Sunday Brunch at Mealey's Restaurant

I've been hearing great things about Mealey's Restaurant in New Market for ages, and I finally had a chance to eat brunch there today with my mother and my (step)son. I don't think I have adequate words to describe how delicious this brunch was or how wonderful this restaurant is.

First, Mealey's Restaurant has a cozy, traditional, rural American ambiance, with a homestyle dining room accented with elegant antiques, creating a comfortable sort of "upscale country" vibe, if there is such a thing. Although the dining room was packed full, there was still plenty of room to maneuver about, so you could lean back in your chair after eating if you needed to. The service was impeccable, so we tipped accordingly at the end of our meal. All the staff members were polite and responsive--in fact, they were the fastest hosts and servers I have encountered in years, always quick to bring an extra cup of coffee or whisk away a spent plate.

One side of a long table was heaped with lunch offerings such as steamed shrimp and smoked salmon, the smoothest sweet potatoes ever, green beans, roast beef you could carve yourself, and a ton of other fresh options. The other side of the same table was dedicated to gourmet breakfast options: a made-to-order omelet station, a spinach frittata, cheese blintzes, French toast, home fries, and more.

But the piece-de-resistance was the dessert table, where I almost lost my mind trying to decide between all of my favorite desserts in the world: creme brulee, bread pudding with vanilla bourbon sauce, chocolate fondue for fresh fruits, caramel cheesecake, apple crisp, key lime pie and English berry trifle. So I opted to create two small "sampler" plates with about one spoonful of each item--the perfect ending to a great meal.

My impression is that Mealey's goes the extra mile to buy the freshest, tastiest ingredients available on the market--all the flavors in the foods were so savory and strong, as they should be. For example, the cucumbers in my salad were sweet like the ones I grow in my own backyard in the summertime, and the shrimp tasted exactly as shrimp should, with no odd "fishiness" about it. I would rank this brunch a 10 out of 10--we were completeley satisfied and left wanting for nothing. How often do you get to eat a perfect meal like that? We're lucky we have Mealey's in Frederick County.

Mealey's Restaurant
8 Main Street
New Market, Maryland 21774
Reservations Phone: (301) 865-5488
www.mealeysrestaurant.com