The Bug Crashes the Brunchers’ Birthday

I’ve been thrilled to be a part of Boston Brunchers ever since my first brunch at the Bristol Lounge. (Where I was newly pregnant and had no idea. Whoops!) As you can see from this picture, our relationship has been going for a while now.

21 weeks

I was really excited to go to the Brunchers’ 1st birthday party at Island Creek Oyster Bar. I’d never been, but I know they are a sister restaurant to Eastern Standard, which I love. So sign me up!

But then it turned out Eric would have to work. And we were sitter-less. I only had two options. Bring the Bug or stay home.

It was a tough call. I am not the type to take my kid somewhere they haven’t been invited. But it was the Brunchers. So he came.

We got to ride in on the train with Eric and then said goodbye to make the last part of the trip ourselves. Here is proof that I am really bad at phone self-pics. There’s got to be an easier way.

Also, apparently, proof that I needed darker lipstick.

We were, to make matters worse, the last to arrive. Our organizer, Renee, had been kind enough to confirm with the restaurant that I could have Graham in a highchair at the end of one of our tables. There had been a place set for me, but someone was in it. Luckily there was still one seat left right on an end.

The Bug was pretty good. Of course, I’d come heavily armed with provisions. Fruity Cheerios, a train, an airplane, an apple. The biggest problem with this plan was that I spent all the time I would normally spend taking pictures placating the Bug. So I don’t even have a picture of my food! Shame on me.

For some amazing pictures of Island Creek Oyster Bar and our brunch, I’d recommend you head over to RecipeCan. Especially because she got a picture of the wall made of oyster shells, which I loved.

I wasn’t able to have one of the real cocktails, but I did opt for a virgin Bloody Mary, which was quite tasty. I haven’t had a bad Bloody Mary yet with the Brunchers, even though they’ve all been unique at each restaurant. My meal was the Baked Beans with a fried egg and slab bacon. I know it doesn’t sound very brunch-y, but I’m not much for seafood (though the lobster rolls have been enthusiastically reviewed by other brunchers) and I almost always take savory over sweet for brunch, so this was my best choice.

And it was definitely tasty, even if it was different. The thick chunks of bacon in the beans were a real highlight. And there was a perfect runny egg on top. Always big points for a perfect runny egg. If you don’t get the beans there as an entree, definitely keep them in mind as a side.

I have to admit, my favorite part of brunch was the pastry basket. By the time I came ours had been picked at but there were plenty of bits and pieces left. I don’t know which was which, but I know they all tasted amazing. I pretty much cleaned it out. Seriously, you must order it for your table. Coffee cake, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and not the kind of stuff you see in the continental breakfast line. I’m talking the really good buttery croissants. You definitely want it.

As for the Bug, he was not much for the food. But the staff, who were all very quick and gracious, brought him bowls of raisins to keep him happy. They definitely worked.

He made it through pretty well. I took him around to say hi to some of my favorite brunchers. He wasn’t so interested in the people as going outside and getting back on the train. There was one tantrum, settled outdoors, quickly followed by raisins. So all in all, nice work on the Bug’s part.

I wish I hadn’t been so preoccupied so I could have met more people. Especially when I looked down the table and saw this.

Yes, my first Twitter Celebrity sighting. Tom, aka BostonTweet. He only has 40,000+ followers and seems to have made an actual career out of going around town, eating amazing food and tweeting about it. Where do I sign up for this???

You can bet BostonTweet took a good picture of brunch.

A fried egg over a mound of baked beans, with a slab of bacon, for the #BdayBrunch at Island Creek Oyster Bar. Oh my! http://t.co/hp1RqlNN

October 16, 2011 11:37 am via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@BostonTweet

BostonTweet

I admit, I was more than a little sad when I found out the seat originally saved for me was right across from him. Although I’m not sure what kind of impression I would have made with all the trains and raisins and such. We did manage a little hello in our rounds. But the kid lacked my enthusiasm and insisted we go outside instead. I doubt I managed even an awkward goodbye, thus ruining my 1st impression with BostonTweet, who will surely never bring me on as his apprentice now.

Brunch was great, but it made me appreciate how much I enjoy going to brunch WITHOUT the Bug. Bruncher meetups are like a little time machine back to being young and carefree and childless. (Enjoy it while you can, fellow Brunchers!!) I don’t really have a group of girlfriends to have brunch with, and this group has done a great job of filling the void.

Meanwhile, it was still a great meal and a lovely event, a wonderful way to celebrate our growing group and all of Renee’s hard work.

Oh, and did I mention how amazing the gift bags were?? (Seriously, guys! The new Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook was in there!!! How pumped am I??)

Thanks for having me, fellow brunchers, and thanks for tolerating the Bug’s tiny but loud presence. We certainly enjoyed being there.

And to make sure I emphasize the Bug’s good behavior, he sat through another meal out later that evening when a friend of mine was visiting from out of town. He did great once again, though he was doing even better once he got his hands on the pay-at-the-table machine. Wow, did he like that.

Thanks to the Boston Brunchers and Island Creek Oyster Bar for hosting brunch, which was provided to me free of charge. Also thanks to the many generous sponsors who donated prizes and/or goody bag gifts! For more reviews, see the Boston Brunchers site. 

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