Finally made it back to Fig today (after a first-time visit in December) for the much-anticipated Brunch after church. The owner and I chatted before I departed after my December visit, she encouraging me to return for their brunch and their fired chicken, that people rave about. Fried chicken does it for me, so fi-nal-ly, I made it today...what, no fried chicken on the Brunch menu? Erk! I stayed anyway, since my first experience had been so positive. I figured something has to be worth diving into on the menu even if not fried chicken.
Lovely staff person waited on me, attentive and friendly, and knowledgeable. All positive indicators, until time to review menu which began with a list of disclaimers and "we do not have.." or we have run out of..." Fine if one or two items, but folks, it was 6, 7 or 8 items. and the place was not full, at all, when I arrived (between 12:30 and 12:45; I learned later that they had not been very busy today after having a busy Saturday).
Hmmm. I stayed anyway, the coffee was good, and items listed weren't effecting my order decision, until...the cut of meat would be different for the steak and eggs and the sauce was not bordelaise but chimichuri (sp). I ordered anyway (my mistake, read on to see why, if you're curious) and ate every crumb because the flavors were wonderful (mistake #2, read on...). And paired very well w/the Rhone-style Rose' (didn't want a full-bodied red at mid-day).
Lovely staff person came by to check on me w/a "how is the steak?" - note: the rib-eye had been preempted by sirloin, and I had been told ahead of time. I said that the piece was tough and chewy at first bite, one side of the meat was almost well done, the other end was truly med-rare-to-rare "..and I had ordered medium". (If the chef had been on 'Chopped', he/she would have been chopped for 1) cooking one piece of steak so inconsistently and 2) for serving a tough, chewy piece of meat. I was asked if I wanted to send it back - another note: I am a big 'send it back if it isn't right" proponent, but today I said no. I was hungry; it was tasting good though portions were chewy and tough; and I said I would forge ahead but to please send my observations to the chef. And yes I agree with you reader, if you are there, that sending it back would have been the wiser thing to do.
(Later, staff person tells me that the chef mentioned 'they' had been challenged by the butchering of this cut. I asked if it is butchered pre-purchase, she said "no, we do that in house"...imagine my surprise at this point, on so many levels. Further she mentioned that the kitchen was also flummoxed re: cooking it evenly....Excuse me?? I suggested that the cut they used for my order not be used for that again, at the very least.)
I did succumb to dessert, at first thinking I would choose the chocolate pot de creme b/c I had it there in December and it is truly divine. But I was intrigued by the blackberry shortcake w/crème anglaise ice cream and a blackberry coulis of sorts. So ordered that and it was truly absolutely delicious. The shortbread cookie large enough to be split like a biscuit. I ladled the ample coulis over the top of it and over the ice cream. However, the dish, while very tasty, had only 5 blackberries - yes, 5 - and this was called a "Blackberry Shortcake." Guess what is very much in season here right now?? Blackberries!! They are definitely not in short supply. (In fact, I have bought some at local Farmer's markets that were as big as my thumb! and that melted in my mouth because they were so sweet.) And the sauce with this dessert is so thin, filling the plate to the edge, that the dish deserves to be served in a shallow and large soup dish, not on a dinner plate. But five blackberries, come on, the dish is priced at $8.00, so give the customer some blackberries please.
A nice surprise was that I also served a small scoop of corn ice cream, an experiment by the chef being offered to Brunch customers. That was so creamy, smooth and flavorful, like a corn pudding had met whipped cream and collided with an ice storm. Oh my so very good...I could just imagine some caramel sauce drizzled over with w/sprinkles of sea salt, served w/a dark chocolate cookie.
So, my visit today was not what I had expected, or anticipated, at all. I was charged in full for the lunch dish of steak and eggs, which, frankly, surprised me. I was not commenting on it earlier to "beg that question", but giving them a very honest observation. I was offered to have it cooked over, I opted not to. Yet, w/the butchering & uneven cooking confessional comments from the kitchen, seems that portion of the lunch would have been comp'd at the very least.
Whatever the previous brunch menu's have been at Fig, such as the one the owner sent me home with after my December visit, I recommend a return to those time-honored items & to sending the staff to knife skills school, &/or ordering different cuts of beef for Brunch service. read more