Equinox

High end restaurant Equinox drops their fish and beef on the weekends for a "Plant Based" vegan brunch, and the result is a really impressive meal, albeit pricey ($35 per person).  The menu includes a wide variety of items which span the globe from India to the Caribbean.  I started with the more traditional breakfast options.  There was the house-made granola with almond milk, which was gently crunchy, well seasoned and something I would aspire to as I enter the make-your-own-granola field.  This was followed by the "Just Egg" scramble, a rich dish made with the new mung-bean based egg substitute, sweet peppers, tomatoes and scallions.  The seasoning was perfect and while I wouldn't mistake it for actual scrambled eggs it made for a very acceptable alternative.  The stuffed walnut french toast (with strawberry rhubarb jam) was not a favorite.  Like many vegan baked items the consistency was a tad gummy, although I wouldn't say that it was bad (one companion had it with maple syrup and declared it to by "yummy").  During my first course the chef himself delivered to us an amuse-bouche, a tasting dish of black-eyed and green peas dusted with tamarisk, his own discovery of a shrub resin from the Middle East.  The crunchy sweetness was surprising and different.  I followed with the salads.  There was the red and golden beet version with the most unusual combination of ingredients, including figs, avocado and pickled red onion.  A taste sensation which delighted with every bite.  The tomato and melon salad, by contrast, had unusual ingredients which were all good but didn't seem to work together as well.  This was followed by the summer vegetable jambalaya which was sturdy, mild and filling.  The spiced lentil fondue was not soup-like, confusing one of my companions, but was very tangy and served with small chunks of focaccia.  The tomato paste flavor was a bit overwhelming and could be reduced for a earthier sense of the lentils.  I liked the Pad Thai, managing to pick around mushrooms (not my favorite thing) enjoying the zip of the peppers and sriracha glaze paired with the crunchiness of peanuts.  The gazpacho, a big reason for our visit, was creamy and also had some tang.  Figs were featured in this dish as well and chopped vegetables were available on the side for garnish.  I partnered several of the dishes with breads, including a sesame and an olive.  Both had crispy exteriors and puffy light interiors.  My favorite of it all was the cauliflower tempura, which had the lightness of all possible coatings and a fresh, strong zest of lemon.  This was the one dish I allowed myself to have seconds of.  Desserts were plentiful but not particularly sweet, with the exception of the confetti cake, which was the one I liked the most.  All-in-all it was a really good meal which was appropriately filling but felt healthy.  Bravo for restaurateur Todd Gray for trying this bold experiment.  Again, it was a real treat to go to a brunch and "try it all."  On a minor note we were able to sit outside due to unusually nice summer weather, but there were a few bees.  Just FYI.

Upscale fine dining restaurant offering locally sourced chef's dishes most days, vegan brunches on the weekends
818 Connecticut Ave, NW
https://www.equinoxrestaurant.com/