My dear friend Paul and I went to brunch today at The Playground DTSA. This place seems to be the only thing I blog about anymore. I promise I've been cooking and eating my own stuff, I've just been busy with other adventures. I'll get back into it... I promise.
Brunch starts with coffee. Good, single origin, coffee. This is an Ethiopian Bean roasted locally by Portola Coffee Lab. It was very good. A little brighter than I drink on a daily basis, but not acidic. It was like just right.
First came the cheesy eggs (we go a plate of bacon too, its not pictured). These are the prefect scrambled eggs. Creamy, light, and packed with cheddar cheese. The Playground has ruined me on eggs. Now that I've had their eggs, every time I see any other scrambled eggs all I can think of is how overcooked they are. If they're dry in the pan, they're over cooked.
Being a good southern boy (Southern California counts right?) I love biscuits and gravy. This biscuit and this gravy take it to another level. I make a good biscuit, let me tell you. This was better. Crispy edges with a fluffy soft center. They would have stood on their own with a pat of butter, but no. The Playground tops them with more scrambled eggs, and the fanciest gravy in the world. I don't know whats in this stuff, but it is savory, sweet, spicy, and good.
If you go to The Playground and you don't get Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken... shame on you. If you go to their brunch and don't get the Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken and Waffles. They were good, the Uncle Lou's sauce paired well with the sweetness of the maple. But they used chicken breast pieces instead of a chicken. There were no flavorful dark bits, no crispy skin bits, no freakin' bones to hold on to. On top of that, the waffle was kinda soggy. If I had to forgo one item from this brunch, it was this.
We had to finish the meal strong. We were a little too full, but we couldn't end on the chicken and waffle. And for our diligence we were dutifully rewarded. We were between getting a Crab Cake Benedict, and Huevos Rancheros; we ordered the Huevos Rancheros and it was astounding. Black beans, a crispy tortilla, fried eggs, pico de gallo, some green stuff, and a gangbuster of the best ranchero salsa in the universe. I swear Paul and I ate the sauce off the plate it was that good. Food of this caliber is the reason I blog food. Thanks The Playground.
