Buzzbrews Kitchen

It’s not an optical illusion. The interior of Buzzbrews really is as tiny as it look from the outside. That explains the communal seating edict on the menu, telling patrons that “today’s stranger could be tomorrow’s friend” if business picks up and the four-seater booths aren’t quite full. It works in this cozy cafe, where the after-midnight crowd packs in on the weekends. “People you see at night, you’d never see in the morning,” says Omar Cunigh, who opened the restaurant 18 months ago with business partner Ernest Berlmore, formerly with Cafe Brazil. The connection is clear from the menu, which focuses on breakfast fare but also features seemingly contrary dishes such as pepper-crusted salmon. Berlmore’s new concept strives to be a bit more hip, however, with creative touches like the dictionary on the back of the menu that defines the jargon on the front. The pit grill pancake – a piled-high platter with eggs, bacon (or veggie sausage patties) and pancakes – is YCDI. That’s “you can do it.” And nopales are blanched cacti marinated until tender, the definition coupled with this admonition: “Don’t be a scaredy cat.” The emphasis is on healthy options with fresh ingredients, Cunigh says – real butter, real maple syrup, real eggs and egg whites encouraged. The Hare Krishna omelet mixes them with jack and feta cheeses topped with slices of avocado and tomato, a combination tasty enough to convert anyone.

BUZZBREWS KITCHEN