Unleash the Beast

It was one of those days when the stars aligned and the world stood still, in other words-destiny-that brought us to Beast (King/Tecumseth). Okay fine, it was Mildred's Temple Kitchen (Liberty Village) telling us that the wait was 45 min and my tummy telling me that was not acceptable that drove us there...but Beast was my first choice for brunch so I'm going with my former explanation. First off, its location is rather odd, surrounded by new construction, realty offices, semi-detached residences and fast food joints, so if you think you're not heading in the right direction, rest assured, you probably are. Given that it felt like -12° outside, my first order of business was to get myself a hot beverage: enter, Cream of Earl Grey tea. It even came with a timer so I would know when my tea was perfectly steeped. Brownie points Beast!

We ordered the poutine to start. If you're thinking cheese curds, fries and gravy, think again. This was fried gnocchi, braised pork, cheese curds and creme fraiche....freaking awesome right?? I love ANYTHING fried but the gnocchi took it to another level AKA the level of awesomeness!!

One glance at the menu and I knew instantly what I wanted for my main event-challah french toast topped with duck confit, cranberry mostarda, creme fraiche and maple syrup. I know at some point in my life, I'm going to be waking up in the middle of the night and craving this. The myriad of textures going on was incredible: the slight crunch of the toast, the creaminess of the cranberry/creme fraiche concoction and the chewiness of the duck just melded so well together. It was what I would imagine brunch at Buckingham Palace would be like. Decadent and divine.

Al, my life/food partner, was oohing and aahing about his main so you know I had to try some: make way for the Beastwich, which was a fried chicken thigh sitting under pimento cheese, a fried egg and smothered in pork sausage gravy, all encased in a buttermilk biscuit and served with a side of potatoes. One word I would describe this would be homey. This is definitely a meat-lovers sandwich, which is perfectly alright by me.

Oh I almost forgot, I also got the Grilled Luis Suarez Chorizo. And, yes, I got it purely for the novelty of it (for all you football fans), although I'm not sure if that's actually who it's named after. In any case, Luis Suarez isn't worth commenting on....I'm referring to the sausage (ok, fine, and the player too). It was just good-quality grilled chorizo. That food bump aside, I think Beast is a solid choice for brunch; just don't order the sausage: there you've been warned.