NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

You might consider it dumb luck, that a neighborhood watering hole—perhaps best known for its unshakable allegiance to local cover bands—happens to prepare some of the tastiest brunch selections in town.

But offering up those signature creations all weekend long would suggest the folks at Clarendon Grill are actually full-fledged geniuses.

The core menu features about a half-dozen specialty omelets (seafood, chicken, garden, Mediterranean, western, build-your-own) plus a number of breakfast classics tweaked for the modern gourmand.

The stunning Carolina crab hash scatters nuggets of tender crab mixed with potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and onions around a pair of hollandaise covered eggs parked atop toast rounds (glorious). A well-constructed egg sandwich—which one dining companion swears may be the best breakfast sandwich ever made, anywhere—slides eggs, ham, onions, peppers and provolone into a toasted potato roll slathered with spicy mayonnaise. For a Latin take on traditional biscuits and gravy, try an open-faced sandwich of fried chorizo and egg draped across a pair of sweet corn squares covered in country gravy. Or tear into an order of huevos rancheros bearing scrambled eggs smothered with cheese, tomatoes and onions, then poured over home fries.