Todd Gray's Muse at the Corcoran - June Brunch Review & July Giveaway

UPDATE: This restaurant has permanently closed.
 
June Review
Never before has an award-winning chef cooked vegan brunch for the residents of this small, but powerful city. That is what really makes the vegan brunch at Todd Gray's Muse at the Corcoran unique. There are places to get vegan brunch in this city, but a truly gourmet, regularly scheduled vegan brunch using seasonal ingredients from the local farmer's market cooked by great chefs has never existed until now.

Chef Todd Gray and chef de cuisine Scott Gallegos are making vegan dreams a reality in their small kitchen inside the Corcoran Gallery of Art.  They are impressively creating culinary masterpieces in a kitchen that lacks some of the basic essentials such as a stovetop as the Corcoran Gallery of Art has strict regulations on how much smoke and heat can be generated inside the art gallery. They want to be sure the art isn't at risk of being damaged at any time.  So instead of a traditional kitchen, they are using ovens, panini grills, and portable griddles along with their creative minds to concoct the unique dishes served on the fourth Sunday of each month.

The chefs did not disappoint at the June brunch as they whipped up their vegan deviled eggs with whipped tofu "yolks" topped with Cavi-art vegan caviar.

My favorite dish was the banana bread and brown sugar pancakes. These rich pancakes were filled with bananas and served with a sweet pecan butter sauce.

Another favorite of the brunch was the sweet corn and sausage dish with new potatoes, old bay, and thyme.

Other delicious dishes included polenta with grilled vidalia onions, a farmer's market salad with asparagus, chickpeas, and olives, a watermelon salad featuring red and yellow watermelon with shaved fennel, mint, and lime, a market salad, and marinated peaches in five spice.

The most beautiful dish was the compressed summer fruit terrine with Moscato D'asti Gelee and Tahitian Vanilla.

And, again, they offered muffins, cupcakes, and cinnamon rolls from our local bakery - Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats.

July Giveaway!
Vegan brunch will be served on the fourth Sunday of each month, which means this month's brunch will be held on Sunday, July 22. Once again, I am giving away a complementary brunch for two! Come experience DC's only gourmet all-vegan brunch for yourself.

The July brunch will include:

• Vegan Deviled Eggs with Whipped Tofu “Yolks” and Cavi-art®
• Meyer Lemon Pancakes with Spiced Peach Compote 
• Heirloom Watermelon Salad with Shaved Fennel, Mint, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Lime
• Muse Tomato and Persian Cucumber Salad with Pickled Red Onion and Mint
• Roasted Corn with Smoked Paprika, New Mexico Chilis and Lime
• Vegan Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
• Byrd Mill Grits with Carmelized Onions and Thyme
• Roasted New Potatoes with Espelette Pepper 
• Farmers Market Salad
• Sticky Fingers Baked Goods

Giveaway details:

• To enter for a chance to win, just complete the form below.
• Prize: Complimentary brunch for two (not including cocktails) on Sunday, July 22 (not transferable)
• Deadline to enter: Thursday, July 12 by 5 p.m. EST
• Winners will be announced on this blog on Friday, July 13

Todd Gray's Muse at the Corcoran
500 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 639-1786