Bennys & Marys

Things got off to a bad start when they didn’t know anything about our reservation. And seeing as that was for ten people, that was quite worrying. Fortunately they weren’t busy, and we pushed a few tables together to form one big one.
The menu is quite interesting (it’s different to what appears on their website) and they have a nice good selection of drinks under «Hair of the dog». They also have a selection of «virgin» drinks.
I went for the Kimchi Mary and the Healthy Bunny, so had kimchi not only on my plate but also in my glass. The food was presented beautifully, tasted quite good, but unfortunately the service sucked. There’s very little chance of getting tipsy when you can’t order a drink. Or more water. Or the bill. Or you do get to order them but they just don’t come. And they can’t even use being busy as an excuse.

Kale chips, let’s start with that. No seriously, start with the kale chips.
We went to Bennys & Marys on the opening or re-​opening weekend whatever it was. After a long wait and hunt to find this place for a while now it was great to see it open. It seemed they were having some growing pains but mostly that the waitresses and chefs getting to know the menu better. I will go down the list of everything we tried (between two) because it was a great day to try a lot. For review purposes of course :)
Kale chips: Yes I’m mentioning those again because they we so good. Lightly salted and peppered then crisped to perfection. It looks like a huge bowl when it arrives, but you can do it! A must try!
Florentine Benedict: Another winner in the benedict category. The eggs to almost perfection, sauce was not sour as they can get and spinach not tough to chew through.
Champagne Waffels: Yep, champagne. Maybe I should have had some with it. This is just two waffels so if you’re hungry order something else as a main and this as your brunch dessert.
Poutine: Well the poutine was the only dish I was dissatisfied with. The fries with a little burned, which isn’t overly bad, but the gravy was lacking and the curds were just like melted cheese. I hope this dish gets better once they get going.
Classic Bloody Mary: Great showing on the bloody mary menu as you can imagine from the name of the place. The classic one certainly held it’s own in Amsterdam. There are plenty of variations to try if you like. A side of oysters for example with it.
Bloody Beer: Well I liked this so much I had three. They are very refreshing and the same ingredients as the classic bloody, but with beer instead of vodka. I wish it came in a pint glass though because the ice really fills up that small little glass. Maybe I can request that next time.
I’m really glad Bennys & Marys opened and gave another option for the weekend brunch. Excited to go back a try the few more items on the menu which we didn’t have the stomach capacity to get down.