I enjoyed Convivial’s brunch recently—the chef there, Cedric Maupillier, puts out a big, beautiful spread. It’s modern and bright inside, and it has a casual feel with a backbone of fine dining—similar to us at Centrolina. I took my mom and she loved it. She felt very entertained because we were going to a hot spot—we weren’t going to a classic brunch, we were going to a hip brunch. It’s definitely a take-your-mom-for-fun kind of place.
The food there is all served à la carte, and it’s really creative and well done. I liked the smoked salmon a lot, which was homemade; it comes with capers, red onions, toasted brioche and crème fraîche. I remember they had a lot of wonderful juices, too, like fresh grapefruit juice. The beef tartare is delicious, served with crispy potato, hard boiled egg, and fresh herbs. But Convivial is best known for its quiche. It is a very artistic quiche—one inch by one foot long! It’s got leeks, onions, and Gruyère, has a crispy crust and it’s served with a nice fresh salad.
