I finally tried the General Muir for brunch. I had been skeptical of the concept, but I was impressed. I thought I would be in the authenticity camp, judging them by NYC deli standards, but the twists they put on some of the deli food seem so well executed that there's no reason to even want authenticity. On one hand it doesn't pretend to be authentic/traditional, and on the other hand it doesn't pretend to be over-the-top innovative. I went for the classic nova/lox/bagel platter, which came with cream cheese, red onion, capers, and tomato slices. They could have opted to tart this classic up, but they left it exactly as it should be. My dining companions were more adventurous, and they enjoyed all of it. I like that instead of feeling compelled to give every single dish a cheffy innovative twist, they do some dishes that way (yet not too over the top) but leave others as classics. Better than an authentic deli, they have cocktails and excellent espresso.
