Bourbon for one last brunch in D.C.

My farewell to D.C. has been filled with meal after meal with friends.  My last was brunch in Adams Morgan with my best friends Morgan and Aunnalea.  Looking for a quick brunch option close to my house, Bourbon seemed like a great bet.  They are one of the few bars in Adams Morgan that has reliable food during the daytime.

We decided to order chicken nuggets to share before the meal came out.  The chicken nuggets here are a hidden gem.  Not many people would order a nugget at a restaurant like this, especially considering that McDonald's and Wendy's does them so well.  The Bourbon nuggets are homemade chunks of white meat, fried light and crispy.  I have no idea what their secret is, but the meat retains full flavor and moisture.  These juicy morsels come with a trio of dipping sauces, honey mustard, buffalo sauce, and the bourbon barbecue sauce, which is featured on many parts of their menu.  This appetizer is a must have any time you go there.

For my lunch entree I got the BLT.  Not exactly the most original of orders, but delicious none the less.  Crispy bacon piled on juicy tomatoes, with lettuce and just enough mayonnaise to fight off the dryness of white toast.  There was really only one bit of confusion about the sandwich.  It was made as triple decker sandwich,  with the vegetable portion of the sandwich separated from the bacon.  This choice made little sense to me, but was easily remedied by removing the extra bread.  The sandwich is served with a side of baked beans, one of my favorite things on the bourbon menu.  The beans are cooked with their barbecue sauce and sprinkled with a bit of cheddar cheese.  They always hit the spot.

Morgan got their veggie burger, another homemade item.  Topped with barbecue sauce and smoked gouda, the burger was a nicely seasoned blend of grains, beans and vegetables.  A good veggie burger needs to be just dry enough to hold, but moist enough to not be the texture of chalk.  This is a feat that many eateries do not accomplish, but Bourbon gladly has mastered.

Aunnalea got a Bourbon specialty, the Kentucky Hot Brown.  A hot, melted open faced sandwich, this offering was served over white toast, with chopped turkey, bacon, potatoes, tomatoes, onions and cheese, and smothered with white gravy.   This hangover cure tasted great, in the way that most sloppy, comfort food items often do, but from a culinary standpoint the dish was a disaster.  Chopping all of the items and tossing them on the bread did not serve to make the dish appetizing visually.  There was no doubt that it was flavorful, but no amount of flavor can make up for a plate that comes out looking like slop.  A simply sliced turkey, with slices of tomatoes, arranged nicely over the bread, with the cheese and gravy smothering the sandwich, possibly even cut and arranged, would have delivered the same flavor without all of the visual confusion.  The dish was also notably missing a side, and came to the table on a too large a plate, making it look half empty.

Overall this was a good meal.  With the exception of the Hot Brown, everything came out looking great.  What more can you ask for out of a final brunch?  Good friends, good food and great memories.  Goodbye D.C.