Happy Tummy!
Lady Marmalade quickly overcame a weak first impression to become one of the best brunches I've ever had.
When I arrived at 2:30 with E. "Still not yelping" H., there was no line but no free tables either. Never having been before, we weren't sure if it was a seat-yourself system or if we should await an invite from a server. We stood around somewhat aimlessly for a while before getting in a server's way and learning that we would be seated when something was ready (tip: acknowledge your guests when they arrive. Let them know you've seen them and will seat them when you can. It only takes a second). Service was brilliant after that. Two very busy (yet very calm) servers tag-teamed the dining room providing excellent coverage and speedy service.
Décor, as has been noted, is cutesy. It's a bit warm inside but we got a seat by the door with a nice fresh draft once in a while. This turned out to be particularly valuable (read on, grasshopper...)
The breakfast menu is small, but carries great offerings to suit any taste, including a range of creative bennies. My trusty companion went for the roasted veggie and aged cheddar model, whose deliciousness I can personally vouch for. I had Huevos Migas - moist and soft scrambled eggs with cheese and chorizo, deliciously seasoned rice and the best black beans I've ever had. The beans were cooked from scratch in-house and stewed with tomato and cumin, giving them a lovely purple tinge. Presentation was great - my plate came topped with sour cream, scallion shoots and a few sprigs of cilantro, the last of which was a bit visually overbearing and crowded my plate while I ate (maybe leave the long stems out next time). The tortilla chips on the side of my plate served well to scoop at the beans, but I think they forgot the salsa.
I'd bet this is a five-star joint that was a little off today, because I had a four-star experience. The food was amazing, the presentation was great and the service was fantastic. But there were a few details missing from the five-star brunch experience. Oh, and they had a fire in the kitchen that left my winter coat smelling like a barbecue. Ah well, there are dry-cleaners for that!*
* I haven't asked Lady Marmalade to pay for the dry-cleaning, but suspect that they would agree if given the chance.