Brick and Mortar Cafe

We live near the town of Albany and the restaurant scene is booming in that little town!  Brownie and I tried out Brick and Mortar Cafe downtown a few months ago to check out their famous Bloody Mary Bar on a weekend when we had no kids.  We are in love!  The Bloody Mary Bar is everything you could ever want in your Bloody Mary and trust me when I tell you that there are endless combinations and possibilities - but be careful!  You can spend a lot VERY quickly building these drinks!  Is it worth it?  Yes, the novelty is unique and the ingredients and options are awesome.  I mean, a pepperoni straw!?  Fahgeddaboutit.  But unless you're feeling wealthy, I would stick to just one and order breakfast :-)

Which brings me to Brownie's favorite item on Brick and Mortar's menu:  Chicken and Waffles.  I myself am not a fan of sweet and savory together, but Ryan simply can't get enough of this dish!  He now wants a Belgian Waffle Maker so we can play with this idea at home.  So look out for that :-)  Even though it isn't my style, it smelled amazing!  The chicken was crispy and perfectly fried and as you can see, the waffle was perfect as well.  He drizzled it all with syrup and devoured it in no time!

I ordered the Eggs Benedict and while it was delicious ... the ham was cut too thick for my taste and it overpowered the flavor of the english muffin and hollandaise, which is my favorite.  It was cooked well and plated nicely, just too much ham for me.  Someone who likes more ham flavor would LOVE the Eggs Benedict here.

We returned recently so Brownie's two boys could try the Chicken and Waffles.  They are now just as in love with it!  This menu choice just never seems to disappoint!  I tried the Salmon Lox Benedict this time and it was DELICIOUS!  A little red onion, the lemon flavor in the hollandaise .. .all went incredibly well together in each bite with the salmon.  I can't say enough good things about it!  YUM!

This time, we also chose to try their espresso over Bloody Marys.  As you can see in the photo, they make the foam lovely.  Brownie ordered a salted caramel latte and he loved it, but was VERY sweet as syrup drinks usually are.  I ordered the honey lavender latte and it was beautiful!  Good, strong coffee flavor and a hint of lavender.  

Albany has been begging for a new spin on breakfast and brunch for years and I must say, Brick and Mortar is a breath of fresh air!  We highly recommend trying it!  Be prepared for a line, this town loves this little restaurant!