Austin's regularly bipolar weather perplexes me every morning as I open my window shades. Currently, it's grey, gloomy and "feels like" 35 degrees. Yesterday, I was working at Mozart's Coffee lakeside porch with 72-degree sunshine in a tank top (and I heard it was snowing in Memphis!). I know...I don't understand either.
To rewind a bit to this past gorgeously blissful weekend, I'll take you through my fabulous Saturday brunch at
Josephine House. It is owned by the same mastermind behind
Clarks, Jeffrey's, etc...so the bar is automatically high for a luxurious dining experience. The blue cottage personified sunshine in every gesture and detail. Our original reservation (
which we needed to book days in advance) required outdoor seating; and having experienced ice less than 48 hours beforehand, we were nervous it'd be too chilly to enjoy! Much to our disbelief, we were grateful for the patio table as we basked in the sun and sipped on
mimosas and rose pink
palomas.
The mix of breakfast and lunch (hence...brunch) items was nicely balanced due to fine ingredient choices that screamed "Spring!" The nine grain pancakes were exquisitely plated with an oozing shadow of red cherry compote and drape of créme fraîche. I loved the thinness of the short stack, which provided a light and fluffy crépe technique instead of those burly cakes at Kerbey Lane Café that take over the entire plate.
The Josephine house burger is a whopping $18, but you'll understand why once you order it. The bun is a housemade, flaky english muffin that delicately soaks up the remnants of fried egg and crunchy bacon. The harissa aioli is a nice change from typical ketchup or mustard, and the greens on top make you feel like you're kind of eating a salad? Actually no, not really. It was fantastic.
My poached egg & quinoa was a colorful palette of beets, romanesco, carrots and greens. The egg yolk held the grain together nicely without overpowering the chili glaze. I enjoyed the combination of red and white quinoa; not only did it add color, but it added an extra depth of texture and taste. The two are very different, I learned!
Make your reservation for weekend brunch, and let's hope the Austin weather matches the warmth and beauty of this restaurant's classy approach upon your arrival!
