Today’s food venture was truly a union of both eating and sport. After a yoga class at Wild Lotus (in which Rachel, Dana, Jolie, and I were instructed at one point to stick our butts out, like at the club) we hungrily headed downtown on Magazine St. to Surrey’s Café & Juice Bar. I didn’t say anything at the time, but I had my misgivings about Surrey’s. Sure they had wheatgrass shots and Banana’s Foster Pancakes, but breakfast for $10? Surrey’s, you had a lot to prove to me. However, I am happy to report that this was the best meal I have eaten all summer.
Despite a small crowd outside the door, we didn’t have to wait more than fifteen minutes before being ushered into this colorful local spot situated in a stately old house (you know its for real when signs in the bathroom ask you to respect the 100 year old plumbing).
We were directed to “the table top with the 50’s kitchen décor” by our server. I was quite taken by a mannequin in a beaded pointy bra surrounded by plastic fruit and reclining in a hammock suspended above the bathroom door. Dana made the astute observation that it would suck to work at Surrey's, it is tiny and you had to wait for someone to walk down the single aisle between two rows of tables before attempting to traverse the length of the restaurant yourself.
I got an apricot iced green tea ($2), which was good…but basically just iced tea. I hesitated for a while before ordering, wavering between my safety breakfast of migas ($7) or the more adventurous shrimp and grits (a whopping $12.50). I figured that I would be daring and do the shrimp grits (plus I knew I would have to take a picture with my chosen dish). Best decision I’ve made in a long time. First of all, I didn’t know that grits could be that creamy. As for the barbequed shrimp sauce- superb, I don’t know how much butter was involved in the production of my meal, however the sauce was seasoned to utter perfection. I did salt it and throw in some Tabasco, but if you’ve ever dined with me, this is a pretty standard routine. The shrimp were fresh and large. The whole thing was garnished with crispy bacon and some slices of French bread, both items perfect for dipping. The whole deal was topped with a sprig from what I will assume to be a Christmas tree. In sum, I would recommend this spot to anyone who wouldn’t mind shelling out a little more cash for a truly excellent New Orleans breakfast. *Warning! This place is cash only, so be prepared.
RACHEL:I had intentions of getting something "healthy" at surreys, but
failed once I saw they had banana pancakes on the menu. So I ordered the "big banana pancake" with pecans as an add in. The other options for extras were peanut butter and cream cheese, all three of which were an extra $1.25. Since banana pecan pancakes are one of my favorite foods in the world, I chose the pecans, though I imagine peanut butter would be pretty darn good as well. When it came out, it was literally the size of a pizza. It covered an entire plate that was at least one foot in diameter. I covered it in syrup and dug in. It was thick, doughy and sweet and the bananas tasted nearly caramelized. I was a little skeptical to pay 7.50 for ONE pancake (including pecans), but the size and the taste made it worth while. I ate a little more than half of it, and brought the rest home...which I ate as an afternoon "snack"!! Since Surrey's is a juice bar I also ordered one of their fresh juices. I got carrot/apple juice, which you won't like unless you really like carrots (which I do, and the addition of the apple sweetens it and makes it more drinkable). It was good, but at the price of $5.00, I wish I would have gotten more. I also wish it would have been colder. As far as I know, all they do is pass the fruits/vegetables through a juicer, so I don't see why it is so expensive. A shot of wheatgrass is an extra $3.00, so I passed that up, no matter how healthy it is for you.
DANA: I started off with an iced coffee which was good but make sure you specify if you want milk with your coffee as I was served just black coffee on ice. For my meal, I went back and forth between getting french toast or the migas, but in the end the migas description won me over- "lightly scrambled eggs sauteed with red onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes folded into grated cheddar cheese and corn tortilla chips, served with pico de gallo" I chose the biscuit and hashbrowns to go with it (the other options were toast and grits). DELICIOUS. The eggs were fluffy and full of flavor from the onions, peppers, and tomatoes. The portions were big and the biscuit homemade- perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I wouldn't exactly call the hasbrowns hasbrowns- they were more like potato wedges than the traditional grated kind, but were well seasoned and tasty especially with the side of sour cream I ordered (extra $1.00).
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