I had been craving quiche for WEEKS! I understand this may be a strange thing to crave, but quiche is one of those foods that I had forgotten existed for a while. Once I was reminded of it, however, everything had changed. I looked everywhere, high and low, for a quiche that satisfied my taste palate, but I was wasting my time.
Meanwhile, my best friend, Deanna, and I had been having a rather rough start to the new year, so we decided to treat ourselves to brunch at a restaurant called First Watch, down the street from where we live. I had been there once before with a couple of friends on a very busy Sunday morning, but this time was different. Although I had thoroughly enjoyed the first time with my friends, being here with Deanna on a Friday, when the restaurant wasn't as crowded and we didn't feel as rushed, was like a dream come true.
The hostess at the front greeted us with a big smile and seated us immediately at a table for two toward the back. As we walked through, the smells of the fresh food mixed with the modern rustic aesthetic made me feel a warmth that I hadn't felt in a while; I felt relaxed. Our waitress joined us soon after the hostess left and she took our drink orders: water and coffee for both of us.
Our new friend came back to the table with a large glass milk jug of water, which fit the aesthetic and vibe of the place very nicely, as well as two mugs of coffee that smelled fresh. I'm really not sure how else to describe it but fresh. Not long after, Deanna and I looked at our menus and at the top was their slogan, "Yeah, It's Fresh". That's when we knew we were in the right place.
Both of us have had our fair share of struggles with eating healthy but Deanna had been extra dedicated and disciplined for weeks so seeing all the healthy options brought a big smile to her face. Similarly, I am a huge fan of healthy foods, but for a slightly different reason. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with a health condition that brings about a plethora of health issues when I eat too much gluten, dairy, and sugar. After completely abstaining from all three of those triggers for 9 months or so, my symptoms had subsided. Upon easing myself back into a normal diet, symptoms began to return and I had to watch what I ate again.
Over the last three years, I have gone on and off of this diet in hopes that one day I can be completely rid of this condition. Unfortunately, right before this brunch, my symptoms returned and I decided that the following Monday, I would return to my former gluten, dairy, and sugar-free lifestyle. So this was it. This was my chance to eat the food that I wanted without too much fear for the consequences.
About 45 seconds into reading the menu, I saw it. The Smoked Salmon and Roasted Vegetable Frittata. I had never had a frittata before, but Deanna told me that it was like a crustless quiche and I was SOLD. I had never ordered something with so much gusto and so much hope for the delicious meal that I was about to have.
Deanna and I spent about 15 minutes thinking, talking, and laughing about life, a normal way for us to spend our time together, when the food arrived. My perfect meal was placed in front of me and I could hardly wait to dig in.
After a sip of my delicious coffee, I cut and took the first bite out of my crustless quiche!
Underwhelmed.
Where was my salmon? Where were the veggies? I had taken a bite of just egg with some sour cream on top and I was unimpressed.
Was this my worst nightmare? Had I ordered the wrong thing? What was going on? So many questions, but I had to keep it together!
The waitress came back asking, "how is everything?" To which Deanna and I both responded, "amazing!" But I was lying. Inside I wanted to yell, this wasn't what I was expected, but I kept my composure and pressed on with fortitude.
I proceeded to cut and take my second bite. BINGO! There it was, the magical mixture of tastes I had been dying to feel dance across my taste buds! The egg and cheese kept the taste grounded, while the salmon and tomato gave the frittata a burst of juice and flavor that I had never experienced before.
Formidable does not even begin to describe the disk of salmon, tomato, cheese and shallot-infused egg that laid in front of me on that miraculous Friday morning. Although intimidating at first, the dish held its own with a mixture of bold flavors and textures. This large piece of heaven on my plate played a major role in what was one of the best mornings I had had in a very long time.
