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Cyrano's Brunch Options are Tasty, but Limited
• by Ann Lemons - Photo by Allyson Mace
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It's not your mother's Cyrano's, of course. There's way more than desserts, and it most definitely isn't in a basement. While the reborn Cyrano's has made itself a destination before and after shows at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, it only recently began serving brunch.
When the weather is nice, there's a terrace for dining. But that would mean missing one of St. Louis' most singular interiors, which certainly deserves attention. Yes, the shocking pink and chartreuse are really, really bright; one suspects they were chosen with nighttime lighting in mind. But things like the painted sofa and chairs in front of the fireplace are so deliriously lighthearted that it's hard to suppress a smile. My special favorite is the wonderful wall of framed pictures of elaborate desserts, which gives new meaning to the phrase “a feast for the eyes.”
However, brunch seekers who, like me, lean toward the breakfast side of things, may well be disappointed when they're presented with the regular weekday menu. Four specials on a chalkboard, one of which was lunch-ish, were the only brunchy foods available and those may vary by week. Knowing much of the rest of the menu, we aimed for the morning food.
Eggs Benedict are the brunch classic, of course. Cyrano's Benedicts arrived with some good fresh fruit. A long, narrow plate made for a handsome presentation, and a first, fast check of the hollandaise yielded a sharp intake of breath. This is a wonderful rendition of the French classic, a fine balance between some really good butter (a side benefit of having a serious dessert chef in the kitchen) and the lemon, the kind that some of us would prefer in a soup bowl with a large spoon. One egg was still slightly runny, the other poached to gentle firmness. The muffins were fresh, but the Canadian bacon was milder than expected.
Banana-nut pancakes were described by the waiter as “our,” making me think they might make frequent appearances at this time of week. Three large pancakes had sliced bananas and nuts sprinkled onto one side of the batter, rather than whizzed into it, a definite plus. The flavor was fine, but they were tougher than I expected. No sides of potatoes or breakfast meats were offered, but in response to my question, the waiter said they might have some bacon around. A couple of slices arrived with the ‘cakes. The regular menu talks about Nueske brand bacon being used, and this had to have been it. The bacon tasted like it had been hanging around a Texas smoker, not very salty, just pig and smoke.
The other two specials were biscuits and gravy, which seem to have become ubiquitous on local morning menus (I think it may be a guy thing; opinions welcome), and a Monte Cristo sandwich, which, in this rendition, is ham, turkey and cheese, battered and grilled a la French toast and served with powdered sugar. On the regular menu, there are salads, soups and sandwiches – I'm particularly fond of the roast beef sandwiches. The Guru's Sauce review looks at that food in more depth, and is available at www.saucemagazine.com/article/2/7.
Dessert at Cyrano's is always a highlight, and the entire list is available, including Carolyn Downs' fine bread pudding. I tried a chocolate tart, the crunchy crust filled with a ganache made with fine European-style chocolate and subtly flavored with rose water, a combination that worked surprisingly well.
Good coffee comes in huge, wonderful cups, although only one small creamer seems to arrive, which is not enough if there are two users. And the mimosas are eminently satisfactory.
Handsome restaurant. Not enough breakfast food.
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