The weekend before Thanksgiving, I had the pleasure of going to brunch with a long-time friend of mine, Adam. I met Adam when I first began my career in hospitality, where he was my supervisor. We became great friends, and have continued our friendship past our careers in hotels (though he still dreams of owning his own!). We realized it had been at LEAST six months since we last hung out, so we decided to go to brunch! So, I recommended Michael's Cafe! Ironically, when we both worked at the Sheraton, we always recommended this cute local restaurant to guests for their great dinner/crab cakes.
Prelude: Off the top of my head, I would say I have been here three times for brunch... however, when I think of it, I have been here a total of five times! Interesting how the mind works! I have been here for lunch once, dinner once, and brunch three times! This restaurant is on York Road and is beautiful on the inside and out! It used to be a small bar (Fairgrounds Inn) in its early days, but then was bought and turned into a restaurant! In fact, my father was the one to initially redesign/ reconstruct it :) It has been through a few redesigns since then and is simply beautiful.
It has a pretty dining room with dark wood accents and red upholstery. There are booths all around, and white clothed tables in the middle. In addition, there is a little "garden room" (as I like to call it) in the back that has a pretty tiled floor and is lightened by a wall of windows. It overlooks the outdoor patio, which has wrought iron tables and chairs, and even a fire pit.
When I went my first time, it was with my friend from high school and we sat in the bar for lunch. I ordered their special for the day which was a Salmon BLT. It was the first time I ever tried one, and have loved them ever since! My second time was for dinner and we sat in the dining room. I believe I ordered the Chicken Marsala with Calamari as an appetizer. I simply remember us loving the food and thinking that the restaurant was a hidden gem in Timonium! (As I am writing this, I remembered that I had actually come here once before when I was in ninth grade for dinner with a family friend! I believe I ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo... this is weird! So six times total!)
Anywho... so for Brunch, I came here with my Godson and cousins for the first time a few years ago. I had seen their banner that they were now serving brunch and I wanted to try it! My cousin (thankfully) wanted to share something, so we ordered the Classic Eggs Benedict and the Creme Brulee French Toast (we wanted something both salty and sweet!). They were the perfect combination! The Eggs Benedict were cooked perfectly, with a picture-perfect ooze when they were cut! The English muffins were huge and the ham was cooked on the skillet and was delicious. Their hollandaise sauce was perfectly tangy and creamy! On the side, they served fried potatoes, which were seasoned nicely! The Creme Brulee French Toast acted as my dessert. I didn't expect them to use standard sliced bread (I am used to thicker cuts for french toast) and the serving was smaller than expected as well. It was served with a choice of meat on the side. However, it was delicious and serving was fine after the huge Eggs Benedict! It actually tasted like it was dipped in Creme Brulee, with a crunchy outside! Yum-o!
Other meals ordered were the Filet Benedict, Chipped Beef (huge serving on thick toast), Breakfast Sandwich sampler (three decent-sized sandwiches) and the Kids Platter. Everyone enjoyed their food and the service was great! Also, prices were very reasonable considering serving sizes!
When I went with my friend Adam, I ordered the Fried Green Tomato Benedict (who wouldn't?! "Two poached eggs over jumbo lump crab meat, and Gruyere cheese on top of a toasted English muffin with Old Bay Hollandaise Sauce served with ultimate fried potatoes"). It was delicious! The crab lumps were actually big... I couldn't even finish it! Adam ordered the Chipped Beef and finished his off too :) The service was great, once again, and we weren't rushed to leave our table.
Since it is a hidden secret, don't stress over reservations; I have never had to wait. Unfortunately, their entire Brunch Menu is not listed online, so expect more options when you go in! However, definitely try Michael's Cafe. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
http://michaelscafe.com/index.cfm?page=news&newsID=22
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