Majolica: Flavorful, Elegant Sunday Brunch

For my husband’s birthday, I wanted some place not just special, but top-notch.  

Brunch may be a step-sister in some restaurants, but at Majolica, it’s another chance to showcase fine dining and superior culinary and serving talent.

The online reservation system was easy to use and the restaurant called me back on its next open day to confirm what I’d entered.  While the website lists menu items, the day’s brunch menu ($28 per person with $9 per child) is created from whatever regular menu items and in-season produce inspires Chef Andrew Deery, so you won’t know the selections until you are seated in the restaurant.

When we entered, we were warmly greeted by our server and offered coffee, tea, virgin Bloody Marys or freshly-squeezed orange juice. With the heat wave still oppressing Phoenixville, we chose the orange juice and were delighted with not only the lemon slices offered to add extra tang to the drink, but the ice cubes that filled one-quarter of the glass. Our glasses were effortlessly re-filled throughout the meal, which, in the oppressive weather, we genuinely appreciated.

Our server presented the house appetizer for the day’s meal: a long china plate bearing two shortbread cookies, a bowl of blackberries and a ramekin of smooth, tart lemon curd. We chose the next three courses for our meal from the day’s cardstock menu listing six or seven choices per course.

Our first courses came out on wooden boards that highlighted the linear nature of our dishes more effectively than any china. My husband picked the Local Peach and Ham Flatbread" a flavor combination we’d never thought of and now wonder how we can do without for the rest of peach season! 

My smoked salmon, capers, red onion, whipped cream cheese and grilled bagel slices board was a more traditional brunch item which, as the salmon was sweet without being overly salty, I thoroughly enjoyed.

Our second courses arrived in elongated china bowls. My husband’s fresh pasta, trumpet mushrooms and roasted garlic butter were full of beautiful, homemade pappardelle (large, broad pasta sheets) and tasted wonderful, but was perhaps a dish for a day when the heat index was below 100. 

My Duck Confit Hash (succulent duck pieces with large, crunchy potato chunks), two poached eggs and hollandaise sauce was an amazing entrée that should be highlighted in big capital letters on the restaurant’s website. If you like duck, you will adore this dish.

After the hot pasta, my husband found his strawberry sorbet—blackberries and granola dessert elegantly arranged in a clear glass goblet—to be refreshing with the right note of fruity sweetness. 

I can’t resist chocolate and hazelnuts, so I chose the Nutella crepes, bananas and tarragon. My three crepes were hot from the griddle, but melted, gooey chocolate is never to be missed, regardless of the heat index.

Service was flawless. Our server was always there when we needed a juice refill, had a question or it was time for another course. When she wasn’t needed, she wasn’t there, which meant we could enjoy Majolica’s rich ambience in complete serenity. It was a lovely meal for my favorite person’s birthday and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

If You Go:

Location:  258 Bridge St., Phoenixville

Cost:  Sunday Brunch - $28 excluding tax and gratuity

Phone:  610-917-0962

Website:  http://www.majolicarestaurant.com/reservations.php

Hours:  Monday – Tuesday:  Closed
             Wednesday – Sunday:  5 pm to 9 pm

             Brunch:  Sunday: 11 am to 1 pm

Payments accepted:  Credit card, Cash

Parking:  Phoenixville on-street parking or municipal lots, which are free on Sundays