As if we didn’t indulge enough this Valentine’s weekend, the Dallas Brunch Club decided to follow cupid’s arrow to Terilli’s for a Sunday brunch with our amores.

Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who decided to cap off the weekend with celebration. There was a half-hour wait for a table. Luckily, we had a “Build Your Own Bloody Mary” bar to pass the time and for $4 – what a steal! Especially for those piling theirs high with jumbo shrimp and banana peppers.
Don’t judge.

After 20 more frustrating minutes of waiting on our table to be cleaned that we had already been paged for, we were finally seated at a perfect little table on the patio. The ideal spot for watching Dallas’ finest rev their engines down Greenville to compensate for what they may be lacking! 

The long wait was quickly forgiven, when our waitress brought us some complimentary blueberry muffins with a side of strawberry butter. Heaven. That fluffy, pink goodness is the stuff that dreams are made of. 

After every morsel of muffin was devoured, we ordered an array of entrees. For myself, I chose the Egg White Omelet. If you’re a goat cheese fan at all, then this is definitely for you – super cheesy, therefore obviously delicious!

After discovering that there was a crab shortage, due to the lover’s holiday, other DBC members settled on such entrees as the Gorgonzola Omelet and the Bistro Burger.

Although all were enjoyed, none could come close to the amazingness that is the Italcho! The Italchos are a Terilli’s speciality - an order of breakfast nachos piled high with your favorite toppings. We got a little aggressive with our toppings, thus leading to a $25 entrée, however, every bite was worthwhile and the Italchos were the complete envy of others at the table. 

Satisfied, yet unwilling to end this glorious day of brunching, we decided to take the party upstairs to the rooftop patio. Here they serve drinks and appetizers, but do not offer the full menu. Maybe trekking the food up three flights of stairs is too risky? Didn’t matter to us, the open-air ambiance of the rooftop was the perfect place to lounge with friends over a few mimosas.

The Crowd: This is a classy joint, catering to those looking to dine out for special occasions. (Though the DBC always considers brunch a special occasion.) Try to make it in before 12:00PM to avoid a long wait. 

Dress to Impress: Again, keep it classy! Tory Burch flats and your best sweater set will make you feel right at home.

Sounds Like: A trip down memory lane if you’re into classics from the 60’s & 70’s. You’ll find yourself humming along to classics by legends such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan or in the middle of a Shazaam-ing war with your friend to settle a debate over who sings this song?

Worst Thing About Terilli’s: The $2 mimosas were a little weak on their pours. We later found out that they were running low on champagne after Valentine’s weekend! Next time we’ll make ours a double!  
 
Best Thing About Terilli’s: Three-way tie between the strawberry butter, the Italchos and the rooftop patio! I suggest you make it a perfect day and go for the trifecta!

Today the DBC explored uncharted territory. We traveled to the other side of the pond (ok, fine we crossed McKinney Ave), to visit the British Beverage Company. Though it really did feel like we had just touched down in London Town, as the weather was drizzly and 50 shades of grey. A perfect day for cozying up at the BBC for Sunday brunch. 

The BBC has one of the best deals in town if you’re into mimosas. For a mere 99 cents you get yourself a fancy glass filled three-fourths of the way with champagne, which you can top off at the juice bar. I sampled the strawberry, peach and orange juices. I personally recommend the peach. 

Another Dallas Brunch Clubber ordered an Irish Coffee, but had a little trouble getting a good coffee to Bailey’s ratio. I’ll let you guess which one it was lacking. The Bloody Mary was quite tasty on the other hand – figures, Bloody Brits!

We had a hard time getting our fellow brunchers out of bed to join us this morning. Apparently they heard that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, so we weren’t able to sample as much of the menu as we would have liked.

Counting calories isn’t necessary on cold days; therefore, we decided to try out the Frangelico French Toast. Brioche bread battered in Frangelico batter, topped with hazlenut butter. Sounded heavenly, but was sadly only average.

The BBC Chicken and Waffle was again, a little on the plain side, but they definitely didn’t skimp on the panko-crusted chicken breast. It nearly covered the entire waffle. Blimey!

The best order of the day was the BBC Welsh Rarebit Grilled Cheese sandwich. An open-faced sourdough toast topped with turkey, applewood bacon and a blend of cheddar, gouda, and bleu cheese melty goodness.  

Though a couple of our dishes disappointed, we still very much enjoyed dining at the British Beverage Company. Let’s be honest - Britain isn’t really known for their food, anyway. It’s more the place for getting knockered with your best mates over a few pints. This too can be said for the BBC. 

The Crowd: A fun-loving mix of 20 & 30 somethings looking to get their bangers and mash on. You definitely want to head to the BBC around or after 12:30pm, if you're looking to mingle. 

Dress to Impress: Brits keep it casual and so do those dining at British Bev. Leave your pumps and crown jewels at home and opt for something more comfy.

Sounds Like: A DJ was spinning a Top 40’s mix. Not over the top club music, but enough to get your foot tapping.

Best Thing About BBC: The atmosphere! The BBC is definitely a unique spot for Dallas. From the huge picture of Amy Winehouse hanging above the ATM machine to the leather wingback seating, you will definitely feel like you’ve taken a stay-cation. You’ll also want to make sure and instagram a pic of you and your bestie in front of the red telephone box as proof of your good times!

Worst Thing About BBC: As mentioned previously, their food lacked excitement, though it’s still a neat brunch destination that we’ll be sure to visit again.

Thanks for stopping by this week! 
Cheerio! 

Two brunches in one weekend may be a tad on the aggressive side, we’re willing to admit, but somebody’s gotta do it. Our destination this Sunday: Primebar.

I had heard good things about Primebar’s brunch, but this was to be our first experience. However, if you’re thinking about visiting, get ready to spend $7 for self-parking. 

As soon as we got comfy on the patio, we immediately took the liberty of ordering ourselves a $5 carafe of mimosas. You can also order them individually at $2 a glass. Hmm, I’ll let you do the math on that one, but it looks like we came out ahead. I will say though, even after we were three carafes deep (split between 3 people, mind you) we barely had a buzz. Heavy on the OJ, light on the champs. Just the way I don't like 'em.

Go with the Bloody instead. It’ll cost you $4, but at least you can taste the alcohol. Or go hard like a neighboring table - a couple of guys looking to make friends with the DBC, throwing back Jack and Cokes. They likely started out with the "virgin" mimosas and were forced to take it up a notch. 

We began our brunch with the Spinach and White Queso. A melty plate of cheesy deliciousness. Definitely a great starter.  For mealtime, we ordered up a plethora of options. One, DBC member went for the BAT Sandwich. Which I suppose stands for Bacon, Arugula, and Tomato…but it’s ambiguity leads one to dream up other more entertaining acronyms. It was pretty tasty. I’m not a huge arugula fan, but those that are will love it.

Shout out to my BFF who made a special trip up from Houston to join us for our day of brunching. She enjoys channeling her inner hippie and as such, the herbivore omelet was right up her alley.  I tried to sneak a bite, but hungry vegatarians don’t share their food. I don’t blame them.

We also had a full-fledged paleo at our table and he went the opposite route with the omnivore omelet. At Primebar, there is something for everyone. 

Luckily, I’m no vegan, nor caveman, so I ordered the chicken and biscuit. Fried chicken, nestled on top of biscuits, gravy and a fried egg. It was pretty damn good – the biscuit was a little on the dry side, but otherwise, quite enjoyable. 

The Crowd: 
People looking to mix, mingle and have a good time. The seating on the patio lends itself to striking up convos with the people at the next table... or maybe it was just the Jack and Cokes that sped things along! 

Dress to Impress: Dallasite’s brought their A-game to brunch today! Primebar doesn’t open until 11:00am on Sundays so you have extra time to find something fun to wear. 

Sounds Like: Ooontz, Ooontz! Ain’t no party like a Primebar party, cuz a Primebar party don’t stop. There was a DJ spinning out on the patio, causing us to second guess if we had accidentally woken up in Vegas. Get ready to fist pump!

Best Thing About Primebar: I’d come back for the Carnitas Tacos fo sho. Great atmosphere for those looking to keep the weekend party going strong!

Worst Thing About Primebar: Their "mimosas". Unless you’re pregnant or planning on being the designated driver, I’d go with something else.*
*DBC does not encourage the consumption of alcohol by pregnant women or designated drivers. 

Well that’s a wrap for this weekend. See you next time Dallas! 

The Brunch Gods have smiled down upon us, yet again. Another picture-perfect day to indulge in our favorite weekend pastime, getting hammered, I mean brunching. : )Today we found ourselves at one of our go-to spots for brunch, Nick and Sam’s Grill. We're surely due a free meal by now as many Saturdays as we have spent here, but I digress…

After squeezing in an early morning yoga session, (because nobody can brunch as often as we do and still look this good without a little effort – Namaste.) we headed to Uptown.

By the time we arrived to NSG around 11am, we were hangry. Read: hungry + angry: The point at which your hunger becomes so extreme you will punch someone in the face if they don’t bring you the breadbasket quickly.

We also were a hostess’ worst nightmare – a bevy of blondes asking for, “this table, no that one on the patio.... Oh just kidding, we have 4 people, no I mean 5.” Luckily they seemed to be accustomed to dealing with  bi-polar bitches. With smiles on their faces we were seated at a new, larger table in two minutes flat and with a basket of blueberry bread, no less. 

After getting settled, we got straight to work. First things first, ordering drinks, obviously. One of the things that I love about NSG is their $10 carafes of mimosas. You can choose between mixing your champagne with traditional orange juice or instead, my personal fav, blood orange juice. They also have poinsettia carafes (cranberry juice and champagne) as well, but no one had a UTI at our table so we were good.  

Our drinks came out quickly, but our waiter didn’t take our order for about another 20 minutes. Thank God for that breadbasket. Finally, we ordered our meals and this time made an effort to select a variety of items. The guys at our table ordered “Build Your Own” Omelets from the Omelet station that was conveniently located right next to our table. Once you decided on whole eggs or egg whites you also have a long list of add-ins to choose from such as ham, sausage, salmon, chicken, and an assortment of cheeses and veggies. If you ask nicely they can add brisket for an extra 3 bucks. 

The Brisket Scramble was a dish that we had to paper, rocks, scissors for because it sounded so delish. The eggs and brisket were great, however, the breakfast potatoes were mixed in causing them to be a little on the soggy side. 

I went with the Eggs Benedict. It was fine, though I’ve had better, nothing over the top about it.  
My saving grace was the cup of savory, yet sweet Butternut Squash Bisque that I ordered that was absolutely to die for!

Nick and Sam’s Grill has a soup and special entrée that changes daily. They are usually great - so if nothing on the menu is jumping out at you I would definitely suggest you do yourself a favor and go with that. The Grown Up Grilled Cheese is also consistently fabulous and my usual go-to, but I disappointingly opted out of it this go round.

We were joined today by a friend who was willing to “take one for the team” and ordered the Captain Crunch French Toast so that we could have a well-rounded brunch experience. Imagine digging into your favorite childhood box of cereal, crunching it up onto thick slices of French toast and then topping it with cinnamon whipped cream. Off. The. Chain. It was hands down my favorite bite of the day.

The Crowd: Always awesome. This place is not Dallas’ best kept secret. Though, if you come before 11:30am you should be fine. If there is a wait, feel free to enjoy some complimentary coffee out front while you wait or get the party started and order a drink at the bar.

Dress to Impress: Casual cute, however, I did see some yoga pants – but I would never encourage such attire. Brunch is a time meant to see and be seen, not smelled. Change out of your workout clothes before you dine, people!

Sounds Like:  A decent mix of pop music – 80’s 90’s and beyond. You might feel like you just stepped into a Night at the Roxbury.

Best Thing About NSG: Their atmosphere! It is always a good time and the ideal place to bring out of town friends. Also the covered patio is perfect, especially when weather allows them to open up the side doors for some great people watching!

Worst Thing About NSG: I would say their Eggs Benedict, because  it was nothing to write home about. Go with something you’ve never had or be adventurous and try something off the specials board.

Tomorrow we’ll be hitting up another Dallas restaurant so stay tuned! Two brunches in one weekend! YOLO! Ha, don’t worry I just punched myself in the face for that one! ;) 

Cheers! 

It was the perfect day to begin our new adventure in brunching. A blue-skied, warm day during January is about as rare in Dallas as a natural blonde. So when patio weather as such presents itself it’s in bad form to pass it up.

To kick off our inaugural meeting of the Dallas Brunch Club we headed to one of our neighborhood favorites, Boxwood Tap + Grill, located at the former TABC location on Thomas Ave in Uptown. We even brought light hangovers from last night’s festivities along for the occasion, because nothing makes for a more satisfying brunch experience than celebrating hair-of-the-dog style.

Once we got settled at our table, we were greeted with a complimentary shot of juice made from carrots and ginger beer. Here’s a little Sunday Funday fact for you: Ginger beer contains less than 0.5 percent alcohol and is thus non-alcoholic. Apparently, it is also a palette cleanser. Bonus. The juice was quite refreshing and who doesn’t like free shit. 

After our dose of Vitamin K, it was time to get down to business and order some real adult beverages.

What Boxwood lacks in drink special prices, they make up for in flavor. Their $6 mimosas include a splash of grand marnier, adding a perfect sweetness.

The Boxwood Mary is offered with a choice of jalapeno flavored tequila or cucumber vodka, although at $10 a pop you might want to sip slowly. 

The most popular order at our table was The Southerner - Cheddar biscuits smothered in a delicious gravy sauce with sunny side up eggs, bacon and breakfast potatoes .

As for myself, being a bit of a benedict connoisseur, I opted for the Cheddar Biscuit Benedict. Ham, poached eggs and hollandaise atop Boxwood’s signature biscuit. A nice change from your typical, stale English muffin common of many benedicts I’ve tried.

My only regret of the morning was that no one ordered the Peanut Butter Pecan Pie Pancakes that were crowned with a dollop of fluffy, peanut butter mousse. However, with bikini season fast approaching it was probably best that we did not indulge. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!

After everyone licked their plates, we headed out to the patio for one last round. With seating in the sunshine being such prime real estate on a day like today, we were lucky to snag one of the last tables available and posted up for a few more mimosas. This time we ordered the Mimosa Trio – a bottle of bubbly served alongside three seasonal juices for $20 We asked to try one of each, but were only given the orange - pineapple juice. Fortunately, it was pretty delish so we weren’t too upset.  Nonetheless, it was a perfect ending to a pleasant brunch. 

Dish It & Take It

The Crowd: Great for big or small groups. Stumble in with your college friends or grab a bite with your fam. Gets busy closer to noon.

Dress to Impress: Casual, but cute…. especially if you might run into the guy or girl you made out with on McKinney Ave. the night before.

Sounds Like: Teen spirit. Ha, no but expect to jam out to your alternative rock favs. Think Imagine Dragons or Citizen Cope.

Best Thing About Boxwood: Their Cheddar Biscuits and patio set up. A double win if you are able to enjoy your biscuit whilst on the patio!

 Worst Thing About Boxwood: Drink Prices. Especially for those looking to get their drank on. But maybe you’re not the binge drinking, alcoholic type so no biggie!

Good food. Great company. Fabulous weather. I’m calling the DBC’s first outing a success. See you next weekend! 

 Until then, cheers!

Visit Boxwood's website here