When to go to Craigie on Main

We love Craigie on Main, but dining there usually requires planning. I mean yes, you could make a spontaneous decision to turn up in Central Square one evening, but you'd better be ready either to make intimate, elbowy new friends at the bar or wait an hour for a table.

And then today, we had a revelation: brunch.

(I know; some of you are all like, Well duh! And I'm like, okay, I get it.)

Brunch at Craigie means the same attention to detail, creativity, freshness and richness — oh, and cocktails — and a much better chance of being able to walk in the door and get a table.

(At this point I should add a disclaimer: we did go the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Occupancy at other times may vary. Call ahead.)

So what did we have?

First, a doughnut. There, I said it. Fresh warm doughnut, glazed with sugar, on a pool of confiture de lait (aka dulce de leche). As an appetizer.



And to make it totally healthy, a nice side of macerated fruit salad with yogurt.



It was hard to choose an entree; organic white grits with baconed-up greens and rock shrimp? Buttermilk pancakes with huckleberries? Omelette with house-made merguez and feta?

Okay, it really wasn't that difficult. There were two immediate winners.

The Boy went for the house-brined corned beef and tongue hash, which was deep and rich and fantastic.



And I had the house-made "dimanche" sausage with buttermilk biscuit and a poached egg.



Lordy, just uploading the photos makes my mouth water. The sausage had a satisfying, addictive pâté-like texture, and the flavor was subtle and complex, with lovely dark hints (possibly liver).

Whoever makes the sausage at Craigie is a god among men.

The biscuit was fluffy, with a slightly crisp crust, perfect for soaking up egg yolk.



Sadly, we were too full for dessert. I was also intrigued by the side dishes, especially the coriander and cashew granola and the grilled pork belly. (Yes, pork belly as a side dish. Would you ever go back to bacon after that?)

But now we know we have much better odds of getting a table at Craigie on Main on a Sunday afternoon, I suspect I'll get to check them out soon.