Books and Crepes and Books and Crepes

Confucius say:  Brunch without booze is just sad, late breakfast.

 

 

Everyone, stop what you're doing.  Pause Making a Murderer... and read our blog!

This week we checked in at The Next Chapter in Downtown Northville.  And it had us wondering...
can books replace booze?

Well, we weren't ready (or willing) to answer that question.

So we made a quick stop at Wintergarden Tavern in Livonia (which ended up lasting about an hour and a half) on our way.  And we were joined by some friends.  Yay!  Why here you ask?  We go way back with the Garden.  We're like high school buddies with this place.  It's Lynsey's local "dive bar" and they recently added some brunch specials to the menu on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Although we did not eat, because our hearts had been promised to crepes, our companions did and we were assured that the breakfast pizza is a must have. 
The breakfast/brunch menu was so small.  Seriously, they better beef that up!  The drink specials are a great deal however.  The Mimosa ($4) were pretty good!  Each came with an addition of fresh fruit (they mixed it up and kept us guessing - first an orange with cherries, next strawberries).  That gave us something to munch on and curbed our hunger.  Also, the Bloody Mary bar ($4 per drink) looked pretty fantastic and had a decent selection.  We are very likely to return soon and get us some of dat pizza to cure a Saturday morning hangover. 




Now onto The Next Chapter of our dining story (puns... so many puns intended).  This little eatery peaked our interest online; we felt that we might give it a shot but were hesitant because of the non-alcoholic menu.  C'mon Next Chapter; even church has wine.  However, the location and theme reeled us in.  Northville is the most adorable little downtown spot full of Michigan's most beautiful people.  And it made us feel more beautiful too.  Or perhaps that was the mimosas.    

We knew that it was a bistro and bookstore but didn't expect it to be like a quaint Barnes & Noble.  Really, it was pretty cute and cool, and became even more so when we walked in the door.  Oooooohh snap. 



Placing an order at NCB&B is similar to being at Starbucks.  You stand in line, pick your items (from a handwritten chalkboard behind the counter) and are given a number.  And that worked just fine for us.  But what wasn't fine was the amount of time it took to get our drinks.  We expected to have a short wait for our food but were left drinkless for far too long.  Julie finally had to bring herself to stand in line, again, and request our drinks. 


The latte (flavored with dark chocolate and sugar free caramel) and chai tea finally arrived seconds before our meal.  Both were pretty high quality.  But maybe we were just dying of thirst and would have appreciated sucking on a wet napkin at that point.  Who can tell?

WE LOVE CREPES.  Both of us, equally.  So, of course, we each had to order a crepe meal.  We had no option.  That is just how it had to be.  We did attempt to mix it up; Julie ordered off of the sweet menu (the Monte Cristo - $8) and Lynsey off of the savory (the Mona Lisa - $8.50). 





Both plates were great in their own way.  The texture and consistency of the crepe was spot on.  But unfortunately the Monte Cristo wasn't sweet at all.  It was delectable however.  The filling consisted of turkey, cheese and raspberry preserves (we opted to remove the ham); but the mustard sauce on the outside is where things got interesting.  We didn't know what to expect.  Mustard and Jelly... how will that work?  Somehow it did!  Just like that odd couple that barely spoke in school and now, later in life, are happily married.  WHAT IS THAT ABOUT?!  The tartness of the raspberry and mustard were surprisingly cohesive. 

These ladies have to agree that the Mona Lisa was far better than the aforementioned.  Feta and balsamic vinegar were prominent in the flavor profile of this crepe creation.  And the cherry tomatoes were perfection. 






It should also be mentioned that this bistro has very health-conscious dishes.  They use organic flours and have many low card and vegetarian options.

 


 Now, we usually end our blog with a score but it seems a bit unfair to rate this eatery on the same scale as the other places we have been.  It doesn't necessarily advertise itself as a "brunch place".  And honestly, we most likely will not be returning.  It was a cool experience and if you are in the mood to have a quiet cup of coffee and get your reads on you should come here.  Skip the chain places. 

Ah, what the hell.  Let's just do it. 
We will rate the food highly with a 4 out of 5.  It was exceptional.  But the overall rating for this brunch experience is a 2.2 out of 5.  : /

 

 

Sorry... not sorry.

By Julie Gage and Lynsey Sullivan

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My Anaconda Don't

Attention:  We would like to send a shout-out to Sir Mix-A-Lot who is not only an inspiration in the following blog post, but also in our daily lives.




We don't want none unless you got buns hun.  And The Bosco Café and Dessert Lounge in Ferndale has got the buns.

  And though the interior be but small, the food is mighty good.

With more of a standard Ferndale bar setup, Bosco is not really built for brunch.  We, the brunchers, like to sit and stay a while.  This is our time to catch up on the hot gossip.  When else are we going to talk about Sarah's weird haircut or Mandy's vague Facebook post?  Sarah and Mandy are train wrecks!  We need to talk about them.  And we have to admit that from the time we were settled we felt a little rushed.  That feeling is most likely due to the lack of seating, and we understand, but it would have been nice to feel more welcome.


The decoration was a bit on the bland side.  Not much to look at but the artsy birch tree wall in the back.  There is a patio at the rear entrance but it sadly wasn't open (boooooo).






Our most beloved item was on the menu again; bottomless mimosas ($16)... with a twist!  They offered flavor syrups to add to your glass and of course we had to try that (we chose blackberry and red passion fruit).  What a great idea!  Make sure to stir though.  That syrup sank to the bottom of the glass faster than a club rat droppin it like it's hot.  One suggestion however (because we are full of them) is if you are going to leave a mimosa pitcher on the table please leave it in a bucket of ice.  By the time we finished it off our drinks were about room temp.  No bueno.     



Bosco's refreshment menu almost swayed us away from our standing favorite.  They provide an appealing selection of drinks that sounded magnificent.  We'd like to return and have a few (dozen) more.

Hey Bosco, no appetizer menu for Brunch?  What up with that!?  These ladies love apps.  But hey, we'll keep our money if you don't want it. 





Most of the menu was breakfast focused so, because we weren't interested in salads or burgers, we both ordered morning meals.  We started with the Breakfast Sammy ($10) which was delightfully messy.  Yolk everywhere.  But the bun this Sammy was served on was perfectly soft and a great vessel to soak it all up.  They had an option of turkey sausage as the meat and we elected to add that, to keep it healthy.  Because you know how we do.  Then we covered that biatch in country style sausage gravy!  It was thick, creamy, fatty deliciousness.  Oops, sorry diet.  Served with a side of beautifully crispy redskin potatoes, this plate as a whole really hit the spot.
 


Oh my God, Julie.  Look at that bread...


Our next item up was the Stuffed French Toast ($11) and when they described this brioche as "thick sliced" they weren't kidding.  It was real thick and juicy (and super tasty).  The sweet, salty cream stuffed between was simply delicious.  And we had a surprise addition of banana slices, inside and out.  What a great idea!  They should add that to the menu permanently.  We love us some big bananas. 





Though we felt as if the meal was quick our waitress was friendly and good at her job.  The food just came too quickly, which we believe is a bad thing when  you are servicing our crowd.  But ultimately the cuisine was well worth the visit.
 
Bosco doesn't seem to be able to accommodate more than 50 people at a time, and that is including the bar seating.  But the tables are all larger, so if you are brunching with a bigger group you would feel comfortably seated here.  Just hope there is room when you arrive.

They boast "the best Happy Hour in Ferndale" with half off starters and $2 off glasses of wine and select Michigan beers.  HH here is each Tuesday from 5:00 pm to 12:00 am (which is a great length of time) and Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

And here is something fun; Tuesdays are board game nights.  The Bosco provides games to play and outside games are welcome.

Vegetarians and Vegans can choose from the A La Carte menu or substitute meat patties with a black bean and lentil patty on select items. 

Lynsey scored the brunch experience at Bosco Ferndale an overall 3.25 out of 5, and this is largely thanks to the scrumptious meal.  Julie's score was was a solid 3 (just to be clear it would have been a 4.5 if the drinks would have been stronger).  

Keep on brunchin.

By Julie Gage and Lynsey Sullivan

Please “LIKE” us on Facebook!   www.facebook.com/girlsjustwannahavebrunch

Questions?  Comments?  Recommendations?

Please email us!  betterbrunchincorporated@gmail.com

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

Another Sexy Turkey Day

We hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving and apologize for not brunching and blogging.  Be assured that it hurt us more than it hurt you (tear).  The thought of critiquing our families feasts did come to mind, but that would have burned some bridges (that lead directly to food); we don't burn food bridges.






But we are back in the saddle this week and anticipating a fantastic brunch, this Sunday, at Bosco's Café and Dessert Lounge in Ferndale.  This location was recommended by one of our readers.  Please keep up the suggestions!  We are open to any and all brunch spots in Metro Detroit and are excited to find out your personal favorites.


Thanks for reading and come on back next week for our next super awesome blog!

_____________________________________________

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Please “LIKE” us on Facebook!

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Questions?  Comments?  Recommendations?

Please email us!

betterbrunchincorporated@gmail.com

 

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

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www.instagram.com/girlsjustwannahavebrunch



Toasted Oak Ain't No Joke

 

Caution:  The blog you are about to read has been written by 2 ladies that have a tendency to be a little overdramatic, especially about food.

 

Toasted Oak; where do we begin?  How about with the fact that this place is almost impossible to find unless you’re crazy aunt Martha frequents here and she’s on the other end of the phone giving you ridiculous directions like “turn left at that pine tree that’s shaped like Bill Murray”.  And Google Maps was vague, as per the usual.  Why do we rely on you Google?  And we never found it… the end.

- - - -

Joking; we did.  Hooray!  The exterior was a bit confusing and we thought we were about to walk into Applebees wannabees.  But once we walked through those cheddar colored doors we were pleasantly surprised.    We entered into the bar area and immediately felt as if we were taken back in time.  It seemed like we had stumbled upon an old saloon/grocery store you would expect to see while traveling to California during the Gold Rush. Even the bartender fit that description.  And as fans of dinner and a show, in this case a spiked OJ and a play… whatever (you try to rhyme something witty with brunch because it’s impossible), we loved it.

If you’re into getting wasted on wine, come on in.  With vino from wall to wall, this is the place for you.  And us; we love wine.  Let’s get drunk together.

The menu had a decent selection of both classic and newbie brunch items.  Julie found the Chicken and Waffles immediately, of course.  But she was quickly disappointed when we tried to order because they had just sold out moments before.  The humanity!  It is her own fault, really.  She should have known better.  Chicken and Waffles are always eluding her; just out reach.  Like that one true love we have all been looking for…  With both of us being used to disappointment it was easy to move on. 

We placed our orders and decided to share so that we will have the same experience and can give our own perspectives, because no two foodies are alike.  We started our meal with the Fruit Bruschetta and it was the best decision we had made in years.  It had the perfect blend of cheese (goat) and sweet fruits (strawberry and pineapple).  And the bread had just the right amount of crisp.   The flavor sort of reminded us of a French Toast.  But like French Toast that you can hold in one hand while you keep your drink in the other!  That is something everyone needs in life, a free hand for your drink.  Another mimosa and to the next course we go.

Oh, almost forgot to mention, they offer bottomless mimosas for $14!  And if you are thinking to yourself “I don’t need bottomless”, don’t be that person that spends the $9 for just one. Economically it just makes sense to go bottomless!  Here and everywhere else.  We try to go bottomless all of the time.  Always, every day.  Once we made it clear to the bartenders that we meant business they kept them a-flowing; never leaving us with an empty glass.

Ordering a breakfast item and a lunch just seemed like the right thing to do, because that is literally the definition of brunch (duh).  An order of Lemon- Ricotta Pancakes ($10) and Turkey & Brie Sandwich with fries ($13) and we were ready to chow down.  We started with the pancakes and it was love at first bite.  Our eyes turned to hearts (insert emoji faces).  “I didn’t even know you could put shit IN a pancake” was Lynsey’s first exclamation.  But Julie is not a huge fan of lemon and lemon was, for sure, the most pronounced flavor in this dish.  She is enjoying it because it is undeniably delicious, but not as much as her brunch buddy.  The cakes were perfect on the outside and a little too soft in the middle, but then again things get dicey when you start shoving stuff in a pancake.  Now onto the Turkey Brie; an unexpected earthiness overwhelmed our taste buds.  This sandwich is heavy on the tart and sour and we find the bread a bit tough to chew.  But the brie shines through and is definitely the high note of this concoction.  We did find ourselves discussing how we would have changed things which is a sure sign that this ‘wich was subpar.  Lynsey thought a thicker, more rustic cut of turkey with a different type of green (other than the arugula because it’s overpowering) would be a better choice; perhaps softer bread with a slight toast on it.

The fries that came with that sandwich were perfect however.  We ate every bite incase a flaw was to be found. 

The staff was pretty wonderful.  Very attentive but gave us our space to chat and eat.  You know that moment?  We’ve all had it.  A delicious plate is being sat in front of your face and you are starving and you don’t care about what kind of barn animal you look like.  You just dig in.  That classic moment when the server walks up right as you are shoving that first bite into your mouth, asking “how is everything so far?” and you awkwardly mumble through your food “geeerrddd” and give a thumbs up.  I hate that. That didn’t happen at Toasted Oak.  These great servers were cooperative with the blog as well, allowing us to take pictures of our surroundings as well as them (we couldn’t resist getting a picture of our bartender with a glorious handlebar mustache).

 

Toasted Oak isn’t just funky.  The dining area had a sleek and sophisticated ambiance for a fancy night out.  Seeking a little romance (wink wink)?  Ask for a seat near the larger than practical fireplace; it is absolutely stunning. As a whole this place is classy, bright and inviting. We were here for the brunchies but the dinner menu looks awesome as well, and a girl has gotta eat at least 3 meals a day; or we get hangry.  Also, several reviewers say that if you check in on Yelp during dinner you get a free kielbasa appetizer.  Mmmmmm, kielbasa.

Speaking of sausage (and we usually are), we should mention that the vegan and vegetarian options on the brunch menu are pretty limited.  So if that is your diet you may want to order a salad.  But if you order a salad for brunch, you can’t sit with us!  That is simply unacceptable.

In summary, Toasted Oak was well worth the visit and we would like to have another stopover down the road.  They had a decent sized brunch menu and many items looked enjoyable.  We wish we could have eaten a little of everything!

Happy Hour is from 2 – 5:30 pm and they offer wine tasting 3 choices for $15!  

 

 

 

 

Julie gave the Toasted Oak Brunch a 3.5 out of 5 and Lynsey begged to differ, rating it 4 out of 5. We split the difference and agreed on a 3.75 / 5

Until next time, brunch on Brunchers.  Brunch on.

 

By Julie Gage and Lynsey Sullivan

 

 

Please “LIKE” us on Facebook!   www.facebook.com/girlsjustwannahavebrunch

Questions?  Comments?  Recommendations?

Please email us!  betterbrunchincorporated@gmail.com

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

First Things First

Hello fellow food lovers!

And welcome to Girls Just Wanna Have Brunch.

We are so very happy that you are here!

 

To kick things off, please let us introduce ourselves.

Julie Gage

A sassy and sophisticated bruncher with a lot to say (and even more on her mind)

 

Lynsey Sullivan

A loose cannon blogger that doesn't play by the rules... of breakfast or lunch

With 20 plus years of friendship under our belt we have come to appreciate that nothing is more therapeutic than a good meal, boozy refreshment, and lots of laughs with your bestie.  And the meal we appreciate most?  It’s brunch of course!  Having indulged in more gluttonous fares than anyone should admit we fancy ourselves experts on the subject of food.  

So together we have made the decision to undertake the daunting task of... brunch blogs (dun dun duuuun!).  Each week we will find ourselves at a new location in the Metro Detroit area and at such location will be eating and drinking to our hearts content!  

And the best part? 

 We will tell you all about it!

  

 

This Sunday we will be visiting Toasted Oak Grill & Market in Novi.  After reviewing this enticing brunch menu it must be said that we are looking forward to going a little overboard.  I, Lynsey, will be wearing my best Sunday dress, but that's just because I'm relatively certain my jeans won't fit after this meal.

 

Bring your mental "fat pants" to our next blog; it's going to be a tasty one.  

 

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Please “LIKE” us on Facebook!

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Questions?  Comments?  Recommendations?

Please email us!

betterbrunchincorporated@gmail.com

 

And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!!

www.instagram.com/girlsjustwannahavebrunch