Breakfast From The Liquor Cabinet

There isn't much new that could surprise me when it comes to breakfast and I would probably eat 99.9% of what is placed in front of me. You see breakfast in my eyes is just that good and a trip to Columbus' Brewery District Banana Bean Cafe at 340 Greenlawn Avenue last weekend proved it.

Banana Bean Cafe: http://www.bananabeancafe.com/

Christine and I met up with a good friend for brunch and we were lucky to find the place not quite as busy as you might think for the time of the year (a spring with decent weather tends to bring the Central Ohio masses out of hibernation) . Wanting to test the waters with something other than the usual coffee, Christine and I order a Bloody Mary. Our waitress lit up like a street light at dusk as she told us we were in for a treat: their signature Bacon Bloody Mary. Wha...!? A BACON Bloody Mary!

As surprised as we were to hear the good news, no...make that GREAT news, we continued to review the menu and didn't really think any more of it. When it arrived moments later....we had misjudged Banana Bean Cafe's uniqueness. We had more than a potent mid-morning/afternoon refresher, we had three meals and a cocktail in one! This baby came exactly how the menu described it, but better: A Sassy "Mary’nade" with a Garnish of lemon, lime, pepperoncini, cherry peppers, kosher pickle, & a crisp rasher of corn cob smoked bacon; with Grey Goose Vodka.

It was like someone had fertilized a Bloody Mary and it paid you back with various garden veggies, fruit and fried pork! Digging into the spicy concoction soothed my need to satisfy my hunger, basic human nutrition and a good swift kick in the ass! Each draw from the small tree of goodness allowed the mix of sweet, tart, hot and satisfaction to slide down the back of my throat; leaving behind a wonderful texture to be savored until the next round.

Ladies and Gentleman....we had a small meal before we even dared to order an actual dish of some kind. I finished off the small garden and was sucking the remaining drops at the bottom of my glass and clinging to the ice cubes by the time brunch arrived. It made my meal that much better!

I can't say I was in the mood for Banana Bean's unique fusion of Florida Keys, Cuban, Jamaican, and Caribbean Cuisines, but I'm willing to try anything.

Lucky enough the food was equally as satisfying. I had the Keys Poacher which includes: Smoked Salmon, Poached Eggs atop Fresh Baked Biscuits, served with creamy goat cheese grits. Christine dug into the Huey, Louis, Andouille. The eatery explains is as an: Omlette with Roasted Vegetables, Andouille Sausage, and Manchego. Our partner in crime on this day, Joy, order the Bananas Foster French Toast which is Garnished with Fresh Berries of the Season and Captain Morgan Rum Sauce. All three items turned out well and made our Saturday better than we could have asked for. The atmosphere was just as good as we sat next to the fireplace that chilly morning.

I think we would have had a more than decent meal last weekend even if we had not ordered that wonderful veggie, fruit, pork, spicy, liquor mixture...though I'm glad I did. I have new appreciation for bacon because of it!

You can get your Bacon Blood Mary fix and other unique Banana Bean Cafe items at the Greenlawn location or in German Village a 410 East Whittier Street.