Food: ***
Service: ***
Ambiance: *****
Value: ***
Looking for a pleasant place to enjoy a leisurely Sunday lunch break with a killer view and patrons you will at least recognize, if not know? Look no further, it is all available at Bryan's Bar and Grill on the Northside. Simply take the Hull Bay Road down the side of the mountain for a couple of miles to the airy Frenchie building on the right hand side of the road with a dozen parking places on the road and a half dozen more in the lot below the restaurant.
I began my repast with my favorite Sunday libation — good ole Bloody Mary. Now there are many ways to fix a Bloody Mary, mine was potent.
Really I enjoy the flavor of the tomato juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and Dill; more than the actual vodka. In fact, I will accept a Bloody made with Bullion and Clamato; spiked with rum, gin, tequila, or simply raw alcohol. The real test is how well the combination flavors the ice. A really successful drink calls for two ice refills, and takes a good half-hour to sip. Bryan's Bar uses those awful small plastic throwaway cups, and a decent shot of liquor leaves very little room for any type of mix.
Order the steak and eggs and you get a good-sized portion of creamy scrambled eggs and a nice piece of steak. The bagel and smoked salmon is just that, nothing more or less. The omelets were just fine, and I very much doubt anyone could go wrong with any item. My salmon quesadilla was most interesting with a couple of crepes pressed together with salmon, guacamole, and cheese pressed in between. The potatoes were inordinately good, and rounded out the meal well.
While the food is good, the building is large and airy, and there is a spacious deck for those who desire to optimize the enjoyment of our environment; Bryan's most notable feature is the view. Miniature islands and the Atlantic Ocean are a tough act to beat and Bryan's offers one of the better restaurant views on the island. A drink, lunch, or dinner; all seem just a little bit more enjoyable when taken on the deck at Bryan's.
Editor's note: The Tottering Taster is a Senior Citizen dedicated to enjoying good food. He will dine in local establishments a week and bring you a totally unsolicited assessment biased in favor of an ultimate experience. We are using a pseudonym so restaurateurs will not be able to identify the reviewer and try to influence the review.
