photo/Dan Zarin
Vendredi’s
@ Oxbow Blending & Bottling
49 Washington Ave., Portland
vendredis.myportfolio.com
What exactly is brunch?
I don’t mean literally. The simple fusion of the words “breakfast” and “lunch” is the most popular portmanteau in America, right up there with spork. I’m asking existential questions, like: 1. Does brunch have to be fancy? 2. Must poached eggs be available? And 3. Is day-drinking (especially mimosas and Bloody Marys) required?
After a recent visit to Vendredi’s, the food truck semi-permanently parked in front of Oxbow Brewing & Bottling’s tasting rooms on Washington Avenue, here are my answers: 1. no; 2. no; 3. no, but it’s recommended.
Vendredi’s has only been open a few weeks, but in that short time they’ve earned rave reviews for their smash burgers and lobster beer brats. When they announced the addition of a Sunday brunch menu, I had to check it out.
Arriving at Oxbow shortly after it opened, my wife and I had our pick of the partially shaded picnic tables. We scanned the short menu — a breakfast sandwich ($8) and a breakfast burrito ($7), both with a few upgrade options, plus a couple of those famous burgers — and placed our order at the window. Then I went inside to get drinks.
The breakfast burrito was for me; the sandwich for my wife. Both were excellent, but the sandwich was the standout.
First off, let me state for the record that the roll, from Bread & Friends, is the best bun for a burger or a breakfast sandwich in this city. Golden, fluffy, and not the least bit soggy, it was the perfect vehicle here. The egg was cooked exactly the way my wife likes it, with a just-set yolk that didn’t ooze out all over her hands. Beer-and-maple-braised bacon ($3) added a layer of craveable, salty-sweet meatiness. A slice of American cheese and a crisp, salty hashbrown provided additional texture and some extra heft.
A hashbrown also made an appearance inside my breakfast burrito, along with seasoned black beans and mashed avocado. I’m not usually a big fan of American cheese on anything other than a cheeseburger, but it also worked here; I enjoyed the way it completely melted into the soft scrambled eggs. I also liked the house salsa that came on the side, but it was mild even by Maine standards. Upon request, they gave me a small dish of hot sauce that was only slightly spicier.
I washed down my burrito with a can of Oxbow’s Surfcasting($6), a light, refreshing farmhouse ale brewed with sea salt and lime, served “Chelada style,” with a tajin rim and lime wedge. It was an ideal complement to the burrito — way better than a mimosa would have been.
Next time someone asks for a brunch recommendation, I’ll have to clarify exactly what they’re after. If it’s Eggs Benedict and an espresso martini, there are plenty of options around town. But if all they want is a late breakfast and a cold drink to wash it down, I’ll be sending them to Vendredi’s.
Vendredi’s serves brunch Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
