QUENCHed

My idea of Mother's Day means doing exactly and only what I want "Cause I'm the Mama that's why".  I don't mean to sound ungrateful but I have suffered through my share of poorly executed breakfast eggs by a thoughtful wunderkind who doesn't even eat eggs much less know how to prepare them to put either of us through that anymore.  So for the last half dozen years or so, it has become a tradition that my BFF, Sandy, and I spend Mother's Day without the kids. That way we enjoy a great meal where we don't have to consider immature, finicky palates nor food allergies (both of us have offspring with shellfish/fish intolerances), nor eye rolling teens peeping our bar tab like they are AA sponsors.  We've had more laughs than food as a sextet at the Melting Pot when half the Moms were appalled that we basically paid to cook our own meals; thought we were in the company of whirling meat dervishes, albeit a studly group, at Fogo de Chao; and explored the virtues of vegan cuisine among our eatventures. 

Well over a year ago, I came across a post on the blog "Bitches who Brunch" mentioning a restaurant in Rockville, MD called QUENCH. Well the Bitches sang the praises of their chicken and waffles as well as their cocktails. Since I'm a brunch loving gurl all the more if it is NOT a buffet but they had me at the description of the cocktails. (I haven't posted in way too long but during hiatus I crossed one off the bucket list by taking a bartending course and working last football season as a bartender, more like beertender but I can at least pour a perfect black and tan!)  So I consider myself an aspiring bartender and am thus happy to try almost any ones liquid inspiration. I was determined to get my face in the place but time and  dining opportunities passed without setting eyes on the place. While it would occasionally be top of mind for me, most of my dining companions are neither happy go lucky drivers nor adventurous eaters that is except Sandy.  If I find the activity especially of the liquid spirited variety, she'll happily drive.

So as I often do in each mid-March I reminded her that we needed to find a place for our Mom's Day celebration and give her my suggestions and wait for her concurrence or additional venues. But this year I mentioned QUENCH and nothing else. She was game. Even in late March we couldn't get reservations for that day, as restaurants go it's a very small place, so we decided that a Saturday celebration would suffice. She was driving to Philly later that day to pick her eldest Wunderkind up from college for summer break so she needed the actual day off to rest this year anyway.

I decided going in I was not leaving having had less than two cocktails and decided to start with the  the Hemingway daiquiri.  Well Sir Ernie is as famous for his love of liquor as he is for writing and true to its nameske they don't hold back on the booze in this one.  I'm a big gurl and pretty much have and two and half drink limit anyway but a solitary Hemingway had me swooning up until about 15 minutes before we left. Sandy got the Sex in the suburbs, a prissy pinkish thing with the delightful sweetness of orgeat, and Mom (it was her day too) had the bottomless Mimosa though she definitely left some dollars on the table with that one.  

On to the main event, Sandy got the hot mess grits bowl because she avoids gluten and it looked tasty topped with chunks of bacon. Anyway both Mom and I both got the chicken and waffles which the blog raved about. It was the first time I've EVER seen my Mom eat a waffle!!! The wunderkind is a chicken and waffles afficionado and though they look good I rarely indulge though truly do love a good waffle/pancake. At Quench, not only do you get chicken and waffles but it also comes with a side of mac 'n cheese and the chicken is served on a bed of sauteed spring veggies (asaparagus, peas, etc) the summer menu offers fried green tomatoes instead - oh and they serve the waffles with tabasco butter and maple bourbon syrup.  Talk about a WONDERFUL meal.  Honestly the waffles were so tasty and light, I could have just had another stack and nothing else. 

Chicken 'n waffles 'n BACON!

I ordered a side of bacon for us to share. I love bacon (it's one of three foods that seriously make me rethink if becoming a vegetarian should be on my bucket list (the others being lobster and and burgers - none of which I eat on on weekly basis?!) Anyway, the minute I saw how thick that bacon was, easily 1/3 inch, I said to myself "it's going back to the kitchen - they must be crazy". Well, that bacon was so crazy good and definitely the best I have ever had!  It was neither greasy nor crispy but somehow still perfect. I loved cutting it and eating like steak.  

Since May, I've been back twice and enjoyed it just as well both times - once for dinner when we indulged in little girl (melon) balls martinis, 3 ways of bacon (one brown sugar glazed, another sriracha) and short ribs served with a polenta as smooth and comforting as any mashed potatoes. And then for brunch again to let the wunderkind relish the chicken & waffles - which she agreed were awesome. I don't know when I'll get back there as it is a haul and I've used up all 3 of my Groupons (offered once a year when I managed to scoop a couple up before my first visit).  It was my "gotta try" place for so long not much else has gotten my attention, but now that my interest and palate has been sufficiently QUENCHed, the search begins anew...