A Very Merry Unbirthday to Us... Cheers!

We’re all mad here…mad about the food that is. 

Warning!  Do not visit this establishment unless you are willing to return time and time again. 

It has now been exactly 9 days and 10 hours since we were at Mad Hatter in Birmingham and we cannot stop salivating over the food.  This is a problem people!  We had been pleased with our earlier brunch spots, but this one takes the crumpet (and all of the tea). 

When we first entertained the thought of brunching here we had some reservations, the largest of which was going to Downtown Birmingham (or as some like to call it Benjamin-Ham because it’s all about the benjamins).  We didn’t want to raid our closets for prom dresses to wear; we like to dine casually.  But Julie got over that real quick and just decided we should go for it… judgers be damned!  And Lynsey showed up in a dress (traitor).  Off we went – two girls looking to get lost in Wonderland. 

Inside we had the eerie feeling that we had just taken the wrong pill and slipped down the rabbit hole – and we had never felt so at home.  The theme of the Mad Hatter is obvious and very well executed.  Talk about décor; they really went above and beyond.  These owners took Alice in Wonderland and made her their bitch, but still kept it classy. 

The outside is inviting and intriguing.  If we would have been just passing by we would have to stop in and see what it’s all about.  

But try not to drop in unless it looks dead through the window.  The seating is ample for a smaller space, but it is, apparently, a very popular place.  Upon checking in with the hostess we found that if you do not have a reservation for brunch (and we did not, of course) it is a 2 hour wait.  Nooooooo!  Thank heavens some folks at the bar looked like they were leaving soon.  We took it upon ourselves to stand behind them and eyeball the entire group until they felt uncomfortable and left.  #peopleskills

The fare was to die for - off with our heads!

If you will recall, Julie is all about chicken and waffles and has an endless thirst that cannot be quenched.  Here at the MADHAT they not only delivered the goods, they blew our damn minds!

This was no ordinary chicken&waffle plate ($9.5).  It was on the “Small Plates” menu, which is just fancy talk for appetizers, and was presented in a fashion we had never seen; mini waffles topped with boneless wings, which were covered in an amazing spicy sauce that had us feeling the *Bern* (we love you Bernie).  And it had a side of classic maple syrup.  The combo was incredible and we felt refined eating a classically “unrefined” meal.       

Seriously, it was exceptionally delicious and a MUST HAVE if you are dining here.

Our next item was from the SP menu as well, the Risotto Bites ($10).  These were Lynsey’s favorite, by a hare (get it).  This interesting item was simple and yummy; a ball of risotto with a glob of ooey gooey mozzarella in the middle, lightly breaded and deep fried.  And the side of marinara was clearly house made.  All in all they were pretty much perfection, and we know perfection.

The Benny Goodman ($13) was the only item we sampled from the regular Brunch menu.  Although it wasn’t the highest point of our afternoon delight it was nothing to scoff at.  The competition was just too strong... poor little Benny.  He never had a chance. (sigh)

This dish was similar to eggs benedict, which we are both big fans of, but strait from the water’s edge.  With the substitution of toast and addition of fish, the Benny Goodman had Lynsey as happy as a clam, but Julie was on the fence.  The bite of salt from the Lox and capers made this set up a bit different and Julie found it a bit too salty; almost as salty as Trump when it comes to people talking about his failed business ventures.  But the eggs were cooked perfectly.  The chefs at MADHAT know their stuff. 

Many of the meals offered come with Home Fries, but if you happen to choose one that doesn’t… GET A SIDE ORDER!  We aren’t really positive what they were seasoned with (and can only assume it was laced with heroine), but yum.

And now we are getting hungry again… great.

The alcoholic beverage selection was average for brunch, but the prices were a bit high.  We chose to venture from our regular drink, you know what it is, and went for the Bloody Mary this time around.  Boy, are we glad we did because she was high quality.  But the glasses were small therefore the alcohol serving was smaller and at $10 a pop we weren’t having it.  Again, we went bottomless ($34 for the table).

Our one regret was that we did not have time, or reservations, to go downstairs to the tea room.  It looked like such fun!  We watched many ladies descend the clock-cluttered stairwell in fancy dresses and sunhats as we sat in the shadow of the dim bar lights… wishing we were them, because we are creepy like that.     

The food was great, the drinks were wonderful, the staff was awesome and we both had smiles on our faces as we walked out the door.  The Mad Hatter is quite maddening; all the best places are - 4.8 out of 5!!!

Check out the menu and more at the website below:

http://www.madhatterbistro.com/

You better brunch, biatch.
By Julie Gage and Lynsey Sullivan

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