I had a run to Sur la Table and Whole Food yesterday morning. Since Calafia is just around the corner from Sur la Table, I decided to start the outing with a simple brunch.

Compared to when I was there for lunch, it was busy! The place had a really nice buzz. Not frantic, just busy & humming along smoothly. As before I took a seat at the kitchen-facing bar. One of the best things about sitting there is that you can see various dishes being made, and see what looks intriguing for next time. Another perk is the chance to chat a bit with Chef Ayers.

This time I had OJ, coffee, and a dish called “Blue Max”. The OJ was really good, and the coffee was made to order in their Clover. Yum.

The Blue Max rocked. From the menu:

Hashbrowns topped with sautéed mushrooms and spinach with two poached eggs, melted swiss cheese and lemon hollandaise.

Here it is:

This was exactly what I was after for brunch. Just enough to keep you going for the afternoon, but not enough to slow you down. The hashbrowns had just a touch of crispness and provided a solid foundation to the dish. Fresh, slightly wilted spinach on top of that. Two wonderfully poached eggs topped with melted swiss and hollandaise. Simply brilliant.

I’ve never been a fan of poached eggs, but I figured I’d see what Calafia could do. I was not disappointed. Now I need to learn to poach eggs. OMNOMNOM

My experience at Calafia has been consistant: good service, friendly staff, great food.  I encourage you to drop in if you find yourself in Palo Alto and hungry. I know I might just make it a weekend brunch habit.