pretty sweets

a buffet brunch is never a proper test of a kitchen's talents--it's basic fare (breakfast sausages, mini flapjacks, a tray of shiny pink lox, cold and warm salads, an omelette station, a carving station, assorted breads and breakfast pastries...). you always hope for surprises under silver warming trays, but usually the surprise is that a dish can survive well those swampy conditions. there is something to be said, though, for having many opportunities to fill clean plates and satisfy multiple cravings.

i'll tell you what i liked at brasserie 8 1/2--the brussels sprouts salad, the roasted cauliflower salad, and the creamy polenta with truffle oil. and they make a very good brioche. but the buffet was really a big tease--thin strips of lean beef swam in a zing-less barbeque sauce; bountiful shrimp cocktail, in a silver bowl as big as my bathroom sink, were undersized and various shades of over/under cooked pink and grey. the sweet crepe, made to order, with slices of strawberries, bananas, and chocolate sauce and finished with orange liqueur was a gloppy mess.

the desserts were good and sweet, but maybe more decadent for the eyes...i did have fun taking these photos.

all photos © anita aguilar