Establishment: The Alchemist
Location: in the Eucalyptus Gardens in Wilton Manors
Meal: Sunday Brunch
Drink: Hot Chocolate (deconstructed)
Appetizer: n/a
Main: Breakfast Croissant
turkey, egg and avocado
Side(s): Homemade Toast
with fresh strawberry jam
Dessert: n/a
Server: unknown (kind of counter style)
Nestled in the corner of a compound ... which itself is tucked away behind a super old strip mall and a nondescript big parking lot ... sits The Alchemist -- just one of several businesses sharing space in what is called the Eucalyptus Gardens which includes a few other eateries, an antiques store, an "art walk" and a farmers' market (warning: not all nooks and corners are open every day of the week). It's a "coffee shop PLUS" kind of place known for its freshly ground coffees (and iced coffees replete with coffee ice cubes) ... and is cutesy and trendy (enough so that some elderly folks seemed confused by the concept) with a unique hot chocolate that I simply adored. To whit ... here's the way it scored:
AMBIANCE: 10/10 (it's telling that there are more pictures about the surroundings than there are of the food ... because one of the big reasons to find this little corner of the world is for the people-watching and the surroundings-watching -- where you can look every which way and see something new and interesting with every glance ... it's exactly what you want an outdoor brunch spot in sunny Ft. Lauderdale to be)
FOOD: 9/10 (who cares about the food when the hot chocolate arrives as steamed milk and a swiss roll type hunk of chocolate that you make yourself by dunking it into the mug while you wait for it to melt [the longer you wait, the more your patience is rewarded because the chocolatey-er it gets] ... but yes, the fresh strawberry jam is the perfect topping for the toasted homemade bread ... just one point lost for the croissant sandwich that could have used a bit more heft)
SERVICE: 8/10 (the person taking the order was very chatty and cheerful [although she didn't give her name] with a great line -- "take your number and go sit somewhere and look hungry" -- and every other employee along the way was similarly pleasant ... but a point lost for not providing paper receipts and a second one lost for not having a more manageable line for the rush [a good problem to have ... but one that could use a little attention])
BACON: 3/10 (not a single piece of bacon for breakfast? I know that there's a preference toward the healthy side of things at this place, but really? no bacon choices at all? ... out of deference to the "crunchy" and "granola-esque" vibe, I'll grant just a few points)
BONUS: 10/10 (+3 for that deconstructed hot chocolate [which is already a contender for best drink of the year], +3 for being full with a line of people waiting but NOT moving the sleeping cat from his [or her] perch in the sun, +3 for the coolness factor and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return -- just maybe not at the height of Sunday brunch)
TroyScore: 40 out of 50 -- aka 80, a low B (but that hot chocolate gets its own 100!)
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