If you’re from the South – like I am – there are a few things in life that you appreciate. You appreciate a seat on a cool porch in the middle of summer. You appreciate the savagery of a “bless your heart” in the face of an enemy. And you appreciate a really good biscuit.
But for those whose cast iron wear has long since rusted and whose contribution to family culinary gatherings has been restricted to ice and drinks, we have Maple Street Biscuit Company to make those much-appreciated biscuits for us. Maple Street has taken the delight of breakfast to a whole new level and we were pretty enthusiastic to get to experience it.
The first thing that the manager, Brad, brought to us is a breakfast staple that the other Maple Street locations don’t have yet – mimosas. Though their traditional mimosa is delicious, they’ve expanded the drink menu to include a seasonal one and we got to try apple cider. The new seasons will bring new mixers, ensuring that your brunch will always have something new and exciting.
After drinks, it was time to turn our attention to the food. For the breakfast/brunch purist, there are dishes like The Five and Dime that simply offers a flaky biscuit, juicy fried chicken, thick and hearty sausage gravy, and an over easy egg. It’s all the morning staples wrapped into one – the restaurant’s signature and for good reason. It gave us a chance to see the biscuits, chicken, and gravy in their unadulterated form and they passed the test with flying colors. The biscuit was light and fluffy, the chicken not over or under breaded, the gravy flavorful all on its own. Getting the breakfast foundation right was definitely a good start.
Next, they kicked up the chicken biscuit an extra notch in The Squawking Goat by adding pepper jelly and a fried goat cheese medallion. It may not be biscuits like mama used to make, but mama could probably learn a thing or two from these guys. The pepper jelly adds a bite without overwhelming the other ingredients and its heat is curtailed by the creaminess of the goat cheese and the richness of the biscuit. A personal favorite.
For those who like their morning to midday meals on the lighter side, you can dispense of the biscuit and order instead, a bowl of grits. Okay, slow down, that’s not all. These are Bluegrass grits cut with cream cheese and butter, topped with pecan wood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, chives, a sunny side up egg, and a splash of hot sauce. The cream cheese and butter give an often otherwise bland breakfast food a far more complex flavor even without the other ingredients. But bacon, eggs, hot sauce, cheese, and the rest can never steer a meal wrong. It’s a good choice for the patrons that might be overfilled by the heaviness of a biscuit and gravy.
Breakfast foods are an art that seems to be unappreciated by the food world. But they’re steeped in homemade tradition and, though they’re often simple, ought not to be overlooked. Thankfully, places like Maple Street Biscuit Company are keeping the craft alive and delectable.
Maple Street Biscuit Company is located at 39 Cordova Street. Visit them online at www.maplestreetbiscuits.com.
Photography by Brian Miller
