Long Overdue

This is my review of the luxurious brunch that Sean & I had at Nineteen restaurant in the Hyatt here in Philadelphia. Though this was not a meal for the faint of wallet at $46 a head, the location alone was worthy of the pricetag. While the giant pearls strung from the ceiling might seem like a strange touch, the opulence in the room was done very elegantly. On the nineteeth floor, the restaurant had great views of the city and had the weather been a bit warmer, it would have been nice to sit outside. The brunch was unique in that it was not a straight buffet but had buffet stations accompanied by a served entree. To begin, there was a continential breakfast like station that had delicious pastries and fresh fruit. The croissants were my favorite part and they had multiple options from the traditional butter to a strawberry filled. Sean's favorite station was the dim sum/sushi table. While there were not many sushi options they were fresh and plentiful and Sean got his fill. Along with the sushi, there were dumplings, a lo mein like stir fry and vietnamese spring rolls. Though none of these were spectacular they were all better than your average buffet fare. The station that might intrigue others but was not our #1 choice was the raw bar/salad station which had four types of oysters and a variety of salads. The Caesar was the only one that I tried and it was quite tasty however. For our entrees, I had the seafood omelet which consisted of crab, boursin cheese and roasted red peppers. It was good but nothing special. Sean had a biscuit breakfast sandwich that was a bit of a brick in his stomach, particularly following all the fresh fish. Although we would certainly return, we would definitely try other entrees next time. Usually my favorite part of a buffet would be the dessert table but sadly this time, there was very little room in my tummy for more food. I did have a delicious cookie and a bite of citrus mousse, orange creme brulee, and a passion fruit tidbit. I can't wait until I have another one of those cookies!