Jine's Restaurant - Hash Benedict & Turkey Sausage

As is expected of me by this point, I have once again disappeared from the blogging scene for ages, only to return with a plethora of random food reviews and mindless musings. I apologize to those of you who have actually been reading and waiting for new entries of this nonsense to be posted, but I assure you that the wait is now over. While I can't promise complete diligence towards maintaining this blog, I can at least offer you the occasional post regarding my random journeyings around the area (and sometimes beyond) in my endless quest to shovel delicious food into my ever-growing stomach. I truly appreciate those of you who continue to read, and thank you for your support. Now, without further delay, my latest food review:

If Morgan and I have ever been guilty of a self-inflicting sin since moving closer to the city, it's been our neglect of Jine's Restaurant on Park Ave. Despite hearing numerous people's raving reviews of the place, it wasn't until a few months ago that Morgan and I actually decided it was time to put these rumors to the test. Since that day, we have returned many, many times to indulge in Jine's "upscale diner"-style atmosphere and sample the myriad of outstanding culinary offerings. Now, I normally consider the term "upscale diner" a snobby way for 2-star restaurants to justify charging you $12 for a plate of meatloaf, but honestly Jine's manages to exude a feeling of elegance, while maintaining a casual and comfortable environment. A great date restaurant, due to being open 7 days a week (until 10PM from Monday - Saturday, and 8PM on Sundays), Morgan and I have been to Jine's for quite a few fun, romantic meals, although Jine's is also the perfect place for a quick Sunday brunch with family or friends. Staff are friendly, helpful, and efficient, the menu is varied enough for the pickiest of palates, and the price tag on most of the meals is fairly reasonable for the quality and quantity of food provided. Jine's definitely should be complimented on their selection - dishes range from familiar and hearty comfort food to modern spins on homemade classics.

As a wholly-genuine breakfast food lover, Jine's breakfast menu is a veritable culinary playground during Morgan and my brunch sessions there. To be honest, I can sometimes spend upwards of 15 minutes deliberating on whether I should try any one of their 20+ varieties of delectable, four-egg omelettes, or one of their unique twists on Eggs Benedict. On this particular occasion, unable to choose whether I wanted Eggs Benedict or eggs with a side of Corned Beef Hash, I chose the Hash Benedict and a side order of Turkey Sausage. Hash Benedict is essentially Eggs Benedict served over a generous helping of Corned Beef Hash, with American cheese melted into the hollandaise sauce, all of which is served over toasted English muffin halves. The side of Turkey Sausage was served up as 3 small patties, mimicking the classic breakfast sausage patty found on most menus, albeit (and obviously) made of turkey instead.



Shortly after taking my first bite of Hash Benedict, I realized that I had found the Holy Grail of hearty breakfast combinations. The poached eggs were prepared perfectly, the slightly runny yolk mixing into the hollandaise sauce's buttery and creamy flavor, all complemented by the mild tang of melted American cheese. The Corned Beef Hash was phenomenal, to say the least - not overly-salty, the corned beef flavor blended perfectly with soft potato chunks, with mild hints of onion, all lightly pan-seared to give the dish a satisfying crispy texture; easily, some of the best Corned Beef Hash I've ever had (and I have had a lot). While this was a wonderful addition by itself, once the egg yolk, hollandaise, and melted cheese mixture combined with the Corned Beef Hash, there was nothing I could do but continue to put forkful after forkful of the delicious concoction into my mouth. Not once did the savory ingredients work against each other, and the fact that the perfectly-toasted English muffin seeped up all of this flavor was an added bonus to this already outstandingly satisfying meal. The main negative aspect of this dish is one that plagues almost all food that utilizes melted cheese: eventually, as the cheese cools, it begins to harden and seize up, becoming a somewhat gluey paste that must be scraped off the sides of the dish, instead of serving as the velvety blanket of flavor it began as. The other thing that some might find unpleasant is the hollandaise, egg yolk, and cheese mixing into all of the other ingredients, not due to the taste, but due to this causing the entire dish to become somewhat monotonous and uniform in flavor. With this in mind, these are the only two shortcomings of this meal, and are really quite minor.

The Turkey Sausage patties were a great addition as a side, offering the classic spice of breakfast sausage patties, while utilizing the much milder flavor of the turkey meat. Those of you who have never had turkey sausage may be put off by the leaner meat's tougher consistency, which may have you using a knife to cut through the first few bites of each patty. Texture and toughness aside, turkey is a great, lower-fat alternative to one of my favorite breakfast sides.

Overall, it can't be denied that Jine's serves up one hell of a good breakfast. I felt fully satisfied at the end of my meal, having eaten my fill and then some, all at a reasonable and completely affordable price. Jine's should definitely be considered by those on a budget, costing less than many of the other local eateries downtown, and is of far better quality than any chain restaurant I've been to lately. Easily one of Morgan and my favorite places for weekend brunch, lunch, or dinner, Jine's is just around the corner from you, and is waiting with welcoming service and, as always, plenty to eat.

Score (out of 10): 9.5

Location: 658 Park Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607
Phone Number: (585) 461-1280
Website: http://www.jinesrestaurant.com/