Surely You Can't Be Serious, Miss. Shirley

    Miss. Shirley's Cafe is a shining light in Inner Harbor, Baltimore.  There are tons of delicious restaurants, but there is something special about Miss. Shirley's.  Maybe it's the southern flare, maybe it's that it is named after Shirley MCDOWELL so we are probably related some how,  but it's probably just the amazing food that leaves you dreaming about it the rest of the day. 
 
    My brunch buddy, Cathy, and I went to Miss. Shirley's and, after being overwhelmed by all the delicious looking options, opted for a sweet dish and a savory dish to split.  Ladies and gentlemen..... I bring you: 

   Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict

AND.....

Pumpkin Cheesecake-Stuffed French Toast

   Is your mouth watering yet?  The only thing traditional about this eggs benedict is the poached eggs.  The eggs are on mini jumbo (oxymoron...haha) lump crab cakes on top of fried green tomatoes.  It is then served with a refreshing corn & tomato relish with asparagus and old bay hollandaise sauce.  It was amazing!  The crunchy, fried goodness of the green tomato was the perfect base for the gooey poached egg and crab cake.  I can never turn back to an english muffin again.  And once you pour that hollandaise sauce on top of it all, you have truly reached perfection.  I put hollandaise sauce on the same pedestal as butter, chocolate, and peanut butter.  It just makes everything better! 

(A little side note about the relish: It had sunflower sprouts in it!  If you've never tried them, change that immediately!  They are delicious and such a surprise in this lovely relish.)

    On to dessert/more breakfast.  This stuffed french toast was just silly.  Pumpkin cream cheese, homemade whipped cream, thick pieces of bread dipped in an almond scented egg mix, graham cracker crumbs, and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon.  And as if that wasn't enough, there is an amazing raspberry puree forming a heavenly moat around the whole thing.  Surprisingly, this wasn't overwhelmingly sweet.  Granted, I didn't add any syrup, but the cream cheese added just enough creamy, saltiness to balance all the sweet beautifully.  The bread was soft and the whipped cream was light.  It was a very moving experience. 

    If you are in Baltimore, you must give Miss. Shirley's a visit.  But I recommend going during the week.  I walked by on Saturday morning and the line was out the door.  And rightfully so.

http://www.missshirleys.com/index.php