Brusco Luncheonette: Restaurant in a restaurant
Cava Mezze, my favorite “new Greek” restaurant, has a not-so-hidden secret luncheonette called Brusco inside that features sandwiches and salads, Mondays through Fridays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Brusco luncheonette is not quite Harbor East, located on Fleet Street in the Hyatt Place Baltimore – just follow the signs to Cava Mezze. If you haven’t found Cava Mezze or Brusco, it is time to search both out.
If you are anything like me, when I was an office worker, lunch offerings became quite boring and redundant. Not so with Brusco luncheonette who is changing up their menu with new offerings on a regular basis, almost monthly. Brusco’s blackboard tells all their luncheon choices with flavors from Greece, Vietnam and regional American favorites. Note: All sandwiches come with a side and the pricing cleverly includes tax.
A quick off the cuff menu tasting invite came through Instagram stories and a small group of intrepid “food enthusiasts” gathered to sample, photograph and post on social media. We each had our favorites; mine was the Bahn Mi Pork Sandwich with grilled pork, pickled daikon and carrots, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, Sriracha mayo on a baguette, the Grilled Cheese Sourdough with gruyere, white cheddar, truffle butter accompanied with roasted red pepper and tomato soup and the Turkey Rueben, roasted turkey, green harissa mayo, Swiss cheese, vinegar coleslaw, apple on and pretzel roll. We didn’t get to try the new Fricken’ Chicken Sandwich with fried buttermilk chicken, vinegar coleslaw, honey mustard, house made pickles because they had sold out that afternoon.
Freekalicious Veggie Burger of chickpea and freekah will tempt the vegan’s tastes buds. For the carnivore there is the Big American Burger with Creekstone beef, Applewood smoked bacon, 1 year aged cheddar, house-made pickles, 1000 Island dressing or the Philly Baby Sub with hand sliced ribeye, house made ooey gooey Cheese Whiz. The Cava gyro with choices of pork, chicken and lamb remain a standard on the menu.
Eat in, carryout, order ahead, delivery, catering – Brusco has you covered – go to their website www.eatbrusco.com to order.
Brusco Luncheonette / Cava Mezze
1302 Fleet Street
Baltimore MD
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday thru Friday
https://www.facebook.com/eatbrusco/
Twitter & Instagram @eatbrusco
For Dara Bunjon if it is food, Dara Does It, in fact, that is the name of her company which offers creative solutions for the food industry the likes of public relations, marketing, social media, cookbook compilations, food styling, culinary events, networking and freelance writing. You will now find Dara applying her broad range of culinary skills as a food stylist for television chefs/cookbook authors the likes of Steven Raichlen, Sara Moulton, Nick Malgieri, and Nathalie Dupree. Dara Bunjon lives, eats, dreams and writes about food and isn’t hesitant to share her views and experiences about restaurants, culinary trends, recipes, cookbooks or even her childhood food memories. She has been on the food scene for too many years to mention. Known both in Baltimore and nationally, Dara Bunjon is a former member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs’ national public relations committee.
In the past, she has written for Style Magazine, Foodservice Monthly, Mid-Atlantic Restaurant Digest, Urbanite and other sundry publications. Since 2004 she has maintained an award-winning food-related blog called Dining Dish. She co-authored her first cookbook Yum! Tasty Recipes from Culinary Greats in association with Studio Spear. And has written Baltimore restaurant reviews for Gayot.com
Dara believes food is subjective; everyone’s taste is different and she enjoys bringing you to her table to commiserate and enjoy lively discourse.
Considered one of Baltimore’s food influencers, you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @daracooks.