I just had the opportunity to visit a restaurant that I had visited twice last season, but closed during the off-season, and now has reopened for the season. Although it currently is only open from Thursday thru Sunday, its business hours will gradually expand as the warmer weather arrives. The Parched Pelican took over the space formally occupied by Hooter’s on 122nd street and Coastal Highway. So far, I have only sampled their breakfast menu, but if it is any indication as to their other offerings, I can’t wait to come back for lunch and dinner. The restaurant occupies two floors with both indoor and outside seating available on both floors, with a sandy bottom kids play area in the back. While most of the dining area is on the main floor, there is a cozy area upstairs, that includes an intimate bar area and a room that is available for private parties.
Enough about the building; on to the food! The breakfast/brunch menu covers almost all the necessary breakfast food groups, from eggs to pancakes to french toast to sandwiches, all done with a slightly different spin. After a little agonizing and uncertainty, I settled on the Chorizo Benedict, which included jalapeño and onion, corn salsa, sliced tomato, crispy tortilla chips, ranchero hollandaise, and a chorizo hash, in addition to three perfectly poached eggs. As we all know, we eat with out eyes first, and the presentation was definitely a looker. The rest did not disappoint. It became obvious that the chef in the kitchen is talented and definitely knows his way around eggs. To create perfectly poached eggs with the yolk runny is a learned skill. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve ordered egg benedict and the yolks were overcooked and hard. The flavors all married well and came together in a well balanced taste explosion in my mouth, with only a hint of heat from the jalapeño.
As those who know me know that I cannot finish my first meal (or for that matter, any meal) of the day without some sort of sweetness, I had to inquire into their dessert offerings. (It is, after all, the most important meal of the day).