Dining Out: How Now Brown Hound?
Museum-housed bistro puts food and experience on display
By Christopher Malone
Let’s just put it out there: Brown Hound Downtown is simply fun to say. It has such a Seussian flair without the irritating repetitiveness exuded by the notable children’s book author.
I have nothing against the writer but if you haven’t read “Fox in Socks” in a while and you attempt a cold read to a child — it’s not going to go over well. Trust me.
Also, trust me when I say a museum is a wonderful spot for such a restaurant with the caveat of an unspoken expectation.
The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) is what the Brown Hound refers to as “an environment of creative expression,” according to its website. Culinary isn’t the same without the accompaniment of the word “arts” following it. Despite all art — edible or not — being subjective, at least visitors get to feast on art and food in one stop.
The Brown Hound boasts an upscale casual atmosphere, but it’s far from stuffy.
The packed second-floor dining areas were filled with conversation along with musical accompaniment filling the air from the first floor. The sole vocalist with a guitar played a plethora of familiar tunes. What caught my ear was the rendition of “If I Only Had a Brain” performed and sung in the style of something Jack Johnson would do.
To kick off the meal, the Black Button latte ($12) sounded great for a rainy and snowy afternoon.
The brunch cocktail was made with Finger Lakes Coffee and Black Button Distillery’s bourbon cream, which is made down the road from the museum — and topped with cocoa powder. The coffee and bourbon cream flavors paired well, as one can expect. Plus, the top mound of cream, the pièce de résistance, is a sight to see and an aspect to enjoy. The thick cream is an aesthetic threat to those with facial hair.
The “Alarm Clockos Street Tacos” ($18) seemed a perfect go-to for brunch. A trio of soft flour tacos is served with golden scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and comes with either bacon, chicken sausage, tofu or pork belly (for $5 upcharge). I opted for the chicken sausage. A small cup of tomatillo chula, or salsa verde, came on the side.
The tortillas of the smaller street-style tacos were stuffed. Each of the ingredients looked and tasted fresh; their brilliance was matched by their taste. The eggs were bright yellow. It made me miss the sun, which we don’t see too often, especially on these winter afternoons with conflicted weather. And this is why, protein considered, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The meal is supposed to set the mood and your mindset for the day.
The green salsa was also notable. The homemade jalapeno condiment provided that slightly spicy compliment to kick the tacos up, but did not mask any flavor.
The chicken and waffles ($20) were hard to pass up. Crispy chicken. Soft waffles. It’s a notable pair. Plus, the blueberry sriracha sauce sounded intriguing. Two personal-sized waffles were topped with generous portions of fried chicken.
The super crispy coating broke open to show off the hot, dark meat poultry interior. The waffles’ consistencies were slightly airy and it offered a subtle crunch thanks to the pearl sugar. With Brown Hound’s blueberry sriracha sauce, who needs syrup? The sweet heat from the sauce only adds to the excitement leading up to the first bite, when (at least my) expectations are surpassed.
The chicken kept on coming. (I didn’t realize I’d ordered chicken three times during my visit until writing this. This happens sometimes, I guess.) The Bird Dog ($20) sandwich can come as-is (straight-up chicken), “OG style” (with dill pickles and sambal mayo) or “Cordon Brew” (with pork, Swiss cheese and beer mustard).
The Cordon Brew-style option stacks up to how it sounds. Along with that crispy chicken enjoyed with the waffles, slices of ham and cheese add that extra oomph to an already appealing sandwich. The beer mustard was delicious, scoring a hat trick for the condiments this brunch.
The seasoned fries were also delicious. The leftovers the next morning were thrown in with bacon; the fat crisped them to homefry status and, at the same time, added unique flavor to the bacon. Who knew food could have such a symbiotic relationship?
Before tip, the bill totaled $74 and change.
The experience at Brown Hound was great.
Kudos go to the chef, the friendly staff (Lauren, the server) and manager, Webster. He caught me taking photos of the food while guiding other patrons to their table. Behind me, in response to the photo, he let out an audible “Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.” After the meal, it was nice to chat with him.
And this is what I’m talking about: The Brown Hound Downtown. It’s fetching. And will have you sitting, staying, rolling over and returning.
Brown Hound Downtown
Memorial Art Gallery
500 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607
585-506-9725
facebook.com/brownhounddowntown/
instagram.com/brownhounddowntown
Sunday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Thursday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 5 to 8 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.