Mark’s Score 8.2
I have waited some time to write a review of Mad Hatter Café, even though I have been patronizing this restaurant from its first opening. When it opened in 2019, it focused on ramen dishes with some breakfast items. On the occasional Sunday morning I would take a walk downtown from my home near the university and enjoy brunch at Mad Hatter. My approach to Mad Hatter was obviously prescient because as time has passed Mad Hatter’s menu has switched focus to breakfast and brunch food items.
Today, Mad Hatter is owned by Chef T.J. Ownby and his sister. They have continued with the Alice and Wonderland décor, and carried the theme into their cuisine, elevating breakfast and brunch food items with imaginative combinations of flavors and textures and whimsical names.
Though I think the décor is a bit silly and not whimsical enough to do justice to Lewis Carroll’s vision of Wonderland, the décor certainly sets this restaurant apart from other restaurants and it does form an appropriate backdrop to Mad Hatter’s imaginative presentation of breakfast and brunch dishes. I appreciate restaurants that reimagine ordinary dishes and turn them into something unique. That is especially true when it comes to breakfast dishes. Let us face it, most restaurants don’t even try to be imaginative with eggs, bacon, pancakes and waffles. It’s Mad Hatter’s imaginative approach to standard breakfast fair that keeps me coming back. If only they would pay as much attention to their coffee. Their breakfast dishes are wonderful, but their coffee is terrible. I never understood why a restaurant that spends so much attention on the detail of their food, pays so little attention to their coffee.
But what they lack in coffee, they make up for in their innovative breakfast dishes. Eggs Benedict is my all-time favorite breakfast dish. I am also a bit of a purist when it comes to Eggs Benedict. But in spite of that, I always look forward to Mad Hatter’s twist on this breakfast classic. There are two critical elements that you should never get wrong in a Benedict. The egg white must be fully cooked while the egg yolk should remain completely runny. The other critical element is the hollandaise. It must be buttery, tart, and light as a feather. I have never had a bad Benedict at Hatter. Though a purist, I do enjoy the fact that they vary the garnishes so that there is always something new and different.
I also enjoy their waffle burger, when I am in the mood for something different. I am not a big fan of waffles, but I have to say the combination of waffle, bacon, sausage, cheese and egg is delightfully whimsical and delicious.
If you are in the mood for breakfast or brunch and appreciate a bit of whimsy, hop on over to Hatters. In my view, they serve the best breakfast in Salisbury, and if you happen to see a white rabbit while there, don’t follow it.
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