Susan Hirasuna's out to brunch

(FOX 11) - Sunday brunch can be all the day's meals, served as one. Eggs, check. Charcuterie, yes, please. Hawaiian bread pudding and cocktails, uh huh.

Such are the offerings at The Guild in West Hollywood. Sitting on the porch, we started with a Orange Creamy cocktail; sort of an amped up mimosa with vanilla and whipped cream. Two heavy boards of cheeses and charcuterie were set before us, beautifully plated. The cheese board included tiny cornichon, blackberries, sliced figs and pears. The cheese selection included the expected camembert and the less expected boschetto al tartufo, but what I loved most was the rustic orange marmalade with thin slices of (blood?) orange. The charcuterie board included a fine prosciutto and other nicely cured meats. My fave was the salami di tartufo. What can I say, I'm on a truffle kick these days.

The ceviche was classic in taste, but less conventional in presentation; fat, tender tiger shrimp, mixed with citrus, peppers, tomato and cilantro, served on a tortilla chip.

I wanted to like the honey bacon cornbread. But this was one of those dishes where the sum of the parts somehow didn't make for an appetizing bite. The topping was way too sweet for me and the bacon didn't offer up the requisite yang to the yin. But that was likely the only sour note of the massive meal. Wild mushroom bruschetta; two kinds of mushrooms, sauteed with white wine and herbs, served on crostini with a tiny quail egg on top was addictive. The cuban shepherd's pie came with a fried poached egg on top of what looked like a traditional shepherd's pie, but what made this Cuban style was the picadilla ground meat, topped with a plantain crumble. Something lighter? There's a beautiful to look at, better to eat farmer's market salad with citrus, Asian pear candied walnuts, chèvre, edible flowers and a drizzle of balsamic.

Those are the small plates. From the large plate selection, the chicken and waffles are elevated with an airline cut of chicken breast, a fried egg and a poblano sauce that is the perfect yin to the maple syrup's yang. The Cubano benedict is the kind of thing I would throw together, if I knew how to make a mean ropa vieja, moros y cristianos and fried plantains. Put all that together, top with an egg and it's comfort food in a bowl. But if I had only one dish to order, and I was feeling flush, I'd want the lobster benedict. Are you kidding me? A cheddar chive biscuit is topped with butter poached lobster, poached egg, bernaise sauce and caviar! Oh my. #Ummai.

Oh wait, I forgot that uber savory dish needs a sweet finish. Give me a spooonful (or two) of the bread pudding. Not just any bread pudding, mind you. But one made with French toasted Hawaiian sweet bread, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sweet tart fruit compote to balance the sweetness of the dish and still take the maple syrup.

The Guild
8741 W. Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA
+1 424 279 9601

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