Madison Brunch Review: Bluephies

A proper title for this review should be, “A Tale of Two Brunches “ as two visits over the last few months to Bluephies produced vastly different results. The end result being stick to the breakfast items and leave the “unch” out of brunch.

On my first visit my companion and I opted for the lunch portion of the menu. Compiled of burgers, sandwiches and salads the lunch menu certainly looks appealing. Since it was brunch we both started out with their spicy blood Mary, which featured a house, infused spicy vodka, which our server claimed to have made herself. These drinks were a hit as they combined both ample spice and vodka so brunch was off to a good start. I decided to try the crab cake club, which is no longer on the menu. However the crab cakes do pop up in a couple of variations so I will say they’re worth your time. The rest of the sandwich failed miserably. The attempts at seasoning outside of the cake were dull and served no purpose and the bread well lets just say calling it dry would be understatement. My companion sampled their namesake sandwich and found more of the same. Her bread was toasted to a brittle dryness that rendered the meatholders useless. Likewise her combo of turkey and caramelized veggies lacked any real flavor and surprisingly the garlic aioli offered no relief.

The second time around proved to be much more satisfying. The bloody Marys we enjoyed on our first visit were gone and replaced with one made with spicy tomato mix. While the flavors weren’t as strong the marinated mushrooms, asparagus, and olives were a nice addition. Another companion tried the mango mimosa and found it be a perfect blend of flavors. Bluephies also offers basic coffee house drinks and while I didn’t sample it, one companion found her latte too watery. Still stinging from our lunch fare debacle we tackled the breakfast side of brunch this time. Two of us tried Bluephies “famous” scramblers. My mix of eggs, bacon, spinach, red pepper, and onions (Lyle’s Favorite) was cooked to perfection with firm eggs. The mixture lay over a bed of excellent American fries and was topped with Parmesan cheese. My partner tried the Andouille scrambler and was equally impressed especially by the flavor of the Cajun sausage. Another companion tried the bananas foster French toast, which was another home run. The sweet treat was reinforced by, for once, an exceptionally firm bread base.

On both occasions we wrapped up with some of Bluephies famous desserts. The cookie dough egg roll is legend in these parts and deservedly so. The slightly melted dough oozes from the crispy wrapper and warms your mouth. The Butterfinger wontons might be my favorite though as the mixture of candy bites mixed with a cream cheese filling pop on the tongue.

Located just around the bend from me on Monroe St., Bluephies is yet another horse in the stable of Madison’s Food Fight conglomerate. Now open for over ten years Bluephies has straddled the line between diner fare and more upscale comfort food. Considering its boffo location and Food Fight’s reputation its no surprise the place has thrived to the point where it’s expanding into a neighboring space. Service is good if a bit slow and while the place is always packed don’t expect too much of a wait.

Bluephies, 2701 Monroe St, Madison, WI, 608-231-3663