Dueling Brunches at Smith and 22 Doors
Capitol Hill is brunch central, and god help us, we love it so. Besides Monsoon (mmm BBQ pork buns) and Kingfish (mmm French creole eggtorte) on 19th, there's Coastal Kitchen (mmm always crowded), 22 Doors, and Smith on 15th.
We hadn't ever tried brunch at 22 Doors because of a longstanding feud with them, but they were highly recommended by a competitor, so we popped in. It was Saturday, say, 10:30 a.m. No lines (unlike Coastal Kitchen). We got a table right away. The brunch menu is classic American brunch: we had the eggs benedict (or were they florentine? Oh no, that's what it was--they were normally on a crab cake, and we substituted an English muffin). The eggs were cooked perfectly, the sauce light, not too soupy.
Sunday we thought we'd do a follow-up, but at 10:30 a.m. (the traditional brunching hour), there was a line to be seated at 22 Doors. We continued on down the block to drop in on Smith's brunch. We'd been there at the brunch launch, and weren't that impressed with the eclectic (Scotch-egged) menu. It's been updated though, and now it too is classic American, with an omelette, potato fritatta, biscuits and (pork) gravy, and eggs and potatoes. (Okay, there is a grilled Gruyere and onion jam sandwich.) Also, they have a half-dozen cinnamon dusted doughnut holes for slightly less than $1/hole.
The gravy for the biscuits and gravy was a little clear for our tastes, showing off the slightly pink pork bits nestled in its gelatinous embrace, but the cinnamon doughnut holes sealed the deal. Also, Smith is positively cavernous--it takes real crowds to fill that place up--so keep it in mind as a perennial plan B.
