March20
Today being March 20, 2018 you have very little time left to experience Limon for breakfast. But fear not, Sergio indicates that they will serve breakfast again in the fall. In the mean time, it will likely be no surprise to Limon fans, that breakfast was absolute perfection.
Since there were four of us and we have known each other for decades, we were comfortable sharing and tasting each others’ food. I had selected the Eggs Benedict Limon Style. One was closer to a traditional style and the other with smoked salmon was a decadent diversion from classic fare. Both started with English muffins and a healthy base of sautéed spinach. The “traditional” version then was stacked with salami, Italian sausage and roasted ham infused with rosemary and garlic. I could have simply had a slice of that ham with a poached egg and would have been content. Both poached eggs were fresh and perfectly prepared and the hollandaise sauce on both was absolutely sublime. The second one was stacked with silky slices of smoked salmon. Tasting one version and then having a bite of the second was the perfect combination. Even though I swore that I would never be able to eat the entire plate, eat it I did! There is no room for petite appetites when you are visiting Limon.
Our friend M is not accustomed to eating sweet offerings at breakfast but could not resist Sergio’s blitzes. The tender crepes were stuffed with both ricotta and mascarpone cheeses then surrounded by blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. The final touch was a ladle of red berry coulis. My forkful sparkled and was delightfully light. Everyone agreed and would have loved to have shared the dish as an evening’s dessert.
This enormous platter was D’s choice. Called an English-style fry up, the platter was laden with (starting at 12 o’clock and moving clock wise): sautéed Portobello mushroom strips, crispy bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, a log stack of sweet potato fries and more bacon. Holding court in the middle were two perfectly fried eggs on a piece of toast. D too was surprised by his own appetite and ate every morsel.
Our friend R selected the soufflé omelet. Now R is a guy who knows his food. He is an expert at the barbeque and I have watched him painstakingly take 20 minutes and stir scrambled eggs for six. R was the perfect person to order Sergio’s soufflé. Sergio explained to us that it took him many tries to perfect this dish. R knew this to be true and appreciated the effort. In my mind, both men know that food=love. That is why both are so exacting in their craft.
In case you didn’t know, a soufflé is a baked egg-based dish which originated in early eighteenth century France. It is made by combining egg yolks and beaten egg whites. The word soufflé is the past participle of the French verb souffler which means “to breathe” or “to puff”. Depending upon the timing of combining the eggs, the egg yolks may get tough or the entire creation may deflate or fall. Sergio’s dish was perfection and R knew it. He loved the touches of bacon-wrapped asparagus and sautéed mushrooms but it was the egg casserole that he ate with admiration and reverence.
The courtyard setting at Sergio’s is perfect under white twinkle lights in the evening, but just as lovely in the bright sunshine. Limon’s staff are always top notch and overall the breakfast experience was a microcosm of the evening one-perfect setting, perfect service and perfect food (made with love).
Kath’s quote: “Cooking is great, love is grand, but souffles fall and lovers come and go. But you can always depend on a book!”-Claudia Christian
Love never fails.