The morning after our night of Hurricanes, we were in need of a big, greasy breakfast. Fortunately, Mother’s Restaurant was a few short blocks away. Mother’s claims to have the best baked ham in the world, so we joined the line that wrapped around the building around 10:00 a.m. Once inside, things got interesting. ”Hustle and bustle” is an understatement.
Nervously waiting in line. Hands in front, look straight ahead.
The line continues inside the restaurant, and when you get up to the counter you order… then your food is brought to your table when it’s ready. The ordering process is, in a word, terrifying. The drill sergeants at the registers want to know who’s next and why is it taking so long to spit out your order? I liken it to ordering a cheese steak at Pat’s. I was so relieved to finally sit down in a peaceful, separate dining room with my strong, yet delicious cup of coffee.
A sparse and industrial (and calm and quiet!) dining room/bar area.
Before our meal arrived, Papa Dish decided to order a drink from the bar seen above. THIS, my friends, was the star of the morning:
Hail, Bloody Mary!
I’ve had Bloody Mary’s before, but none as strong and spicy as this one. I think my dad had even MORE hair on his chest after he drank it! It wasn’t just spicy, though. It was FULL of flavor, and squeezing the lemon into it gave it new dimension. Between the coffee and the Bloody, we were AWAKE by the time our food arrived.
(Not green) Eggs and Ham
While ham isn’t necessarily my favorite meat, I had to see what all the fuss was about. The classic baked ham was moist and juicy… perfect next to the fluffy scrambled eggs. Add a warm, buttery biscuit with homemade raspberry preserves and I was in breakfast heaven.
Mama Dish was daring and got “grits and debris.” It was a risk worth taking! According to the Mother’s Dictionary found on the website, debris is the “roast beef that falls into the gravy while baking in the oven.” It had a pulled-pork consistency, with a beefy flavor.
If you can survive the line and the firing squad at the register, Mother’s is worth the trouble! It held me over until that evening’s dinner… we had a date with Emeril Lagasse! Or his food, at least…
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