Eggs Florentine @ Etc Etc
We made a special excursion to Manhattan for a friends brunch at Etc Etc, which the planner so thoughtfully made sure there was something on the menu that I could include on the blog. There were a couple benedict-family options, but no classic benedict so I went with the florentine variation, mostly because it was on the reasonably priced prix fixe menu. Here is how the spinach version of the eggs benedict rated.
You can see how thick that hollandaise is.
Base: English muffin. The muffins were a little thin but crisped well, maybe because it was too thin. They were a little bit for the size of the eggs, but there was a lot of spinach to cover it. Nothing special here, just a pretty solid muffin base that avoided getting soggy.
Score: 3
Non-Egg Protein: Spinach. As I mentioned above, the spinach was plentiful, but maybe a little too garlicky. It was sautéed nicely and mixed well with the yolk which helped with the garlic, but the eggs were a little small to compensate for all of it. Overall it was fine and I liked the amount, and someone who loved garlic might have different opinions about the flavor.
Score: 4
Eggs: Both were a bit overcooked. There was still quite a bit of runny yolk, but they both had the thick layer of yolk that sticks to the egg. There were a few solid pieces which are never fun. However, the amount of yolk did help to balance the whole dish and calm and compliment the garlic. They could have used larger eggs to go with the large muffin too.
Score: 7
Close up of the thickness of the sauce...but also runny yolk with a little wall on the outer rim
Yolk cascade with spinach tentacles...
Sauce: Hollandaise. There was enough as you can see in the photos, so that is always good. The flavor was a little too acidic that did not help to balance things out. Based on the captions, you might have guessed it was also a bit too thick and gloppy. Again, nothing special, but a serviceable sauce.
Score: 3
Sides: Potatoes. They were small potatoes cut in half that were cooked quite well. They could have used more seasoning to really stand out. There was a good amount to complete the meal without making me feel too full.
Score: 4
Bonus: Prix fixe menus are always great, especially when they are well priced. This one came with a salad course and a drink so $30 is a pretty good price. The service was also great to the point of the server giving us after-brunch drinks for free. IT was an overall great experience, even if the benedict itself wasn't the best.
Score: 2
Total Score: 23/30
