preparing the restaurant’s famous desserts. A few of my fellow diners ordered the bananas foster for dessert, which entails sautéing bananas in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and banana liqueur, then flamed in rum. The process is entertaining, especially with the showmanship of those preparing it. Of course, the finished product is not too bad, either.

All in all, my first foray into "Breakfast at Brennan’s" turned out as promised by the menu’s tagline: “a tradition that is truly unforgettable.”

Check out Brennan's at www.brennansneworleans.com.