The Holy Crab (Brunch Menu)

Once an overlooked part of the menu that only existed by default, Brunch has become the thing to do on weekends (or any day of the week at some spots).  Sure, we can do Dim Sum or early morning Pho, but it appears that everyone is getting in on the action these days.  All the chain restaurants are on board and there are many independent options around town.  In terms of originality, that gets a bit more sparse as we find the usual 2 eggs with choice of meat, hashbrowns and toast as well as the classic eggs benny.  Trying to offer something a bit different, The Holy Crab is set to launch their brunch service on Saturday, November 30th.  I was given a sneak peak recently where they definitely put a Southern twist on the usual brunch menu.

Case in point, their Egg Bennies included such options as Blackened Catfish and The Holy Crab Cake.  Other than the different proteins offered (which also included smoked salmon and lobster klaws), the Hollandaise was Cajun-spiced.  Hence, there was definitely a smoky kick to dish.  I found the Hollandaise to be very rich and creamy with a smooth consistency.  All of the eggs were perfectly poached where they were super delicate and burst with a runny yolk on contact.  There was a choice of either English muffin or biscuit as the base of the benny.  I found the biscuit to be a little too dense for the concoction as it added even more heaviness to an already decadent dish.  As for the proteins, the catfish was flaky and moist where the blackening spices were apparent and impactful.  The crab cake was a little dense, but had a crispy exterior with fluffy crab.  On the side, we found crispy red potatoes and a salad.

The most interesting option on the menu was surprisingly the Toast Boards.  For $14.00, one could chose 2 of them to go with a side of black bean, corn and wild rice salad.  The Shrimp & Egg was loaded with cold-water crunchy shrimp tossed in a cajun-spiced mayo topped with soft-boiled egg segments.  This was all about the shrimp texture and spice contrasting the crunchy toast.   Straight-foward in construction, the Smoked Salmon featured cream cheese, capers, shallots and fresh dill.  Classic combination with buttery salmon with the saltiness of the capers and creaminess of the cheese.  My favourite was the Truffled Scrambled Eggs as it was silky smooth and barely cooked through with lots of earthiness and a touch of spice.  This was served atop fried tempura tempeh which offered crunch and heartiness.  Last one was the Vegetarian with avocado, cherry tomatoes, alfafa sprouts and radish.  Again, this was straight-forward except for the tempeh underneath.

There was a vegetarian-option on the menu consisting of poached eggs and Cajun Hollandaise on pan-seared artichoke hearts atop creamed spinach.  Named the Egg Sardou, this was indeed vegetarian, but also one of the heaviest offerings of the bunch.  Consistent with the eggs bennies, the Hollandaise was creamy and spicy while the eggs were super soft poached.  What made it extra rich was the creamed spinach.  It was really thick and despite being mild-tasting, it would not be easy for one person to finish.  Continuing on the theme of heavy, we had the Breakfast Poutine sporting shrimp and snow crab claws atop Cajun-spiced fries along with legit cheese curds, house-made gravy and a fried egg.  Since they had a base of their addictive crunchy and spicy fries, the poutine already was good from the start.  The crunchiness of the fries ensured they could stand up to the mild-gravy and runny egg.  

One of my favourite items was the Southern Fried Chicken and Pancakes for $14.00.  This was a considerable amount of food where the 3 cornmeal buttermilk pancakes were fluffy and substantial at the same time.  Fried until super crunchy and in a dark golden hue, the chicken thigh was juicy and moist with a touch of Cajun spice.  The combination of salty spiciness combined with the syrup made the dish even more appetizing.  Our last dish was the Grilled Cheese (also available with shrimp or lobster for $3.00 and $6.00 more) served with Seafood Chowder.  Constructed with a blend of mozzarella and cheddar, the sandwich was crunchy with plenty of melted goodness inside.  I would definitely add a seafood to give it more body and texture.  The side of somewhat thick chowder was full of seafood and was mild-tasting with a minor taste of the sea.  Overall, I thought the brunch items were pretty good and well-priced.  It also didn't hurt they were not shy in adding some spice too.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Something different
- Spice added to most dishes
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Heavy, if you care
- Biscuit too dense for my liking