Brunch Review: 10 Italian Cafe
On the quest to get Cazey food before he might experience his first hangover (can we really all just pause here and sulk in the fact that this kid NEVER gets hungover?), we decided to go to Weezie's Kitchen. Then we got to Weezie's and said hell no when we saw the line and crowd. We decided to then head west like our ancestors (just kidding, my ancestors didn't head west, nor do I actually know if we were heading west (Cazey's insertion: We were heading west)) and thought maybe we'd see if Water Coastal (or East Coast Provisions as they like to be called now) has brunch.
As we headed in that direction, our roommate Liz, who will eventually be featured in a blog post entitled "Living with Liz," said, "I've always wanted to go there!" And pointed to a corner restaurant with a patio. So, we went to the corner restaurant.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the cute chalkboard menu, which is also digitally reflected in that they don't have their menu online. It's so trendy they transcend current societal norms. I could barely read the menu because apparently my eyesight without my glasses is pitiful, but I saw a panini with smoked salmon and artichoke dip so I stopped reading and picked that with a medium (but not medium because they have Starbucks-style sizing except a grande is their true large) iced coffee.
Cazey ordered scrambled eggs with gorgonzola cheese and pesto mixed in, which came plated with fancy bacon (called prosiciutto) and long, thin bread strips (focaccia). He, too, got an iced coffee, but with a splash of soy milk. Liz, who picked the restaurant, just ordered a cafe au lait.
Since it was a warm and sunny January day, we decided to sit outside. I'm not kidding, it was a warm and sunny January day so we sat outside. As we sipped on the coffee waiting for our food, we noted how good the coffee was while reminiscing about that time Cazey got kicked off the dance floor. Oh wait, that was the night before.
Cazey tried to avoid watching videos of his dancing by Instagramming the patio and eavesdropping on his neighbors, or actually not because they were speaking Italian. He also kept commenting on how European the whole cafe felt.
Soon our food arrived, and I went straight to eating my mixed green salads as Cazey ridiculed my current dieting efforts (which have been pathetic this weekend, as I expected). Take that Cazey; I ate something green. Then I moved on to my sandwich and then passed it around the table for Cazey and Liz to try (obviously in exchange for a bite (or two; it ended up being two)) of his eggs.
I really enjoyed his eggs. They looked a little gross since they were a bit green from the pesto, but I was wildly impressed with how simply excellent they were. If this is what Dr. Seuss was referencing in Green Eggs and Ham, I think he was really onto something.
I also really loved the panini I got. The bread was super crispy, which made my carb-loving heart melt. The salmon tasted like salmon, which was paired wonderfully with artichoke dip. I had never considered those two together, but now I can't quite imagine a bagel and lox without it. Despite being on the lunch menu, the panini was perfect for brunch.
To top off a perfectly light, yet refined brunch, a precious little pup came and sat down next to us on the bench as the perfect cherry on the day. Cazey also recommends visiting the restroom and decorating your own accordingly.