As someone who has always associated French food with snails (which I highly doubt I will ever feel culturally curious enough to try) and what I can hastily grab at Pret A Manger, Jacques Brasserie was the appetizing wake up call that I needed. Classic French options like the croque madame or monsieur are sprinkled among brunch staples like eggs benedict and French toast (does that count as French cuisine?) to accommodate both those fully content with staying in their comfort zones and those who woke up feeling culinarily courageous. 
French onion soup was obviously a must, and the melted cheese overflowing out of the bowl solidified that this was the right choice of an appetizer. Bread and butter soaked up the soup and mimosas as we waited for our main courses in the outdoor seating of this charming restaurant watching countless dogs stroll by with their owners (which automatically gives Jacques Brasserie bonus points for the four-legged view). The four of us each ordered our own meal and opted to add on a fifth meal to split, but we all ended up sampling every order.
I was, of course, the one to play it safe and settled on a classic eggs benedict over ham, but those who prefer fish can have their eggs over Scottish smoked salmon. Another standard brunch item delivered to our table was the French toast, which was without a doubt the most decadent serving I have ever tried. The mixed berries and caramelized apples acted as a sweet contrast to the soup we had devoured, and thick syrup was provided to drizzle over the generous slices of bread. I cannot stress enough how truly mouth-watering-ly delicious this French toast was, and quite frankly even just thinking about it right now is making me debate hopping in an Uber and going back for one more bite.
More original meals to grace our table included the Shakshuka (which is “Mediterranean tomatoes and pepper stew, served with 2 eggs over easy,” if you’re like me and had never heard of the dish) and the pasta fritatta. The Shakshuka is a heavier dish than your standard brunch meal, so definitely choose to indulge in this rich tomato-centric option if your stomach is audibly growling. The pasta fritatta, composed of capellini, baby arugula, ham, and parmigiano-regionna, was a dish I had never seen before, but it was, like the French toast, one that has been calling me back to Jacques ever since my last brunch. 
The last meal that we devoured was the Croque Madame, which is essentially a grilled ham and cheese with an egg on top. Words clearly do not do this savory delight justice, so you’ll just have to taste it yourself for the full effect.
Why stop there, though? We (naturally) ordered dessert and could not have been more satisfied with our semi-sweet Valrhona chocolate soufflé and the white and dark Valrhona chocolate terrine, which was served with raspberry sorbet. I’m not much of a chocolate person, so I would have have been satisfied with the sorbet alone, but I had my share of the chocolate-oriented desserts and had no complaints about either. For a richer option, go with the soufflé, but definitely don’t over look the terrine.
The service was absolutely impeccable; the waitstaff could not have been friendlier and the owner shared with us the story of how running a restaurant is essentially in his blood- I genuinely recommend asking him about it if you’re fortunate enough to see him when you make the trip to Jacques yourself. With an array of options across all menus (brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert), prime outdoor seating, and fully satisfying meals, it’s no wonder the allure of Jacques Brasserie reaches such a wide audience.
For more information: https://www.jacquesbrasserie.com
Special thanks to https://www.instagram.com/bitesofthebest/ for all of the pictures featured both throughout this post and below!!
