LOCAL: Sunday Brunch at &grain

Recently, E and I have been trying to eat at a new (to us) place every weekend. While we love our favorites (I am looking at you Ani Ramen and Arturo’s), it is always fun to explore. This past weekend we decided to do brunch at &grain in Garwood, New Jersey. It is located a few towns over from where we live and is conveniently located across the street from a HUGE ShopRite. I checked out the &grain menu online and I knew there were several items that looked good. I was most excited to try their coffee on Nitro! When we arrived, &grain was bustling with people. Families, couples, singles. Everyone was represented. It was so nice to see!

We found a table and plopped ourselves down. E and I made our selections and I went to the counter to order. I ordered the apple baguette with a Nitro coffee, while E ordered a chipotle chicken sandwich. I could have sworn he would order the chicken pesto, but he was intrigued by the chipotle. Thankfully, &grain did not disappoint!

Before returning to the table, they poured the coffee on Nitro. It literally looked like they were pouring me a Guinness. It settled into the glass the way a Guinness would. It was so interesting to watch. Over the next minute or so, the coffee got darker and darker. It was SO COOL! The coffee actually had a much lighter taste then your typical brew. I wish I had a tap of that &grain nitro coffee at my house every day!

Within a few minutes our sandwiches were ready and were delivered to our table. We couldn’t wait to dig in! The baguette on my sandwich was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I loved that the apple still had a little bite to it. It was tart but not overwhelmingly so. The creaminess of the brie really complemented the apple. It was delicious! If I had one critique it would be that I wanted a little more brie. The cheese to apple ratio was a little off.

E really loved the just right amount of heat from the chipotle with the smokiness of the gouda cheese. The fresh ciabatta had a nice crunch and the chicken was cooked to perfection. All in all, I would say we were very pleased with our order. I even ordered a corn muffin to go! It was the perfect post brunch snack. More carbs please.

I can’t wait to go back and try their avocado toast!

&grain, 700 North Ave, Garwood, NJ 07027