Soak It Up: JaK's
photo by Julien Perry Chorizo benedict
Where: JaK's Grill, 4548 California Ave. S.W., 937-7809 , www.jaksgrill.com.
When: Saturday afternoon, May 2.
The Soak: On weekends, bennies are the crowd pleasers at this neighborhood steakhouse which, by first impression, draws an eclectic mix of hungover, really hungover, and haven't-gone-to-bed-yet types. I was somewhere in between.
Not being much of a pancake/French toast kind of gal, I had decided that I would order the chorizo benedict with Southwestern-style chorizo patties, poached eggs, hollandaise, and pico de gallo ($10.95). However, my date beat me to the punch, leaving me with my second choice, the Greek scramble ($9.95). I know, yawn. But this Greek scramble is perhaps, dare I say it, the best I've ever had.
photo by Julien Perry Greek scramble
I'm glad the pinch-hitter got to play, as I love a good Greek scramble. And, let's face it, ordering this dish in a steakhouse that reminds me of the restaurant in "The Great Outdoors" where John Candy polishes off the Ole 96er, my expectations were not high. To my hungry stomach's delight, the eggs were fluffy, not at all greasy, and the small amount of feta cheese made the eggs surprisingly creamy and flavorful. And instead of toast, the dish was served with warm, crispy pita points. I also paid the extra two bucks to sub potato pancakes for the usual house potatoes. Best financial decision I've made in an embarrassingly long time. I did get a couple of bites of the chorizo benedict, by the way, and it was delicious!
When we arrived, we asked to be seated at the bar. This is an important note, as it could very well dictate your brunch enjoyment. Upstairs, where they often seat brunch patrons, can only be described as some sort of holding pen. The ceiling is low, the carpet green, the window treatment sad, offering just a crack of an outside view. It's a poor man's loft that looks like it hasn't been remodeled since 1985. Downstairs is where it's happening, so try and get a bar stool or booth if you can.
Hair of the Dog: Something a lot of people don't know about JaK's is that they offer dirt-cheap breakfast cocktails. Now, I'm a sucker for a Bloody Mary, and perhaps the only thing that could possibly make the breakfast cocktail even better is a $3.25 price tag. And no, it's not watered down. If the Mary isn't your drink, there is the traditional mimosa (which also comes supersized, aka the MANmosa) and several other creative concoctions. I will be honest here. I blew nearly my entire Seattle Weekly stipend trying most of them. I have to say, I was most surprised by my attachment to the Michelada:
photo by Julien Perry Weird in a good way
It's a mix of Corona, lime, salt, worcestershire, tobasco and soy sauce. It was oddly good. But perhaps the strongest cocktail on the brunch menu is the Barron Von Grubhousen: Bud Light with a Jaeger back. What did you expect, class?
Success of the Soak: I left JaK's more wasted than I've been in weeks.
3 comment(s)
steve says:
Were you able to try the benedict? How was it?
Posted On: Friday, May. 8 2009 @ 11:59AM
Julien says:
Hi Steve!
Doh! Yes - I did get a couple of bites of the chorizo benedict (I just added it to the post). It was really good! I'm more anxious to try the crab cake benedict, though. Next time!
Posted On: Friday, May. 8 2009 @ 12:14PM
Melissa says:
I've had the Crab Benedict and it is fantastic - the crab cakes are delicate and flavorful (not too much filler) and the creamy, lemony sauce is a great counterpoint to the richness of the crab. Second the motion on the potato pancakes - they are crispy, oniony and delicious - totally worth the extra $2.
Posted On: Thursday, May. 14 2009 @ 2:03PM