Restaurant review-Verde Brunch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Although I've already reviewed Verde (you can read my review here), they recently started offering brunch on both Saturday and Sunday and so I definitely had to try it out. And since a brunch menu is entirely different from a dinner menu, I thought it warranted a second review.

The last time we dined there was in January, right in the heart of a Pittsburgh winter. Our most recent experience at Verde was completely different. The weather was pleasant and mild and for Pittsburgh, actually bright and sunny. (Here in Pittsburgh one comments when the sun is actually out as opposed to when it isn't.)  Although we opted to dine indoors since both D and I suffer from allergies, they did have a section of the restaurant completely open to the outside so we could still enjoy a pleasant breeze; there is also ample outdoor seating.

I had made reservations for 11 AM, right when brunch started and for the first 15-20 minutes, we were the only diners. This was surprising in comparison to when we previously dined there for dinner; we were right there when the restaurant opened at 5 PM and droves of people kept coming in. Apparently there is no such thing as too early to eat at a place as fabulous as Verde. By the end of our meal, it had filled up somewhat, although perhaps the more traditional Sunday brunch is more crowded.

The brunch menu, while not heavy on the number of offerings, is well varied ranging from eggs to breakfast sweets (pancakes and French toast), to a few vegetarian offerings. They also offer an interesting number of accompaniments including yucca chips, sweet potato hash, chips and salsa (claro que si), and guacamole.

I debated on ordering the Huevos Benedictos (Eggs Benedict), but since I always seem to order it when I dine out, I thought I should try something different. The blue corn English muffin did sound enticing though. I went with the Caballeros Pobres (Poor Men) for $10 which the menu describes as being Mexico's version of French toast. It consisted of egg-battered brioche that was stuffed with mild jalapeno cream cheese and mango marmalade and came with cinnamon infused syrup. If you thought the description sounded decadent, eating it was even more so. I usually use a small amount of syrup on things like pancakes and waffles, but the  minimal amount I did pour over my dish definitely helped in reducing the slightly spicy taste of the jalapeno cream cheese. While the portion wasn't of gigantic, brioche bread is extremely thick and when soaked in egg batter and stuffed with cream cheese, proved more than I was able to finish.

To accompany my rich entree and offset the "evils" I was doing to my body, I ordered the fruta platter for $5. The pineapple and cantaloupe were delicious; the kiwi, however was not ripe at all, although very minor in the scheme of things.

D ordered the Chilaquiles which was crisp tortilla chips, black beans, Mexican cheese and poblano cream, and a sunny side up egg for $7. I'm not at all exaggerating when I say his portion, specifically the mound of tortilla chips, was enormous. Although I had contemplated ordering it as well I opted not to and was somewhat glad after having tasted some of D's, as the cream was definitely on the spicier side. To accompany his entree, he ordered a side of tocino, house-cured, thick-sliced bacon for $4. It was not very crispy; however, it tasted as if it had been smoked which was delicious.

All in all, our second visit to Verde was fabulous, not only the food but also the inviting ambiance and the extremely pleasant and welcoming staff.