The Green-and-Gold Dream at Great Maple (Published by UCSD Guardian)

Great Maple is always busy and lively. The fast-paced servers, in their jubilant green t-shirt uniforms and chic aprons, are constantly traveling from one side of the restaurant to the other. Making a reservation in advance, then, is well advised!As implied in the name, Great Maple is known for its maple-infused dishes. The Maple Donuts, three per dish, are intended to serve the adventurous and sweet-toothed customers well. The interesting combination of sweet maple and bacon bits will bring you a new sensation — but don’t overdo it. Sharing a donut will work like a charm; half a donut is guaranteed to satisfy your the taste buds and leave you with a sweet memory.The Johnny Silver Dollar Pancakes ($9.95) is a daytime dish consisting of eight mini pancakes — another example of how Great Maple introduces the spirit of sharing to its cuisine. This stack of pancakes is highlighted by butter, powdered sugar and, again, the rich maple syrup.Great Maple has more than just these sweet and traditional brunch items. For example, the House Beef Brisket Hash ($18) is too sophisticated to bore you. This bowl brings with it a party of its own, containing the most diverse yet harmonious elements. Let’s see what’s in there: tender, slow-smoked beef brisket, plump PeeWee potatoes, appetizing onions, crunchy bacon, fresh and bright cherry tomatoes, charred kale and last but not least, two poached eggs with a slice of grilled bread that will surely sharpen the dish however you choose to make use of them.Gold and green are Great Maple’s colors — energetic, sunny, fresh and pleasant. The ambiance is so brisk and lively that no customer could walk out of there gloomy. This is definitely a restaurant worth checking out.