Hypothesis: The weekend brunch at Linda's is surprisingly great. (Hypothesis formed on the slim basis of a distant but fond recollection of the cowboy taco ($6.25) and from observing pleased friends when I stopped in for coffee ($1.75) and a plate of bacon ($2) prior to a matinee at the Egyptian.)
Two semi-randomly selected human subjects—one with an unholy affinity for biscuits and gravy, and one, unbeknownst to proctor, a vegetarian (a disturbing development, but arguably good for the sake of the experiment)—were introduced to Linda's at approximately 1:00 p.m. on a Saturday. Heat and sun raged outside; ambient temperature and lighting within were objectively perfect. Fans whirred. One of the good booths up top was immediately obtained (brunch at Linda's is, at time of experiment, sparsely attended). The employee (charm factor: high) administering brunch handily dispensed with one subject's Bloody Mary–related dithering ($5.75).
"Who doesn't want a Bloody Mary?" he said, rhetorically.
Indeed. The Bloody Marys in question proved to be uniformly satisfactory; the celery salt around the rim of the glasses earned the special approval of all (speculation about the possible use of Mrs. Dash was dismissed), as did the extremely crispy marinated green beans immersed therein.
A representative sampling from the diner-style menu was selected (the biscuits-and-gravy fanatic was forced to also have chicken-fried steak); food soon arrived. Visual inspection was brief. All subjects agreed that it all looked "good."
A veggie omelet ($5.95) was observed to contain vegetables described as "fresh," with the egg component judged appropriately fluffy; overall, it was declared definitely above average. Chicken-fried steak ($7.95), ordered with a biscuit and (necessary) extra gravy, was described (somewhat unfortunately, but science never judges) as "the go-to meal"; the meat's breading was crunchy and peppery, the gravy (further characterized as "kicking ass") exhibited pleasant traces of rosemary, and the biscuit was declared "almost as good as Sammie Sue's," after which the subject in question predictably waxed poetic about his favorite dish at the former incarnation of what is now 1200 Bistro. Eggs Benedict ($7.25) was incontrovertibly superior to that available at Glo's or Hattie's Hat; a strong preference for the unusual inclusion of deli-style sliced ham was expressed, while the hollandaise exhibited a near-perfect, not-too-thick consistency (though it could've used a tiny bit more lemon). Shredded-style hash browns were highly satisfactory to all subjects.
By way of dessert, the poor man's speedball (AKA the giddyap/whoa: a cup of coffee and a can of Rainier [$2]) was deployed to general acclaim.
You are the control group. Draw your own conclusion.
Brunch at Linda's (707 E Pine St, 325-1220) is Sat and Sun from 10 am to 3 pm.
