I don’t care if it makes me basic: I love brunch. Give me a stack of pancakes, some French toast, or a waffle, and I am a happy woman. Back in Tucson, we had our usual brunch place that we went to almost every week. Some weeks we’d go try someplace new, and it never quite hit as well, so the next week we’d be back at Prep & Pastry.
Ever since moving up to WA, we’ve been trying to find our brunch spot, someplace that fills the void of Prep. This quest was somewhat derailed by the pandemic and adopting a dog with separation anxiety, but recently I started craving brunch again, and I noticed a lot of spots in Edmonds were adding brunch, or expanding their existing brunch offerings.
So welcome to the first edition of the Edmonds Brunch Report: one couple’s quest to find the best brunch in Edmonds. Here’s what I’ll be covering in each review:
- Food. Obviously. Not only how good the food is, but how varied the menu is.
- Tea. I need two cups of black tea to get going, and I hate when I order tea with brunch and get a Lipton bag and lukewarm water.
- Booze. I don’t actually usually drink with brunch, but I know a lot of people like a mimosa or bloody mary with their brunch, so I’ll be scoping out the cocktail menu even if I don’t partake.
- Service. I’m cutting everyone a lot of slack post-pandemic, but I’ll be sure to mention exceptionally good, exceptionally bad, or exceptionally slow service.
- Value. Everything is so dang expensive right now. I’ll weigh in on whether I think this brunch is worth the price.
- Dog-friendliness. Separation anxiety training is a marathon, not a sprint, so for the foreseeable future, it’s gonna be us and Emma on a patio.
- Vibes. Is this the sort of place you take your folks when they’re visiting? Or your cool foodie friends? Or is it a romantic spot to start your anniversary adventure at?
Ok, that’s enough intro. Let’s talk about our recent brunch at Vinbero.
Food
Vinbero used to be The Cheesemonger’s Table. Now it’s primarily a wine bar but it still has a small cheese counter and serves charcuterie, sandwiches, a small selection of cocktails, and brunch. It’s owned by the same people who own Kelnero, aka my favorite cocktail bar, and they’ve done a couple fun collab events with Scratch Distillery here in town.
I wanted to come here for brunch because I saw there was a waffle with spiced pears on it. I feel like not a lot of places do waffles, probably because then you gotta make space for a waffle iron. For instance, we do not make waffles at home, because we do not have space for a waffle iron.
Chris ordered the salmon benedict, because they always order a benny (bene?).
Lemme tell you, those pears were bomb. Most spiced fruit really leans into the cinnamon, probably relying on some sort of pumpkin or apple pie spice. And I like that. But these pears had a hint of a peppery spiciness to them. Nothing too hot, not like a chili, but it really gave them that certain je ne sais quoi. The waffle they were on was pretty tasty too, and there was a just-right amount of maple syrup and whipped cream.
Chris liked their benedict and appreciated how orange the yolks were, but didn’t really have any superlatives to throw at it.
The menu only has seven mains on it (well, 9 if you count the fact that there are three variations to the benny) and four sides. It also looks like in the week between me eating this brunch and writing this review, they’ve switched to a peach waffle and changed up those benny variations, so expect some seasonal changes.
Many of the menu options can be made dairy free or gluten free on request.
Tea
Like a lot of places in the Pacific Northwest, Vinbero serves Stephen Smith tea. And if you’re going to have bagged tea, this is a good brand to have. They use roomy pyramid bags and as far as I know, they have the same tea in them as Smith’s loose leaf tins. I also like this shape of mug which I find feels very nice in the hand; it’s very similar to one of my favorite mugs at home.
They even bring you a little ramekin to put your bags in, so your tea doesn’t over-steep.
But then they take the bags away. Look, like I said, I need two cups of black tea to get going, and it doesn’t cost you anything to give me more hot water.
Booze
I’ve been happy with Vinbero’s cocktails on my afternoon and evening visits. Their brunch menu includes a mimosa and two bloody mary options — normal, or with a fancy garnish. They also brought us their regular menus, so I’m pretty sure you can get any wine or cocktail with your brunch.
Service
Vinbero tends to be really slow. I think it’s because they have a small kitchen. Service is always friendly, but you’re going to be waiting a long time for your food. Don’t go here when you’re in a hurry.
Value
Vinbero has recently raised their food prices and I have to say I find them to be pretty expensive for the serving size. If you really want that waffle, go treat yourself, but Chris said there were other bennies in town that were just as good, and came with sides, for a similar or lower price.
That said, the mimosas are only like $10 or $35 for a pitcher, so if you’re looking to drink, this might be a better choice for you.
Dog-Friendliness
Vinbero has a very small covered, unheated patio with two small tables and a bar with stools. Dogs are welcome on the patio, but a large dog may feel cramped. They are always very welcoming of Emma, and in fact, during our brunch visit, another server showed up for their shift and before going inside, saw Emma and made a beeline to the patio to love up on her and say how happy they were to see her.
Vibes
Vinbero is really gorgeous inside, so if you don’t have a dog like us, it seems like a really nice place to have a leisurely brunch with a loved one. The patio has a pretty relaxed vibe. There’s a small plaza park between the building and the road, so cars aren’t driving right by you while you eat.
What do you think? Will you be having lunch at Vinbero? Do you have any suggestions for my next Edmonds Brunch Report?
