Brunch is the BEST, at least in my humble opinion, and finding a great bunch spot around where we live is always a fun adventure for us as a family. Why do I love brunch so much? Well, mostly because I'm not a breakfast kind of gal. I would rather have a steak at 8 a.m. than eggs and cereal. Brunch is the best of both worlds.
There's people like my oldest son who lives and breathes for breakfast food, and people like my husband, who falls somewhere in between. He's a breakfast lover, but he also loves a solid sandwich or pot pie. Then there's Jack, who really only eats pretzels, cheese and peanuts, so he really doesn't count.
Probably as long as a year ago, after a Target run out in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore, Michael suggested we grab some brunch at this place called Atwater's. I was pretty hungry and who am I to say no to a brunch suggestion? That just wouldn't be me. But I didn't know where Atwater's was, and I felt pretty silly once I realized that the space right there, right in front of Target, was a restaurant and not a jewelry store, as I had thought it was.
Yeah, I know. I'm such a weirdo, right? I really and truly thought this place I'd been driving past for so long was a place to shop for rings and necklaces and other little pretties. Maybe it's the exterior, but I really don't know WHY I was so unaware that it was a restaurant. Like I said, what a werido...
Anyway, we went in, and were seated, and ended up having a phenomenal experience. I don't remember what we ordered or any details like that, but what I do remember is the light streaming in through the windows, the delicious aromas of delicious food, and the awesome time we had. We never went back, though, for whatever reason, and that was a mistake.
So here we are, fast forward about a year, and I received an email from someone at Atwater's asking if we'd like to come on in for a meal to get a real Atwater's brunch experience. I responded enthusiastically, saying of COURSE we'd love to come in. Any excuse to get us back there is as good as any, so we planned for that Sunday for brunch. I let my tribe know what was up, and we were all eagerly waiting for the weekend to come.
Sunday arrived, and after church, we piled in the car, Canton-bound, Atwater's ready.
When we arrived, we were brought straight to our table where we started to go over the menu for brunch. There was a great mix between breakfast items and dishes more geared to lunch, and everything sounded SO goo d. They use only super fresh, and when availible, locally sourced ingredients, and I think that's what makes their menu stand out, and what, at the end, makes experiences at Atwater's great, time and time again.
Major made his selection REALLY fast from their kid's menu, the cheesy biscuit with bacon and fresh fruit, and a Maine Root Mexican Cola. I mean, YUM! It sounded amazing.
I chose a short stack of pancakes and fresh fruit, also from the kids' menu, as well as a chocolate milk for Jack.
Michael went with their Beef Cottage Pie, with tenderloin tips, onions, carrots, turnips, parsnips and cabbage topped with mashed potatoes and sage derby cheese. Another yummy-sounding selection, though I'm not a pot-pie person, it just sounded rich and decadent.He also chose the Rhubarb Vodka Lemonade, crafted with Rock Town handcrafted vodka, house-made rhubarb syrup, lemon juice and sparkling water served with a lemon twist.
As for me? I went with their Grilled Corned Beef Reuben with corned beef, saurkraut, thousand island dressing and swiss cheese on Irish brown bread. I had a really hard decision with my meal, and even made everything so awkward and when it was my turn to order, I sat there like a dummy forEVER until I was like "FINE FINE FINE, the reuben!" I seem to always order the reuben when I can't make a decision. It's always a solid choice. I love reubens. I also got some hot tea, since my throat was starting to feel a little scratchy. Boo.
While we waited for our food to be prepared, our server came by to check on us, and donned our kiddos with stickers and joy. She was so sweet and exceptional when it came to her job, and we were really happy with the service from the moment we walked in until we left after completion.
But the service wasn't the only good thing about our experience. The food was exceptional. And beautiful too.
Major's biscuit was flakey, buttery and cheesy perfection. It tasted fresh and homemade and wonderful. The bacon was cooked perfectly, and there was a ton of fruit for him to enjoy.
Jack's pancakes were fluffy, sweet and delicious. He didn't quite dig into them as I would have, or any other breathing person would have, but he's really stuck in his ways with pretzels, cheese and peanuts at the moment. But I assure you, they were delicious.
Michael really enjoyed his beef cottage pie, confirming its decadence and richness. It looked beautiful. I didn't taste it because I was too busy getting down with my reuben.
But Michael cleared his plate, and thought it was the perfect amount of food, and it seemed to really hit the spot. And that rhubarb lemonade cocktail? Oh wee! I did taste this, and it was REALLY good. It was ultra refreshing, and I loved how it wasn't super sweet. Yummy.
And my reuben, by the way, was sensational. The bread was nice and crispy from being grilled, the cheese was melty and wonderful, the thousand island was tangy and played really beautifully with the cheese and corned beef. I really enjoyed it.
After we cleared our plates, and before we left, we took some time after our meal to explore the little market area, chock full of freshly prepared breads and treats, as well as jams and jellies.
Everything looked so dang tasty, especially all the goodies in the pastry counter. I couldn't pass it up, so I made the executive decision to get some stuff to take home.
We scooped up an Orioles themed orange and black cupcake, a ginger cookie, a coconut macaroon, and by the insistent prompting from a staff member, a slice of the lemon meringue pie.
The way this guy went on and on about this pie, I mean, it had to have been made of unicorn tears, and baby giggles. I'm serious. He even said it made his Filipino mother shed a tear, saying she hasn't had a piece of lemon meringue pie as good as this since she was home in the Philippines. I mean, that's a really bold statement and quite the recommendation.
I also grabbed a bottle of locally made Gundalow Juice in Sailor's Delight, with the simple ingredients of tangerine, apple, organic raspberry, lemon and ginger. I figured the ginger would help with some of my nausea that sometimes creeps its way back into my pregnant life, and also, I wanted to see what the hubbub was concerning Gundalow, since I feel like every time I log into Instagram, I see a bottle of this stuff in a pretty setting. My turn. And it was quite delicious. I really liked it.
After dinner that night, we broke out the bag of desserts, and guess what? They were delicious. I especially liked the ginger cookie. It was moist and chewy and so yummy... But how about that lemon pie? Did it live up to the hype?
I wasn't brought to tears, and neither was Michael, but together, we polished it off with no hesitation. It was creamy, tart and sweet. I liked the meringue to custard ratio, and how very lemony the lemon custard was. The crust was sturdy and frankly, it was absolutely divine. Was it the best? Maybe not, but was it awesome? It sure was.
So, all in all? I can say with conviction that I love Atwater's. The brunch was scrumptious, and based on our first experience, as well as our latest, I know for sure, we'll be back. OH. We'll be back!
Do you want to go see for yourself? Do it! There are SIX locations to choose from all over MD, and can be found in Canton, Belvedere, Hopkins, Kenilworth, Falls Road, and Catonsville. Let me know what you think below in the comments.
