As Told Over Eggspress
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, I decided I didn’t feel like making lunch so I should go to brunch. I texted my friend Kejdi, and we made our way to a new Richmond Brunch Weekend restaurant, Eggspress. I couldn’t find out much about Eggspress online other than the Yelp menu looked pretty good, so I was excited.
Eggspress is tucked away in Northside. At least I think it’s Northside; I feel like I don’t know Richmond neighborhoods well beyond the Fan, Museum District, and Jackson Ward. I don’t know what that means about me as a person. Anyhow, Eggspress is along Brookland Park Boulevard. My friend remarked that reminds her of a whole other town. If it hadn’t been raining, I would have walked around and taken some cool Instagrams. (Now that probably says even more about me as a person.)
It turns out Eggspress is a former food truck that has come to occupy the former space of Luncheonette, which is a place I had never been to, but had heard of. Eggspress has only been there for a month, and I wish I had seen what Luncheonette looked like because there’s a bright fuchsia room. We were immediately greeted by the bartender/host who said we could sit wherever. My friend naturally chose the fuchsia room.
The bartender/host quickly became also /server and brought us waters and utensils wrapped in plastic. I was surprised by this, but also reminded me of Eggspress’ food truck origins.
Our server recommended the grits bowl for me when I asked about that and the breakfast sandwich ($8 for the grits bowl, $6 for a breakfast sandwich that still looks delicious). My friend ordered the French toast – brioche bread dipped in sweet custard and “grilled to perfection” ($7). The French toast came with turkey bacon or sausage.
I was surprised by the bounty of my grits bowl. It was a hearty portion of cheesy grits topped with a turkey sausage patty, a friend egg, and sautéed spinach. There also were sweet, pickled tomatoes dropped on top. I stirred it all together and came away mighty satisfied. I thought I’d feel really heavy after eating all the grits, but I felt just full and fine.
My friend loved her French toast. On our drive back to her place, she talked about how good they were. Unfortunately, she never let me have a bite. We also were both impressed by the pricing.
One notable thing on Eggspress’s menu is the “Almost Bottomless Mimosa.” I just had to ask: “What does almost mean?”
For $12 apparently, you can get a carafe, which is a full bottle of champagne topped with OJ. And if you want more than the carafe? That’s another $12.
Keep Eggspress in mind as Richmond Brunch Weekend approaches! It’s a pretty straightforward place, but it’s delicious, fast, and there’s takeaway for the brunchers out there who may be on the go. But if you want that “almost” bottomless mimosa, remember to snag a seat!