We're Back! And We Had Brunch!

It has been TOO LONG since our last blog post, y'all. However, after we published our last post, work owned us as we went through the hell that is the start of a new academic year. And the start of this particular school year and the subsequent weeks thereafter came with some extra stress for both of us. But now that the dust has settled a bit, we are finally back! In late September, we met up for some brunch fun at Kitchen Cray Cafe. The restaurant is located in a business park in Lanham, MD, which is not too far from Greenbelt, Bowie, College Park, and Largo. There is ample free parking in the office complex, so if you are traveling here on your way to and/or from work, parking shouldn't be a problem at all. The first thing we smelled after we parked was delicious food--if you can smell the food from outside of the restaurant, that's usually a sign that it's going to be amazing.

Similar to other smaller, new restaurants, the decor at Kitchen Cray Cafe is simple yet welcoming. We went to brunch on a Thursday, and much to our surprise the restaurant was packed! There were at least 30+ other people at full tables for brunch, and we all brought our appetites. In addition, there was a steady stream of folks who visited just to grab food to-go. If you are curious about the owner and master chef, James Robinson, follow him on Instagram where he posts amazing pictures of his amazing brunches and meals. His posts are what initially attracted us to this restaurant and adventure. Speaking of the food, the menu has ample amounts of seafood, Southern fare, healthy options, and decadent specials of the day. If you visit Kitchen Cray Cafe with someone, you should be able to find something on the menu for everyone.

We came to brunch hungry and definitely bit off more than we could chew--thank goodness for to-go boxes! To start our meal, we ordered the Shrimp and Aged Cheddar Grits to share as an appetizer. Kitchen Cray Cafe's Shrimp and Aged Cheddar Grits is a staple on their breakfast menu, but on this day they were featuring the dish as a "daily special" with crab and lobster added to it. When our server described this special to us, we just knew we had to have it. The appetizer was a massive bowl of hominy grits topped with butter, cheddar cheese, lobster, jumbo lump crab meat, turkey sausage, and shrimp. Every single element in this dish was outstanding. We may have sang a little song while we devoured it, as this dish propels Southern and Creole flavors into a new stratosphere! It was hands down one of the best shrimp and grits dishes we've ever had. This a great option to share with up to three people if you are so inclined. After eating this dish, we both realized we would need carryout boxes.

For our entrees, Damien ordered the Short Rib Brisket Hash and Eggs and Simone got the Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich. Fried chicken tenders over coleslaw on a toasted bun is a simplistic way to construct a fried chicken sandwich, but this sandwich was truly delicious. The chicken was seasoned and fried to perfection, and the homemade coleslaw was tasty and complimented the chicken well. Simone's only critiques would be the fact that they put butter pickles on the sandwich and it did not come with a sauce. Butter pickles are a sworn enemy of Simone (gross!), and while our gracious server offered Simone a side of barbecue sauce, it would have been a perfect sandwich if it featured some kind of an aioli. Simone chose a side salad to accompany the sandwich, which was simple and refreshing. The Short Rib Brisket Hash and Eggs was a yummy entree. Kitchen Cray Cafe braises the short rib for this dish for over 6 hours, and the first bite proved just why that cooking technique made this an incredible meal. The short rib was wonderfully juicy, tender, and flavorful. Add onto that perfectly cooked eggs (Damien chose to have his eggs scrambled with cheese) and well-seasoned potatoes and you've got yourself an amazing dish. It was divine.

Overall, we would give Kitchen Cray Cafe a 5 out of 5. There aren't a ton of places in Prince George's County in Maryland that are unique and offer quite as delightful of a menu. Hopefully, Kitchen Cray Cafe is part of a trend of non-chain restaurants making their way to the county. The food here is superb and the staff is wonderful--they seemed to know everyone which was apparent from the hugs, handshakes, and laughter we witnessed while we were at brunch. We cannot wait to come back here again, try their new specials, and see what's next! Until next time---which we promise will be sooner rather than later---enjoy a great meal soon!