First entry for 2014 and it's a pretty good one. I have actually been to the Clover Club a few times before for drinks but I've never eaten there before, but I'm glad I finally did. Vinita mentioned that they had a great brunch and even though I had literally just been there on a date 2 days before, I was up for trying the food there.
It's a really beautiful space and is more of a cocktail bar than a restaurant but they have a surprisingly robust food menu that goes beyond just bar or finger food. The brunch menus is slightly more upscale than your typical brunch menu but still has a solid egg section as well as some lunch-y food like a lamb burger and oysters. Vinita had mentioned that she got the bacon tasting (yes, that's right a tasting of different kinds of bacon) and I would have totally been down for that but since we were both going to the gym afterwards it just seemed a bit gluttonous to order that before sweating it out. So I opted for the wild mushroom soft scramble ($10) and a side of cheddar grits ($4) and Vinita got The Englander ($14). Again, if I wasn't going to the gym afterwards, I would have gotten one of their lovely bespoke cocktails but I didn't but they are definitely worth a try. I envisioned the scramble to be served on a plate with toast but it was actually presented quite elegantly in a lovely deep white bowl which made it seem much more upscale than a blob of eggs on a plate. The eggs were served with roasted wild mushrooms and topped with Vermont cheddar and creme fraiche. It also had a very heavy taste of truffle oil but they didn't list that on the menu as an ingredient (probably just remnants from the mushroom). But it was a lovely dish, if not, a touch on the heavy side. It's rich and creamy and it's a lot of food despite its presentation. Mixed in with the grits, I couldn't finish my dish. But the mushrooms were roasted nicely and the eggs were definitely a very soft scramble which I love. It went really well with the toasted and olive oiled soaked sour dough bread that it was served it. At first I was annoyed that it didn't come with a side of something like potatoes but for $10 and the fact that it was very filling, it didn't really matter. The grits were a nice consistency and had the right amount of cheesy taste to it but it was starting to get a small film on top after we let it cool down a bit. I tried a bite of Vinita's dish which was essentially an eggs benedict but instead of ham it's made with sliced hanger steak (medium rare) and it was delicious. It was a very decadent meal and the hanger steak just made it seem more higher end than slapping a piece of ham in there.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised that a lovely cocktail place like this also serves such quality brunch food. It's a great place to enjoy a fancy but not stuffy brunch on Smith Street - plus if you aren't going to the gym afterwards, you can indulge in some fantastic cocktails and really make it afternoon out. Total bill: $25/pp with tax and tip
Photo Credit: Yelp
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