Cook It!: Breakfast In Brighton

For those moments when fruit and granola simply will not do

I love breakfast, it’s one of the most varied feasts of the day and comes in so many varieties. Of late my weekday breakfast has come in the form of a Nutribullet fruit and veg drink, and I am really enjoying that. But the truth is that when push comes to shove I still love a good old fashioned fry up.
Brighton is a pretty good place to find breakfast but with one rather hefty complaint – please do not offer me a breakfast menu when you only open for business after 9am. Too many places offer a decent breakfast but not at the time of day when I want or need to eat it. Get real and call it brunch please to avoid any confusion.
Last week two dear friends were in town and suggested that we meet up for a late breakfast on the Sunday morning. I suggested an Indian brunch at Curry Leaf Cafe but that was knocked out of court as Mrs D has a thing about poached eggs.

I scratched my head and then remembered how good breakfast used to be at Hove Kitchen. The eggs there were always of the best quality. Of course Hove kitchen changed hands and then disappeared to be re-born. I’ve not been as yet, having been put off in the interim period by the worst coffee I have ever been served.
The owner of Hove Kitchen, Ben, has now opened Avenue in Church Road and, given a recent dinner and an excellent Saturday brunch, I felt confident that it would be a good choice.
We met at 10.30, I was a little early and settled in with a truly excellent double shot latte. When Mr & Mrs D arrived we perused the menu and I am glad to say all chose different items. Mrs D had the eggs Benedict, no surprise and an opportunity for me to show off my egg choosing credentials and I am pleased to report that Ben still sells fabulously good eggs, good ham and perfect hollandaise too. Mrs D was impressed.
Mr D went for the full English, no surprises there and it too impressed. I applaud the inclusion of Heinz beans and especially as they come in a dish so the juices do not run everywhere. I’m not a baked bean fan but if I do have them then I want my own Boston baked beans, several hours in the making so a rare treat, or Heinz. Mr D likes his HP sauce too and apologised for dribbling it across the plate and not putting a puddle on the side of the plate each to their own Mr D. He also added a slice of Stornaway black pudding and prompted me to do the same, even though it was not a natural side to my buttermilk pancakes with rips bacon and maple syrup.

What a triumph those pancakes were too, you could really taste the sour edge of the buttermilk, the bacon was perfectly cooked and plentiful and there was more than enough syrup, served in a small jug on the side. Avenue delivers a tip top breakfast to start the day for sure.
Sometimes all I want though is a coffee and a bacon or sausage butty. A few days later I happened to be in the Lanes early for a meeting. Wandering around I happened on a fashionable new restaurant that deals in breakfast dishes. I was peckish and took a look, but ran away when I saw the prices. Peckish was not going to make me part with that sort of money, no matter how trendy it is. I resorted to an old favourite, a tiny cafe in Regents arcade that does a decent sausage butty, good coffee and delightful service and all for sensible money. They have papers too, a rare treat for me these days. There’s no pretence, they do what they do and do it well and I love that. I still like my coffee from Small Batch but my last food there was disappointing, a very dry croque monsieur sadly, especially as I normally enjoy their food, but the coffee is great. If you want a decent fry-up then head over to New England House where the cafe does a great job for a good price and the service is a delight. After being there for so many years I will miss that.
Avenue, 65 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2BD 01273739742
www.avenuehove.com