A Truly Savory Experience in the South!

If you ever find yourself somewhere between the OC (Orange County, CA) and San Diego... Note to self... make it a point to stop over in a small town called Encinitas, CA... for the simple purpose of having a fantastic meal... but not just food... a dining experience... in a very unlikely location. Take a quaint bistro in a strip mall, throw in a very cheerful staff and a Paris trained chef... And VOILA... You have Savory Casual Fare! A delicious little bistro that calls itself casual. It’s adorable, really, but more importantly, in its simplicity, it is just delicious... in sight, sound and taste!

On a beautifully crisp and easy Sunday morning... on our way back to Orange County from a stay over in San Diego, our stopover in Encinitas turned out to be a new favorite way to spend a lazy weekend morning. Brunch at Savory is brunch unlike anything that you have ever experienced, no joke. I have never been a fan of huge buffets for two reasons: first, you overeat small portions of many selections, not really having the opportunity to savor just one or two things... and secondly, serving yourself, in my opinion, takes away from the dining experience and relishing in the company at your table because everyone is too busy going back and forth for more... exhausting, really!! But for all you brunch lovers... I have the perfect antidote... SAVORY!

A simple spread in the bar area is the beginning of your brunch experience. There were some mini croissants and mini puff pastries for the bread portion of the meal. There were the charcuteries (fresh cold cuts/cured meats), cheese plates, fresh fruits, baked fruits (this was a fruit bake), an assortment of green salads, pasta salads, and finally a freshly made egg-white frittata. Take a look at the pictures... The spread was simple, but perfect… simply lovely!!

I must make special mention about the croissants. On many an occasion, I have made a joke about how one can become a Croissant “snob” of sorts after having experienced the croissants in Paris! There is a je ne sais quoi about all Parisian pastries... especially the croissants! Just a quick aside about those Parisian croissants. They disintegrate upon touching your lips... a perfect fusion of butter and flour... unlike any other in existence... (ahh... my mouth is watering just getting present to all things Paris!)... Anyway... I must say what my lips have not uttered before... the croissants smelled and tasted peculiarly like those of Paris... only to find out that the chef at Savory is Paris-trained... and the croissants were freshly baked on the premises that morning... yes, just for brunch!! Wouldn’t you know it!! I would return just for those flaky, buttery croissants!

So that was the beginning of the meal!! You also have the opportunity to order a hot entrée... This is what made this brunch particularly special... you had the opportunity to sample the specialties from the kitchen, but they were made to order and served to you at your table by their warm and friendly servers! There were about eight entrees to choose from, not an easy choice... after much deliberation, our choices were finally a Goat Cheese and Granny Smith Apple quiche and a savory vegetarian crepe which was served with a tomato puree sauce on top.

The quiche was a masterpiece of flavors... perfect texture and flavor... flaky crust... simply delicious! The tartness of the green apples gave this entrée a brightness and splash of flavor! For all quiche lovers... a must try!

 The crepe was just amazing... it was filled with kombucha squash, red cabbage, spinach and chanterelle mushrooms... it was topped with Swiss cheese and a tomato puree. I am a huge fan of crepes, all varieties, really... and though from time to time savory crepes are topped with a sauce of sorts, I must say that the tomato puree in this case, was totally unnecessary for my taste. It made the crepe seem like more of an Italian dish, and not being a big fan of thick sauces... I would have preferred the dish sans the sauce. On the other hand, I thought that maybe a cilantro or fresh herb/citrus infused sauce might have brightened up the dish more, it also might have brought out the flavors of the delicious fresh vegetables in the crepe. All in all, the choice of fresh grilled veggies was perfect. I would; however, order it next time with the sauce on the side or no sauce at all.

 I highly recommend this perfect little bistro (despite the tomato sauce!)... just a hiccup, really! The quality of the food is amazing and the value ($23.00 p/p for brunch) is deliciously easy on the wallet!

I highly encourage all my OC friends to go for that relaxing drive on Sunday morning and stop over in Encinitas for this fantastic brunch... it's truly a treat! I can’t wait to return and try their dinner menu, which I have heard is wonderful. We were also told by our awesome and adorable server Bobby that they serve a proper tea service complete with sandwiches, scones, the works... all freshly made for you (requires advanced reservations with the restaurant!).

Visit them at: www.savorycasualfare.com

Savory is located at: 267 North El Camino Real, Encinitas, CA 92024

Bon appetite mes amis!!!