3/1/14 - Mayfield in Crown Heights

So originally I was going into panic mode and making a list of all the unlimited booze brunches I needed to hit when the news that they became illegal came out. And then New York pulled a New York, and said 'nope, just kidding.' So that no longer became a crazy priority and I was free to return to the point of this blog; To enjoy good brunches. And Mayfield in crown heights didn't disappoint.

View of the crowded restaurant

The Mayfield is a very popular spot it seems, even in the restaurant rich Franklin Avenue. My buddy and I arrived at 1 PM on Saturday and had a half hour wait. Thankfully they take your name and number and give you a call to say your table is ready, so no worrying about losing your spot. We were shown to a high table in the back with a good view of the action in the kitchen. The decor is rather simple. Brick motif, some small pieces of art on the walls, just straight forward but nice. Not overpowering in any way or distracting.


 The menu is deep and varied, with a mixture of riffs on brunch classics and tasty lunch options. Items included Corned Beef Tongue Hash (which I almost got), Dry Aged Steak & Eggs, and Challah French Toast. With my view of the kitchen I noticed that a lot of people were ordering the Shredded Kale Salad, so that might be something to try in the future too. I opted for a Maple BLT and a Bloody Mary, my buddy got the Burger. I also got us a spoonbread to try, since that's not something commonly seen in this part of the country.

Bloody Mary

The bloody mary was very tasty, though a little small. It was served in a lowball glass, filled to the brim. The overall drink was more savory than spicy, and didn't taste like vodka at all (though it was definitely in there). It came garnished with olives and a lime, and rimmed with a hot spice mixture that when sipped added a whole new dimension to the drink. Overall, it was good, and so I wound up having two.

Berkshire Maple BLT

My BLT was served on a small french demi that was pressed down. The balance of tangy mayo, lettuce, sweet tomato and salty bacon was nice, though I do wish it had a little more bacon on it. Overall, it was pretty good, but not in the top tier of BLTs I've had. The maple was present but only because I knew to look for it.

The BLT and burger both came served with a figurative mountain of hand cut fries on the side. They were salty and crispy and really good. On top of that it came with a side of standard Heinz ketchup (I saw a guy refilling a ketchup bottle) and a side of remoulade. The fries dipped in the spicy remoulade were amazing and definitely a nice touch.

Burger

My buddy's burger looked unbelievably delicious. It came covered in gooey, melty cheese, topped with sauteed mushrooms and the regular fixins and served with sweet bread and butter pickles, and placed on a toasted brioche bun. I watched as he ate it, and it dripped with delicious meat juice, the sign of a well made hamburger in my opinion. I got a small bite of it at the end, and it was meaty, savory and had a nice amount of char from the flat top. I'd definitely order that in the future.

The spoonbread, for those that don't know, is kind of like a mixture between a corn meal souffle and a bread pudding. It's a little savory and a little sweet, with a nice crispy texture on top that carries through the rest of the dish.

Service at Mayfield was great, from the moment we stepped in the door and put our names down to the second we left. I've said in my young blogging career before, excellent service can really make a meal much better. And this is definitely a case where the service added a little extra punch to an already good meal. Again, only thing I wished was that there was unlimited drinks.

Overall, Mayfield was pretty delicious. Good service, good food, and a great menu, I'd definitely recommend the place. I wish the BLT was baconier (that is a word!) and the bloody could have been bigger but those are just small knocks on an otherwise great brunch. Four out of Five Bloody Marys.