brunch (n): a socially acceptable excuse for drinking champagne in the morning.
Example: Brunch without champagne is just a sad breakfast.
Who else agrees that Saturday mornings were made for mimosas and brunch? San Diego is known for outdoor dining and day drinking by the beach. Greg and I wanted to class it up for brunch this past week, so we paid a visit to JRDN at Tower 23 in Pacific Beach. The weather could not have been more perfect. It was sunny and 78 with the coolest of ocean breezes to moderate our temps. JRDN is known for delicious food, good wine, delicious AM cocktails, and beautiful beach views. You can build your own mimosa or simply rely on your waiter/waitress to recommend a good wine…. PS Order the Languedoc Rosé. You can thank me later. The ambiance is modern meets beach chic. Mimosas and wine flowed all around us as friends gathered for a little hair of the dog!
Surround yourself with good food, not negativity
Regardless of your hungover state, the brunch menu here will give you new life! If you’re like me, champagne is a must for brunch! Not only did we get a good deal on champagne splits, but it was freakin’ Moët & Chandon – one of my favorite champagne producers. Moët & Chandon NV Brut is recognized for its bright fruitiness, crisp palate, and elegant finish. All three champagne varieties are included in this bubbly: 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, and 20% Chardonnay. This champagne is golden in appearance and pronounced on the nose! It opens with green apple and lemon citrus followed by white florals, limestone minerals, and my favorite flavor in good champagne… brioche! We paired shrimp cocktail with this sumptuousness wine and it was a match made in seafood heaven!
Now let’s chat about our entrees. My mouth is watering at the thought of these dishes! Greg ordered a customer favorite – the Lobster BLT. People come from all over San Diego County to indulge in this masterpiece of a sandwich! Between the bread you can expect delicious tarragon aioli, savory bacon, crisp butter lettuce, and juicy tomato… did I mention the bread was brioche? So. Much. Yum. This entree paired very well with 2 wines …. yes, we paired this with 2 different wines because that’s what you do when you’re a foodie & certified wine pro! We had to pair this with our champagne because the lemon citrus + brioche notes in the wine popped alongside the dish!
Another MUST and classic food + wine pairing is Chardonnay and lobster. The Chard BTG (somm talk for “by the glass”) is from Hartford Court Winery located in Russian River Valley, Sonoma. This style of Chardonnay held up nicely against this savory yet light Lobster BLT. There were pronounced flavors of butter and cream, indicating that this wine undergoes secondary fermentation. These notes were complimented by stone fruits, hibiscus, and slate minerality. It was medium body and high in acid – a perfect match for the acid squeezed from the lemon onto the sammy. Side note regarding the side dish, Greg ordered TRUFFLE fries that were made for this Chardonnay. Not going to lie, I think this is what I’m ordering next time we’re here! Greg, you won the dish off yet again…
Don’t get me wrong, my entree was fabulous and totally extra in the best way! Yours truly ordered the Eggs Benedict. This wasn’t just any eggs benny, nope. It was eggs benny with Kobe beef! Yes, you read that right! If you’re a meat lover like me, this hot ticket brunch item has your name written all over it! Bonus: this hollandaise sauce has a touch of ponzu. Ponzu is great because just about every end of the flavor spectrum is covered – salt, bitterness, sweetness, and acid. This balanced out the creamy hollandaise sauce for a harmonious flavor composition!
About the wine… It was a little too warm and early for a red wine, plus I was craving something crisp. So, when you’re in between white and red the best course of action is rosé! Lucky for me and all JRDN goers, they offer a Languedoc rosé BTG! It was fantastic and I can’t stop thinking about it.
Like Provence, Languedoc is a well-established French rosé region. Languedoc is located on the SW side of the Rhone Valley, so by knowing that you might have an idea of which grapes were used in the making of this wine. I’ll give you a hint: Syrah and Grenache. I’m all about a Syrah or Grenache rosé these days… the two blended is even better! This rosé is medium bodied with medium + acidity. When you have food with high acid, you want equal levels of acid in your wine. As for the flavor I was hit with pronounced wild berries, macerated raspberry, some stone fruit, lemon zest, and sandy minerals. This wine also had great structure for being a rosé! I may have sipped it too fast and needed a second glass to enjoy with my breakfast potatoes!
Saving the best for last!
Dessert is my love language. The dessert menu at JRDN is full of sweets, treats, and post-meal libations that will make your heart sing! We shared a plate because #waistbandprobs are real. After perusing the options and some spirited debate between them, we compromised on something light, crisp, and delicious: a lemon-lavender panna cotta. Er. Mah. Gerd. So good. The delicate flavors were perfectly intertwined, and the swirl of sugar cookie was the perfect sweet crunch. Oh, and did I mention the blueberry glaze on top? Yeah, there was a blueberry glaze. Now, I know what you’re wondering… whatever did we have to drink with this tasty treat? The dessert wine list did not disappoint and offered the perfect companion: a late-harvest Cuvee Auslese from Kracher Wines. This balanced, golden goodness from Austria is a blend of Chard and Riesling and brought the perfect addition of honey, cream, and stone fruit to round out the course.
To top off all the amazing food and wine, the incredible views, and stellar atmosphere was some impeccable service. Our waitress was friendly, efficient, and helpful with any questions about the menu. For those visiting from out of town or locals looking for an opportunity to #treatyoself, we highly recommend JRDN at Tower 23. This is a fantastic restaurant for bigger groups, FYI. We can’t wait to visit again!
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