Back Forty Brunch

Pork jowel nuggets and doughnuts.  I'm just going to throw those two things out there.  How often do you see those to items listed next to each other as appetizers on a menu?  The answer is "not as often as you should" (though doughnuts are très fashionable right now).  Avery was visiting from DC before flying to Israel so we made sure to order plenty of goodies for her last American meal.  There are few ways to improve on pork belly, but giving it a fried casing and serving it with jalapeno jelly is a dang good start.  The doughnut was served warm and drizzled with a homemade concord grape glaze.  The glaze was very sweet, but there wasn't too much of it so it gave me just enough sugar before my savory meal.  I'm always a savory over sweet girl when it comes to brunch but usually crave just one bite of something sweet and this did the trick.

For our entrees, both Avery and I ordered what could be described as messy bowls.  Mine consisted of quinoa, poached eggs, forest mushrooms, kielbasa, and butternut squash.  Avery's had brisket, poached eggs, red beans, and pickled red onion.  The eggs were perfectly - and I do mean perfectly - poached.  Once broken and mixed with the rest of the ingredients, a sort of soup formed.  I usually like each element on my plate to stay in its own spot.  Starch should not touch protein, which should not touch vegetable.  This dish laughed in the face of that mentality, but my OCD didn't mind because it tasted so good.

Back Forty builds a solid brunch by sprinkling special ingredients into regular brunch items.  Sweet potatoes invade the pancakes and quinoa walks around in poached egg territory.  These updates will easily get me to return.  As will the drinks.  I had a great bloody mary and Avery had a hard apple cider that I know I'll be craving every weekend as it gets cooler.