Fork and Bottle, Allmendstrasse, Zurich

One of my beloved readers wanted to choose the next restaurant so together with my associate we joined her for brunch at this new restaurant Fork & Bottle. It is near Allmend Brunau where the ill-fated Casa Bonita used to be (in terms of music on the website Casa Bonita still leaves a lasting impression). We’re pleasantly surprised by the attractive and seducingly dressed lady, after all what better way to start a Sunday than being treated to brunch ? The menu features american classics of all kinds from pancakes to breakfast burritos down to eggs benedict. The “farm-raised” eggs were served on crab cakes, with home-made sauce hollandaise and advertised to be accompanied by hash browns. I’m all for honesty in menus and the dish was served with tasty roasted potatoes but not a hash brown roeschti like cake I was expecting. The crab cakes could have been a touch firmer and more delicate, but just getting crab cakes in Zurich is a treat. If they’d add Boston baked beans, that would be a great move. The second part of brunch turned out to be interesting as well, they have a large selection of artisanal beer advertised as being from Italy. Funny that roughly half of them on the menu are actually from Stabio in Ticino… Sampling through them I enjoyed the “Oat Soda” one modelled after the Big Lebowski. Don’t be fooled by that Disneylandish touch, a bitter strong and tasty beer emerges underneath. Fork & Bottle is certainly an upgrade from the joint it was before and I’m looking forward to warmer weather, where the beer garden will do great.