As time passes I find that I have become extremely picky about the restaurants I try. Nowadays, I feel disappointed with certain venues. After dining sometimes I feel like the meal was mediocre at best and know I could have made it better at home and for much cheaper. But a few Saturday’s ago, I thought to myself, ‘I haven’t been to brunch in a while. I think we should go out for a change of pace.’ A few months ago, Alaina and a friend went to Cozy’s for brunch. I, unfortunately, could not crash the party, as I had made other plans I couldn’t cancel. Alaina and her friend raved about the food so naturally it was now my turn to have brunch at Cozy’s Cafe and Pub (Cozy’s).
Cozy’s is a beautiful restaurant in Cincinnati that has indoor and outdoor seating. In the back of the restaurant they have an area outside with a fire pit surrounded by chairs. They even have a smores kit available for purchase. I think it would be a lot of fun during fall and early winter to sit out there with a blanket and sweet treat. But today, Alaina and I sat indoors. The atmosphere was literally cozy, no pun intended. The inside of Cozy’s has a barn feel to it accompanied by its wooden floors and furnished wooden tables.
Alaina had told me to review the menu ahead of time but I had gotten distracted the night before and forgot to look at it. All I know is I wanted something that I couldn’t make for myself at home. Yes, they had avocado toast, omelettes, and sandwiches, but I can make those any day of the week, I wanted something different. After a thorough investigation, I decided upon the Short Rib Skillet. Alaina, on the other hand was on a pancake quest, but she didn’t want just any plain old pancake. She asked the waitress what the Chef’s Seasonal Cakes were and found them to be Apple Streusel. Alaina immediately said yes. Prior to our selections, we agreed that we would give one another half of our meal so we could each try something different.
We didn’t wait for too long when our waitress brought our orders out. My Short Rib skillet came out in a cute cast iron skillet. The skillet was piping hot, filled with a think layer of crispy tater tots, covered with my delicious short rib meat, topped with 2 fried eggs, and drizzled in a vibrant green chimichurri sauce and a few peppers layered on top. The first thing I did was cut into the fried egg to make it into bitesized pieces before digging in. My first forkful of food had a little bit of everything, tater tot, rib meat, and egg, covered in chimichurri sauce. It was delicious! Seasoning was layered into every part of the dish. The tater tot was crispy with just the right amount of salt and pepper. The savory short rib was perfectly flavored and moist while the egg with the chimichurri sauce added the perfect amount of acidity with the vinegar in it. Each bite was delicious and didn’t disappoint.
Alaina’s apple streusel pancakes came with three ginormous pancakes stacked together with the top one smothered in an apple puree with a dash of brown sugar crumbs. Alaina loved her pancakes. Each pancake was cooked to perfection. The outer layer of the pancake had a nice crust to it and inside it was fluffy with no gooey middle. As Alaina ate the pancakes, they melted into her mouth with the sweet apple flavor prominent with each bite. The apple puree helped maintain the moisture in the pancakes, but added a light sweetness. Sometimes Alaina has ordered pancakes and left disappointed because they were flavorless or doughy. But these were anything but that. She was extremely happy with her selection and said if she came back before winter she would definitely order them again.
Alaina and I really enjoyed our meals. We switched dishes in the middle of our meal so each of us could try the other’s food. I agree, Alaina’s pancakes were delicious, but I’m glad I had a hearty savory breakfast skillet to balance it since I can’t eat only carbs for breakfast. We both highly recommend the dishes that we had. If you too would like to try Cozy’s for brunch on Saturday or Sunday, please remember to RSVP. We really loved our time there and we think you will too.
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