Last Monday, Charlie and I took the day off of work to do some last minute Christmas shopping and had brunch at Au Cheval. The restaurant is laid out like a diner – an open kitchen and booths along the wall.  But Au Cheval is not your ordinary diner…it’s more of an upscale diner with a European ambiance (think dimly lit).  With that in mind, Au Cheval is definitely not pretentious in terms of service and atmosphere.  Please note though, Au Cheval does not have highchairs.  So leave your baby/kids at home with the sitter or at daycare…or have your baby sit on your lap if plan to bring your toddler(s).

I’ve been to Au Cheval before and have been raving about their Bloody Mary to Charlie for some time.  I “made” Charlie order the Bloody Mary and he really enjoyed it.  He thought it was one of the best ones he’s had in a while.  The restaurant also has an extensive beer list.  The servers know their beer too, so if you have a question, just ask. You’ll get an honest and informative answer.  Au Cheval does not take reservations.  When we arrived at 11:45 AM, we were told that the wait time was 45 minutes to an hour.  So be prepared wait.  There is a small waiting area/bar immediately to the left of the entrance if you want to wait.  I think our actual wait time was 30 minutes, not bad.

I love their Bloody Marys.  The picture above is after I had taken a few sips of the cocktail and eaten most of the condiments.  Please see the last photo for the “before” picture that was taken with my iPhone.

I’ve always loved bone marrow.  My mom uses beef bones to make her pho soup.  When I was little, she would give us the beef bones to eat and would tell us the marrow was the best part.  And she was right.  It reminds me so much of the flavorful pho soup base and I find it comforting.  For brunch, I ordered roasted marrow bones, beef cheek marmalade & toast, with a side of scrambled eggs.  Combining all the pieces together on the buttery toast, it just tasted like heaven!

Charlie ordered griddled bratwurst with smashed potatoes & roasted garlic gravy.  He was happy because he finsihed the plate!

I had to take a snapshot of what was left on my plate…  I think I ate like a cavewoman that day.