El Greco

I often overlook El Greco when I'm brainstorming for restaurants in the area, just because it's located really randomly by this strip mall on Broadway... but never you mind... it's a great spot and not really "Broadway-ish" at all.

Important: They do breakfast/brunch starting early at 9am... all three days in the weekend! Not only on Saturday/Sunday! Sometimes a girl just wants brunch on a Friday and let me tell you, it can be a challenge. And not only this, but their breakfast foods are so freaking good. Eggs benedict with creamy tomato hollandaise served on little fried bacon-corncakes ... uh, yes please. Really, really delicious omelets are a HUGE amount of food. Surprisingly awesome french toast is super thick and buttery. Plus some of the creamiest, more savory breakfast potatoes ever... I haven't tasted anything that wasn't outstanding.

AND: some of the best bloody mary's EVER! They're really huge and spicy and made with Absolut Peppar... and only $6.50 if my memory serves me correctly.

The service is informal, cheerful, fast... never a bad time.

This spring El Greco is changing its name to "Cafe 219" or "Spot 219" or something involving the number 219 after their address... and they're overhauling their menu. But I hear they're keeping their stellar breakfasts and lots of the favorite dinner items. Check it out!

Looks like I'm not alone in overlooking this hideaway for the last couple years that I've been on "The Hill": Hana Sushi? Check. Charlie's? Check. New pho hole-in-the-wall in the very back of the Alley? Check. Unassuming but elegant Greek joint I've walked past time after time? Whoops!

Pretty limited (breakfast) menu, but what they have is scrumptious. Vita coffee (just on the underside of timely on the refills), fresh-squoze grapefruit juice, perfectly fried eggs and potatoes, thick-sliced bacon and toast = Yum! A little spendy, just like every other b-fast place on "The Hill". Next time I'll be checking out the Absolute Peppar Bloody Mary, so stay tuned.

The first time I came here I had a total 5 star experience. The wait was not very long even on a Sunday for brunch. Our server was totally cute and sweet and the food was excellent! I was totally impressed and was surprised that I always just walked right past this place.

Now, the second time I came here, I was super disappointed. Having such a great time before I expected to have a great time again. The wait was really long. But, that is to be expected on Capitol Hill at noon for brunch. Not having anywhere to sit or hang out, we kinda just wandered around on Broadway and ended up at the bead store because we were so bored.

When we finally got seated, the guy at the front gave us our menu and was really nice and cute as a button! Unforunately, he was not our server.

Some lady that either was PMSing or was having a bad day was our server. She was the definition of curt. I realize she was busy, but she was slower than molasses in January. I waited more than 5 minutes to get my cup of coffee (when the machine was literally an arms length away from me). Maybe she had to brew more, I thought, so I let it go.

The food actually came pretty quickly. Well, compared to how slow everything else was taking. Our water ran out and didn't get refilled for several minutes. Luckily, I had coffee to quench my thirst. But, the other person at the table wasn't so lucky.

Since we were famished, we ate quickly. But, it seemed like it took an hour to get our check. While we were waiting for our check, the table next to us left...then the table got bussed... then it got sat again... then the new people ordered drinks...then they got their drinks... and then they ordered their food - and that's about when we got the check. I kept trying to get our server's attention, but she refused to look in my direction and it was a different server that was taking care of the table next to us.

THEN, after waiting and waiting for the check, I had to wait for her to come back for my card!! I quickly pulled out my card and made it noticeable at the end of the table. We waited a few minutes....waited some more....put on our jackets...then got so annoyed that the less patient person at the table got up and stood at the cash register....since our server wasn't around, some other server took the card and said she'd take care of it....so, we waited some more for them to swipe the card....and finally after what was probably 20 minutes, we had paid! UGH!

I don't think I hate anything more than waiting a ridiculously long time to pay for my food....oh wait, yes I do....waiting a ridiculously long time to pay for my food after having bitchy service. I seriously think that our server grunted when I said thank you!!

Although my second visit wasn't as great as my first, I'll probably be back and hope that I get a better service. I do like this place and really enjoy their food. They offer great food at Glo's prices, though unfortunately, some of their employees have adopted Glo's service standards as well.

Update 10/8/07: Ended up at El Greco again for brunch. Wait was still a bit long, service was better, but still curt. Coffee and water was refilled more quickly than before. But, also, we had come a bit later than the previous visit. The food is sooooo good. The server seemed fairly amused and annoyed when I substituted a couple things on my breakfast - however, she still obilged. The french toast was some of the best I've had. It really is my favorite brunch spot on the hill. Just beware of the wait and the service - but really where can you go for brunch on the hill on Sunday with happy, friendly servers and no wait?

OK, OK I'm big enough to admit that my original three star rating was wrong. I can't deny that my first trip was less than fantastic -- the short ribs were cloyingly sweet, the gorgonzola souffl tasted like yesterday's baguette, and the gnocchi were charred. But I went back and no faster than you could say "tomato jam" was I drunk on Stacey's saucy wit and a house-cured bresaola. (Stacey is one of the owners and woo boy does she know her stuff.)

Farmers' plate was creamy st. andre cheese, pinkish pork belly pate shot through with diced herbs, a glossy slice of balsamic fig jelly, and tomato jam. Now lets get down to business on this tomato jam folks. They start with a shallot reduction, add roasted tomatoes, puree till smooth, and sweeten it off with mirin. Shallots, tomatoes, and mirin are inexplicably perfect together! All sweet with a savory punch. Graham VL is right that the bread is just an excuse to transport yet more cheese and tomato jam into your mouth. (Coming 1/18/08 they'll have house cured pork jowl and bone marrow butter on this plate. Um, bring it on.)

Greek salad was good for winter season - crescents of crisp pepper, cucumber, and tomato topped with a loose crumbling of feta. Lamb chops with date-mint pesto (see Grahams review) and roasted root vegetable tart crashed on a wave of lemon/garlic/rosemary. Too much going on perhaps. Vegetable tart, or hash as it turned out, was roasted (on verge of caramelized) root vegetables, crisped into a delicious patty.

And for your sweet tooth, the cylinder of chocolate cake was elevated by one of the most authentic caramel sauces I've ever tasted. Flecked with real vanilla bean, it sang to us of bygone days of soda jerks, poodle skirts, and retro innocence.

Retro innocence, will you lead me back for the pork jowl and bone marrow butter?

The girl with the wrong trousers pulled them down and showed her friends her new hip-bone tattoo, adding a strange minor chord to a humming evening. But, meh. This is what you get on Capitol Hill. And if it hadn't been so otherwise serene and all adult-feeling in the restaurant, we probably wouldn't even have noticed.

El Greco is really a 3.5-star place. On the one hand, the good things about it are very good. But you'll want to temper some expectations early on. First, don't go expecting to see Greek food, just because it's called El Greco. No moussaka, spanakopita, or dolmades here. (Hummus they got.) Second, don't expect a lot of selection or a cheap meal. And, third, don't expect strong drinks.

This last point kinda sums up the whole experience; because, while my much-anticipated Absolut Peppar Bloody Mary had excellent body and taste, it was notably weak. Tongue happy: inner lush decidedly embittered.

Bottom line: Check your expectations just a bit and you'll be thrilled with this place.

Oh brunch, how I adore thee. Eggs a-scrambled and poached and tumbled with cheeses and veggies and deliciousness; coffee with sweet things and syrupy carby smotherings. I take my breakfast food pretty seriously- can ya tell?

I ventured in here for the first time ever (I can't believe it's taken me so long!) this morning and was pleasantly surprised to discover a new favorite breakfast place. My avocado pepperjack omelette was just how I like it- cooked to perfection and full of tasty herbs and veggies (topped with cilantro, a really delicious touch) and my sister's egg sandwich with arugula and bacon was seriously crave~able. The Vita coffee was made with skill and the service was extra friendly. All of this combined with a cozy, intimate atmosphere nestled in the heart of the Broadway bustle makes me a believer in the goodness of El Greco. I can't comment on the rest of their menu, but I will definitely be back for their weekend brunch!

Disclaimer: I'm reviewing this place solely based on the Brunch I had there. So this review should be taken as such.

I've been on this Eggs Benedict kick lately and naturally when I met some friends for brunch at El Greco, I opted for their Eggs Benedict. I found myself pondering the philosophical question: "Is Eggs Benedict still Eggs Benedict without Hollandaise and English muffin?" This is the case at El Greco where instead, they use a mushroom tomato sauce and the eggs are over a bed of hashed potatoes.

I have to say I was skeptical on their unique take but it won me over in no time. As a brunch place, this is pretty good since it's much less crowded than some of the other establishments. Plus who knew that yam fries were so helpful for overcoming hangovers :-)

I've given el Greco three tries, all for weekend brunch. The first time, out ticket got lost and our food took over 1/2 an hour to show up. We received complementary coffee cake, but I was annoyed. The menu in the window also was out of date, and the 2 items I had picked out had disappeared from sight. Sigh.
Since our food that did finally arrive was tasty, I decided to go again. There was less of a crowd, our server was friendly, and the food came. I had a prosciutto, arugula, and cheese sandwich which was very nice. I was happy to have a side salad with it and not some greasy potatoes, but the dressing on the salad could have been more interesting.
Dinner could be nice, but to be honest i'll probably just stick to their brunch.

El Greco is a fantastic place with an amazing atmosphere. The food is quality, and very affordable.

The owner's are an amazing duo, and wish every restaurant had the caring and concern that they do for their customers.

Pssst...pass it on. You will be glad you did.

Go for brunch and sit outside so you can people watch. They make some of the best hummus and sweet potato fries around.