Aquitaine

Sunday = brunch day, so yesterday I decided to try Aquitaine with a few friends. Located in the South End, it's only a few streets away from the Buttery - which is actually how I first noticed it. The exterior is dark and sleek, and although the interior was intended to be a casual "bistro style," the overall atmosphere is not quite scrubs-attire-friendly (although they're far from having an enforced dress-code).

Their dinner menu has French-inspired entrees, but the brunch menu is pretty typical.

We started off with some fresh cinnamon buns, which were smaller and lighter than the ones offered at Mistral.

Here is what Aquitaine had to offer:

As a comparison, here is a link to the Instagram picture of what I got last time I visited Mistral:
http://instagr.am/p/Sdm3O1zBTV/


Alex and I each chose the Salmon Benedict: smoked salmon with Hollandaise and chives, as well as a side of brunch potatoes (i.e home fries)

 (I asked for avocado with my Benedict)

Ameeka ordered the (vegetarian) Benedict Provencal - served with avocado, tomato, Hollandaise sauce, and side of brunch potatoes. The tomatoes basically stand in place of where the ham (in normal Eggs Benedict) or salmon (in the case of smoked salmon Benedict) would be:

Charity opted for an omelet with side of  whole wheat toast and (again) the brunch potatoes:

Posted on the wall directly opposite from our table was a large chalk-board with a list of "Today's Dessert Offerings." Included on this list was a warm chocolate cake, apple tart with vanilla ice cream, sorbet, chocolate mousse, profiteroles with vanilla ice cream, and most importantly - crispy chocolate bread pudding. We spent most of brunch in anticipation of the opportunity to try those delicious-sounding desserts, only to have our waiter burst our bubble at the last minute.

As we were preparing to order dessert, he informed us that the list we had spent the last hour staring at was indeed only offered during dinner time. The brunch dessert selection was much more limited: we could choose between three items - Crème Brulée, Sorbet Du Jour, or the Chocolate Mousse. That killed my enthusiasm for sure (I obviously had my eye on the crispy chocolate bread pudding), and almost everyone else's too.

Alex ended up ordering the Crème Brulée though, and it was reportedly pretty yummy (I forgot to snap a picture because I was having an internal temper tantrum about being denied the bread pudding)

Overall rating: 7/10

Aquitaine
569 Tremont Street 
Boston, MA 02118