I sampled On the Fly's brunch this Sunday. While I have previously raved about the "street food" menu at On the Fly and the above-the-rim offerings at Dragonfly, this was my first On the Fly brunch. The Dragonfly brunch was always a tremendous way to experience one of the best restaurants in the city, as Dragonfly itself is a great way to show diners that vegan food can have as great a complexity as its animal-based competition. The On the Fly brunch offers a completely different menu than the one featured every day at Dragonfly's inexpensive carry-out, including Toad Hill eggs. Vegans can feel safe, though: the egg dishes like the huevos rancheros were able to be made as a tofu scramble, too.
Some of the other menu options included a breaded portabella cutlet, vegan bouillabaisse, vegan cioppino, eggs (or not eggs) Benedict and a French toast sandwich. On the Fly has expanded its outdoor seating, allowing more people to be served in the small space.
The cioppino was an interesting play on an idea. It was a great showcase for seasonal produce. Traditionally, cioppino is a tomato-based San Francisco seafood stew. The vegan preparation has great tomato and fennel notes. There is tender eggplant, summer squash, mushrooms, carrots and two giant potato ravioli, garnished with a toasted bread that helps soak up the flavor of the dish.
Brunch at On the Fly is definitely a great experience, as should be expected. It might be a decent option for those who couldn't drag somebody to a vegan restaurant kicking and screaming; now they can eat egg dishes. While some might see adding eggs to the menu of a previously vegan establishment as an issue, since the eggs are a local farm product, and since the menu is still almost entirely devoid of animal products, vegans can still go to On the Fly without fear.
