2 Perkins Street
Jamaica Plain, MA
http://thehavenjp.com/
Groupon gave us the perfect opportunity to visit this Scottish eatery: The Haven in Jamaica Plain was cozy, warm, and inviting. The bar was especially charming and we would have happily sat there, had there been three stools. And everyone from the hung-over hipster to the young family to the two old dudes eating breakfast together had come out to chow down. Decked out with antler chandeliers, plaid swatches, sheep art, and rustic wooden tables, The Haven promised just the kind of comfort food we were craving on this chilly March morning.
Wait: 45 minutes
Wait for food: …also 45 minutes (what?!)
Melissa’s Brunch: The Haven Breakfast Sandwich, $12
One fried egg, Lorne-style sausage, a tattie scone, huntsman cheese, pickle sauce on a brioche bun with a side of baked beans
There was just so much going on in this sandwich, and all of it good! The melted cheese, the sausage square, the mushy egg, A SQUARE OF FRIED POTATO?!…this has all the component parts of awesomeness! This sandwich started off strong but halfway through I found myself drinking all the water allotted in our table's bottle due to the saltiness. The beans on the side were deliciously spiced and still maintained their beanish firmness (a rarity in baked beans), but also veered to the salty side (I'm guessing from the ham in them).
Nicola’s Brunch: Bubble & Squeak, $13
Two poached eggs, duck confit, fennel, cabbage, mustard greens, parsnips, leeks, and tatties
Eggs fascinate me. Honestly, I don’t even know if I like the taste of them. But for now I only seem to “like” them poached. At least from an aesthetic point of view, these were gorgeous; they sat like little pillows on a bed of (slightly greasy) root vegetables, and when I broke into them the yolk oozed over the veg, which filled me with a childlike glee. I thought the vegetables were delicious – the potatoes especially – but I had to snatch a piece of cabbage from Sarah’s plate as mine was completely devoid. The duck was stringy, as duck typically is. It was good, but to be honest, I didn’t find it necessary. It felt like more of an afterthought to me. I would recommend this, but you have to have a healthy love for carrots. On another note: the tea was weak. Disappointing for a Scottish place!
Sarah’s Brunch: Bubble & Squeak, $13 (same as Nicola)
Two poached eggs, duck confit, fennel, cabbage, mustard greens, parsnips, leeks, and tatties
First of all, how can you not automatically love something that has “tatties” in it? This was great. The vegetables were tender without being mushy and the poached eggs added a nice creaminess to the bowl that would have otherwise been lacking. Also, duck. Wow. Love duck. The duck added a nice greasiness to it (good grease not yucky grease). It was satisfying, but I would have killed for a good piece of crusty break to mop up the juices in the bottom of my bowl. I would recommend this, but only if you’re in the mood for a lot of root vegetables.
TOTAL RATING FOR THE HAVEN: While the food was good, we can’t say it was worth the wait. In total, we were in there for two and a half hours… way too long for a Sunday brunch. And it’s pricey. The tea was weak and the coffee could have been hotter. With that said, we suspect The Haven is not typically known for its brunches and is moreso a lunch or dinner joint. We also suspect that the kitchen and wait staff was overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up to use their Groupons all at the same time; we saw quite a few of them while we were there.
