Over the Bridge: An Excursion to EJ Cabot's

They say an army travels on its stomach. On a recent Sunday, our band of intrepid eaters launched an invasion over the bridge and descended on EJ Cabot's in Beverly like a swarm of brunch-seeking locusts. Rumors of a build-your-own Bloody Mary station and gourmet omelets featured prominently in our decision to leave the comforting borders of Salem.

EJ Cabot's is on Cabot St. It's a pretty discreet doorway; we almost missed it. The bar side is fairly small, yet seats a surprising number of people. Our Patch group took over most of it. There is another dining room seperated from the bar by a partition if you want a quieter area.

The decor is understated. Large blackboard walls, brick and dark wood. The music was a touch loud for brunch but not unbearable. The staff was prompt and friendly, even after 21 of us stormed them within 30 minutes. We just kept showing up! Our group was seated mostly together. A few opted to sit at the bar, although DH, myself, and Mom were the latecomers and had to sit apart from the herd.

This was the largest showing we've had so far and I hope it continues. One of the reasons we don't make reservations is to see how a place deals with a large, unexpected group. Also, we never really know how many diners are actually going to show. Fifteen people say they're going, and only 6 show up.

EJ Cabot's serves lunch and dinner and on Sundays has a Bloody Mary brunch, which is what drew us. The brunch menu offered the usual breakfast fare such as eggs, omelets, eggs Benedict, hash, etc., but also appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees like grilled salmon.

Let's start with the brunch's namesake, the Bloody Mary bar. The build-your-own Bloody Mary starts with a very generous glass of vodka. Then you have to decide what to put in it, which might take a while given the plethora of choices laid before you. You've got tomato juice, Clamato juice, spicy tomato juice. A dozen or so different hot sauces, jerk spice, horseradish, bowls of peppers, pickles, olives, and onions. There are Slim-Jims, pretzel sticks, bacon slices, pepperoni and cheese kabobs, celery sticks, and cucumber slices. More bowls of peppers, lemons, limes, and blue cheese. Insane. I personally do not care for the drink, but those that did partake were all quite pleased with their creations.

EJ's has a full bar and beer list, and some specialty drinks for the brunch. I had the Sunrise Sipper; a mix of rum, orange juice, and triple sec. It was good, but a bit strong for my tastes (especially before noon!), however, an added shot of simple syrup made it perfect. Another special brunch offering was the raspberry-lime champagne rickey, which was light and tasty. And so pretty! Grapefruit juice, coffee & Jameson, mimosas, screwdrivers, and hot chocolate were also enjoyed. The hot cocoa was not on the menu, but the staff made one up on the fly.

Now, on to the reason we were there (other than the Bloody Marys): the food.

There was a lot to choose from, and we had a big group. Let's start with the omelets. The omelets of choice for our band were: 1) cheddar, 2) smoked salmon, 3) sausage, onion, & pepper, 4) steak, and 5) sausage. Sides included bacon, home fries, french fries, and wilted spinach. Pretty much every omelet review had the words big, fluffy, and/or perfect. The consensus was the omelets were well-filled and cooked near perfectly, a definite winner.

The home fries were generous, well seasoned, and although not as browned as I like, very flavorful. The bacon was crispy and tasty ("Hell yeah!" was one review). The one order of dry toast unfortunately came with butter, whoops. But who cares when there's bacon?

Other egg options chosen included eggs Benedict (with steak and salmon), poached (with hash) and fried (over medium, also with hash). The two gentlemen who got the hash both commented on how good it was. "Outstanding" and "Loved it!" was said. The poached eggs were lovely and near perfect. The eggs Benedict were a hit as well. Beautifully poached eggs on an English muffin, with a light coating of hollandaise sauce. The salmon was melt-in-your-mouth smooth, and the steak cooked perfectly, although it was felt the cut was a wee bit tough.

Two of our ladies went for the Croque Madam, a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped a fried egg and white sauce. One of them noted the sandwich was "a treasure!" and the sauce was "perfect".

The banana almond french toast looked fantastic; thick bread slices piled high with sliced bananas, powdered sugar and whipped cream, but sadly it had a burnt bottom. The reviewer left a sad face on her sheet which kind of says it all.

Salmon crostini was also ordered. A "post-modern, deconstructed salmon omelet" is how our dear reviewer described it. Toast points, smoked salmon, and egg topped with capers and crème fraîche. It looked fantastic, the salmon was "shockingly good", and overall it had a good balance of ingredients.

Finally, the single breakaway from the breakfast club was my mom who ordered the grilled salmon entree. It was a beautiful piece of fish, with a large portion of mixed veg (summer squash, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and red pepper). The salmon was tender and moist and the veg fresh, colorful, and sautéed to just the right texture. Lovely.

The eggs, and other ingredients, are locally sourced. If you've never had farm-fresh eggs (any fresher they'd still be in the chicken), you don't know what you're missing. They're just "more" of what's yummy about eggs. The use of local ingredients definitely makes a difference. The eggs alone are worth it. I know, I keep going on about the eggs, but our whole group raved about them.

We also have to give kudos to the staff. Having such a large group suddenly arrive surely tested their patience and their kitchen. There was a brief deer-in-headlights look before they rallied. The service was prompt and friendly, without being intrusive or overly chatty. Half our reviewers used the words excellent and fantastic regarding the service. Considering how we rather overwhelmed them, they really stepped up.

The food also arrived surprisingly quickly for such a large amount of orders, without looking or tasting as though it had been rushed. Bravo to the kitchen crew!

The atmosphere is relaxed, casual-classy. Dark wood and brick set the tone, but with large windows to let in the light. It's a rather narrow, linear set up, yet open and airy feeling. "A brighter version of an English pub," said one reviewer. "Comfortable/easy," "Warm environment," and "Friendly" were oft repeated comments. Most of the group said they'd come back. I know DH and I want to check out their lunch and dinner menus.

So, we stormed Beverly, had a great time, ate some incredibly tasty food, met some new people, and went home sated and ready for a nap. Totally worth the trip over the bridge.