By: Natalie Grigg
Empire Grill sits at the heart of Hertel Avenue, nestled among an eclectic assortment of restaurants. What makes it stand out? Well, for purposes of this article, it is their brunch menu offered every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
As excited as a kid in a candy store, I quickly began perusing the menu. Brunch is by far my favorite meal, and Empire’s menu contained a nice mix of simple and complex items. I not only had to decide what I wanted to eat, but also what I wanted to convince the rest of my party to order so I could sample their order. The menu ranges from fried eggs with various sides, and Belgium waffles, to a selection of pancakes, French toast and other brunch staples.
I decided on the Eggs Benedict with crab, tomato and asparagus, and my daughter (she’s 3 so she doesn’t get much of a say these days) would have the chocolate chip pancakes. My husband decided on the three-cheese omelet with fontina, sharp cheddar, and jack cheeses.
When our food arrived, the first thing that caught my eye was not only the attention to detail, but also the size of the portions. My daughter’s pancakes were the size of a normal dinner plate, and this was just the “short stack.”
My plate was huge and overflowing; I couldn’t wait to dig in. In front of me sat my order of Eggs Benedict–a toasted English muffin layered with a crab cake and a beautifully poached egg, all of it smothered in a rich Hollandaise sauce and topped with sautéed tomatoes and asparagus. It looked almost too good to eat. I stress the “almost.” You see, my favorite part of eating Eggs Benedict is the moment when I first cut into them, slicing right down the middle of the entire pillar so that I can watch as the creamy egg yolk spills out and saturates everything that it comes into contact with.
From there, the rest is history. Of course, my first bite had to be a perfect combination of all the ingredients, so I piled my fork with a little of everything and went for it. I can only describe it as incredible. Salty, savory, creamy, crunchy, a perfect mixture of textures and flavors all in one bite. At no point did I stop to eat the fried potatoes on my plate, which my husband informed me were a “must try”, because I was too busy inhaling the rest of my main course. Before I had even arrived, I knew I wouldn’t leave Empire without clearing my plate, but I hadn’t even tried their omelet or pancakes yet.
Oh, the omelet. When I first looked to my husband’s meal it was as he was lifting a bite of omelet off of his plate, with that tell-tale a trail of cheese still connecting his fork to his food. How could I not try that? I didn’t hesitate to cut right into the middle portion of his omelet where of course the cheese would be resting in abundance–and that it was. The eggs were light and fluffy, and the three cheeses were a nice contrast of salty, creamy, and tangy. Tangy? Yes, tangy, and it was that tanginess that kept me reaching over the table to sample additional pieces.
Of course, I can’t finish the article without adding my commentary on the pancakes. Cooked to a golden brown, they were fluffy and the chocolate chips added a rich gooey-ness that had my mind reminiscing about my childhood. It was no wonder that my daughter ate most of what was on her plate!
If you haven’t yet eaten brunch here, I recommend you do. The atmosphere was upbeat, the restaurant open and vibrant. The prices were reasonable and the service was prompt and friendly. Personally, I can’t wait to go back and try the French toast stuffed with mascarpone and mixed berry compote.
Empire Grill
1435 Hertel Avenue (corner of Sterling Avenue)
Buffalo, NY 14216
(716) 446-0700
www.empiregrill.net
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Natalie Grigg is a mom, lawyer and avid eater.