Brunch in the North End, and We’re Not Talking About Cold Pizza


Finding a good place for brunch is a tricky proposition when you live alone. Without built-in brunchmates, you tend to find yourself trekking across town to someone else’s neighborhood to eat the week’s most leisurely meal.

I found myself in this predicament on Sunday, when a friend persuaded me to bundle up and head to the North End for brunch at to the North Street Grille.

The North End isn’t known as a brunch destination, so I was skeptical. But the menu eased my mind with a solid roster of classics: Italian-inspired omelette’s (with add-ins like prosciutto, mozzarella, and fresh basil), several kinds of French toast, a breakfast burrito, pancakes.

My goal was to undo the good eating I’d done all week, so I had the excellent strawberry and Nutella French toast. The styrofoamy berries reminded me we have months to go before my favorite fruit is in season, but the warm Nutella distracted me enough that I didn’t really mind.

My friend also went with a carb-heavy option: thick slices of banana bread French toast topped with sliced bananas. It’s hard to do better than banana bread fried in butter.

Our only regret? We didn’t have room to try the French toast sticks that almost every other table ordered as an appetizer. But because the Grille has a liquor license, Bloody Marys and Mimosas did flow freely. All the more reason to make the trek once more.