Beauty & Essex

For Mom's last full day in town - and for the fact that she has loved prior meals at B&E's sister restaurant, The Stanton Social - I had assumed that this restaurant would be a sure fire hit.  You can't beat the restaurant's sexy, gothic atmosphere - or it's incredibly head-turning eye candy - but for me, the jury's still out on this one, folks.  Aside from our server and the table attendants, I found most of the employees to be aloof, snooty, and inattentive.  The food was tasty, but definitely nothing that I would run back for.  Maybe it's me - perhaps I'm just getting older and not really enjoying the trendy, see-and-be-scene hot spots as much as I once did. 

Brunch at Beauty & Essex: le menuBrunch at Beauty & Essex: bacon/apple donutsBrunch at Beauty & Essex: Eggs BennieBrunch at Beauty & Essex: cornbread wafflesBrunch at Beauty & Essex: butterscotch pot-de-cremeAfter brunch, Mom and I walked over to Crate and Barrel and directly in to Liev Schreiber.  Literally.  Mom made a face-plant in the guy's chest.  He stepped aside, and didn't so much as wince.