Inman Square - spices and sustenance

off to Inman Square last weekend to hit Christina's Spices (no website, but reviews and info here )...what a treasure this place is...so cool !! You walk in and your nose doesn't know what to make of it...every smell you can think of and a few you've never considered. The spices are tucked in everywhere - bags, jars, bins and boxes, you name it - not to mention unique groceries, loose teas...could get lost in there for days. It's not a fussy store, and that seems to extend to the hours...though scheduled to open at 10, no one had bothered to open the door by the time we got there.

So, what does one do at 10 AM on a sleepy Sunday in Inman Square ? Why, go to the S + S for breakfast, of course. I adore the S + S...my mother has been taking me there literally all my life, it's one of her very favorite places. An Inman Square fixture since 1919, it's a traditional deli gone wild...the menu is huge, everything is reliably fantastic, and I can satisfy my lox-and-eggs addiction day or night. "Es" means "eat" in Yiddish, and you'd best be prepared to "eat and eat" when you get there.

In a slight departure from my traditional choice, I went with Eggs Copenhagen - a truly delectable take on Eggs Benedict :

oh yeah baby !

Poached eggs, Nova Scotia lox, sauteed onions and Hollandaise sauce over really good English muffins, home fries and fresh fruit on the side. Serious culinary orgasm...so incredibly good.

My dining partner opted for another take on Eggs Benedict - Eggs Oscar :

unfortunately, Mark opted out of appearing on camera :)

This was amazing - poached eggs on potato pancakes topped with crabmeat, asparagus and Bearnaise sauce. Putting this over potato pancakes was brilliant - the perfect foil.

Spicy !

The S also does a decent take on a Bloody Mary...not super strong, but quite tasty.

Perfect start to a shopping expedition !!