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| - As East Liberty continues to gentrify, we add more and more good food locations to the area, something that makes me incredibly happy. Right next to the prominent NACL [Salt] in Garfield on Penn Avenue, you can find Verde, an installment by the creators of Tender in Lawrenceville.
Mexican themed, and centered around tequila, this place is unassuming and fresh, with an open floor plan and a cute summer patio. The restaurant is surrounded in glass, which helps towards the open feeling. My brother and i made it here for brunch on a Sunday, a rare enough occasion, being in the area after having returned the carpet steamer to Giant Eagle. Brunch is served until 3 pm and you also get a $1 off each glass of sangria. As a realm of new experiences Phil actually ordered his first sangria and was pleasantly surprised. [Phil is not a drinker... {included in other new experiences: Guacamole and chopping off his 2 ft long hair}]. Additionally we ordered the guacamole. Phil is no avocado person, however, even he admitted that is was delicious. YAY.
For the actual menu, Phil ordered the Chilaquiles which looked scrumptious [he especially liked the fried egg it came with] and i ordered the Huevos Benedictos on my never-ending quest for my city favorite. They were petite, made with bacon,
butternut squash, caramelized onion, and a guajillo-hollandaise. While the butternut squash was well done, the hollandaise sauce was too spicy for the dish, completely drowning the caramelized onions and the bacon, which was there more for texture than taste. Also there was too much of the sauce downing the remaining dish.
For service, the waitress was beyond helpful and attentive, checking in on us every 10 minutes or so, asking us for feedback and making sure we were comfortable. Thinking back this was something I experience less. I'm a simple person who never needs much unless I'm very annoyed yet I noticed she was readily available if you did.
I haven't been back to this establishment for what they are known for -- their tequila flights and evening items since the restaurant first opened, so I look forward to another good meal when I next get back to Garfield.
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