Frankly, I have some issues with brunch: What defines brunch? Is it the variety of foods served? Is it the time of day the meal is eaten? Or is it the day itself, Saturday or Sunday, that makes a midday meal a brunch? Is it possible to have brunch on a Thursday? I’ll be the first to concede that bacon and eggs and a Bloody Mary is sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered after a long night. But generally speaking, I can do without brunch. I just don’t understand it, really.
More questions:
Is Coco & Co always as full of young women as it was yesterday afternoon? If so, why? Is it the hen house modern decor? Does a restaurant serving mainly eggs tap into some kind of female fertility fantasy? Or is it perhaps the proximity to so much shopping that attracts the ladies to this address on a Saturday afternoon?
Furthermore, how do they all have such perfect skin? Are their good complexions somehow related to eating at Coco & Co? What is their secret?
I don’t know, but my Oeufs Coco, two poached eggs over english muffins with a bacon and onion sauce, were awfully good. The eggs benedict across the table were tasty, too, and the omelette next to me was fluffy and full of ham. All are served with a decent green salad and roasted potatoes by very friendly people, also with good skin.
And what’s that I hear? Is that Radiohead playing in the background?
I don’t know, but next time (and there will be a next time) I’m going to try the burger. If Coco & Co serves a good burger, then maybe I’ll reconsider my anti-brunch stance.
Maybe.
Coco & Co 11 rue Bernard Palissy, 75006 Paris +33 (0)1 45 44 02 52
When I saw your twitter post about the egg restaurant, I somehow knew you were at Coco & Co. I pass it all the time on my way to Monoprix and have always wondered about it. Haven’t tried it because of my egg-avoidance issues (fearful for my poor heart, which gets so much cholesterol/saturated fat as it is). But with such a nice review — and the possibility that my skin will improve after eating here — I will definitely stop in! By the way, I know from walking by that their hours are quite sparse during the week.
Loved reading this post, Barbra. I agree, brunch is kind of a strange concept, but it seems to be the most popular mealtime, at least in the States. Some people like to eat a pan-roasted halibut at 10 am, go figure. By the way, those Oeufs Coco look incredible, what was in the ramekin?
Ann: I think it’s worth a stop, though a meal there will definitely raise your cholesterol level.
Connie: I might just be bitter from having worked so many brunch shifts in my life
The ramekin contained something resembling crème fraîche.
On Sunday we went to Coco (on the way I admired a coat in a shop window and banged my head so hard on the glass that I gave myself a nose bleed and later a black eye). The staff were charming, and I too had Ouefs Coco as part of brunch which was followed by a pancake and fruit salad. I have no idea what they did to that fruit but it was phenominal, added to by the delicious wine and bread. All in all a v successful brunch and bruising is minimal. I think the ramekin was sour cream, no? The bread was improved by being dunked into it. Chances of heart attack have increased ten fold.
Polly – Who knew window shopping could be so hazardous? Sounds like the meal provided a little balm for your injuries, though…