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Recently, we found ourselves just on the other side of the Margaret Hunt Bridge, at a quaint little Oak Cliff restaurant called Jonathon’s. What they lack in restaurant capacity they make up for in portion sizes and flavor. Luckily, we arrived early enough, which is a must if you plan on getting a seat in the next hour, and scored the perfect little table on the patio. That is until the Attack of the Flies, but more on that later… Jonathon’s has plenty of cocktails to jump start your morning. They have a build-your-own Bloody Mary Bar with, in my opinion, one of the best house made Bloody Mary mixes. It’s a little sweeter and not so spicy – if you’re into that. Another favorite is the Purple Drank, but more because it’s just fun to say! I can’t dare say that I remember what is actually in the Purple Drank, but if you’re ordering it, it’s probably more for show anyway, right? When it’s time to order go big or go home. One word of advice (and really the only advice that one who dines at Jonathon’s needs): Order the Chicken and Waffles. I’m deadly serious on this one. If you decide to be all, “Oh, that’s too much food!”, “I’m on a diet…”, or “I’ll just have a bite of yours…”, you will live to regret it. I promise. Jonathon’s Chicken and Waffles is the best C&W in all the land. Mainly because their peppered gravy is the ish! You won’t want to share and even though it’s gigantic, you wont have any to take home. Anther bruncher at our table took a gamble on the Kure. A heaping order of biscuits, scrambled eggs, bacon, gravy, and cheddar. Good, but t’was no C&W. Same goes for the Breakfast Tacos – eh. The only thing that made for an unpleasant experience at Jonathon’s was the swarm of flies that arrive as soon as your food is set on your table. Every time I have gone to Jonathon’s and eaten outside this has been a problem, so just know ahead of time – you’ll be getting an arm work out with all the swatting you’ll be doing whilst eating your C&W, which I guess, might not be a bad thing… Dish It & Take It:The Crowd: Get’s hopping around 11:00am – come earlier than that and you’ll be safe. Jonathon’s
opens as early as 8am. Dress to Impress: Just wear your best stretchy pants and a loose top. You don’t want to feel confined while dominating your waffles! Best Bite of the day: Chicken and Waffles – most def! Worst Thing About Jonathon’s: The Lord of the Flies Best Thing About Jonathon’s: Cool vibe, great Bloody Mary bar and deliciously oversized entrees. Unfortunately, not all brunches are meant to be a leisurely affair. Sometimes you’re in a time crunch and just need to get the job done. Thus was the case when we stopped by Breadwinner’s Northpark location one afternoon before a very important Sunday Funday pool party. It’s a tough life – we know. But beyond the hustle and bustle of shopper’s on a mission, tucked in the center of the mall, a lovely dining experience awaits. If you’re coming to nurse a hangover or to get one started, Breadwinner’s has quite the array of beverages to choose from. We sampled everything from the Bloody Mary to the French Kiss and a few in between. Oh la la! The tasty drink award goes to the Deep Eddy’s Frozen Blackberry Lemonade. A delightful treat on a scorching 100 degree day! The drinking was the easy part. Trying to decide what to eat can be a little more cumbersome. They offer quite an impressive menu of scrambles, pastries, sandwiches, benedicts and other speciality items. The Leo’s Scramble was a definite hit at our table. Three eggs scrambled with grilled chicken, ham, onion, tomato, jack cheese and hollandaise. There’s no wonder it is highlighted on the menu. The Croque Madame served open faced on grilled tuscan bread with ham, swiss, jalapeno cream gravy and a sunny side up egg was another favorite. Don’t forget to save room for a warm Caramel Pecan Roll. Probably not recommended to indulge in before a pool party, but hey we live on the edge. Breadwinner’s has several locations in the Dallas area, and while their Uptown location is probably our favorite, the Northpark location will do the job for the bruncher on the go!
Today we traveled back in time and to the south side of the Big D to hit up a groovy little spot called, The Cedars Social. No, seriously, you will feel like you’ve been swallowed by a time machine and dumped out into a space that’s a stylistic mash-up of the Brady Bunch and the Jetson’s living rooms. But trust us, you’ll love it! Arriving at Cedars Social can prove to be difficult because there is no signage on the street to let you know when you’ve hit your destination. Make sure you take Siri along for the ride. Also, parking is free even though signs in the lot indicate that you must pay. After we had already paid the $5 fee, a waitress outside on her smoke break informed us that people eating at their restaurant do not have to pay. Awesome. We’re so charitable. Heading indoors, there were lots of oohing and ahhing as we were guided to our seats. The décor is strange but familiar, like stumbling into your grandma’s house after an acid trip. We’re only guessing. *The DBC does not recommend the consumption of acid before partaking in brunch, or ever really. I was glad to see that their menus were presented in an easy to read layout. Their online menu has all of their drinks, sides and entrees jumbled together in one run-on sentence and is difficult to decipher. I was also impressed by their long list of drink offerings. For $10 you can go for bottomless mimosas or if you’re fancy bottomless rosé. I opted for the mimosas and they were fab! Tall pours and a good OJ to champs ratio, just the way I like them. The Bloody Mary was a little on the spicy side, but in a good feel-the-burn way. The Irish Coffees were also delightful and all coffees (with booze or without) are French Press. A-plus on drinks! To jumpstart our palettes we ordered a plate of deviled eggs, as well as a sampling of their oysters, which change daily. I’d definitely recommend the eggs as a starter as they were more of a crowd pleaser. The oysters, although beautifully presented, were a little on the small side for $3.75 a piece. For entrées we went with several of the recommendations from our waitress. The Eggs Benedict was pretty delish, mainly because it was served atop thick pieces of pork belly giving it an extra savory sweetness. The Shrimp and Grits were also appetizing although come served in a very shallow bowl. You might need to eat with slow spoonfuls to really get your money’s worth. Their burger was good, although pretty standard and comes with a side of parmesan fries, which can be ordered with truffle oil if your heart desires. However, the real standout today was the Breakfast Flatbread. Toppings included pork belly, carmelized onions, cave aged cheddar (whatever that means) and eggs. It was fantastic. Dish it & Take itThe Crowd: There was no crowd when we arrived at 11:15AM, but they slowly started to trickle in while we dined. Dress to Impress: Casual, although if you’re into blending in with your surroundings make sure to wear something that is a nod to mod. Sounds Like: Portishead, Citizen Cope, Red Hot Chili Peppers…. You’ll definitely want to have your Shazam app ready to go! Best Bite of the Day: The Breakfast Flatbread for the win. I mean with a pork and melted cheese combo can you really lose? Worst Thing About Cedars Social: The parking debacle and a very confusing time splitting our check and getting charged for random things at the end. Best Thing About Cedars Social: The ambiance and cocktails! Definitely a fun place to bring a group or out-of-towners. They have a patio area that overlooks the Dallas skyline that would only enhance your drinking experience. Wish we could go ahead and time travel to next weekend’s brunch!
See you soon! -DBC Sundays in May were meant for brunching, and so were we. On this particular Sunday we traveled into uncharted territory to explore what the Bishop Arts District had to offer. With so many enticing options it can be hard to decide on just one dining destination, but we followed our gut and landed at a charming little restaurant called Oddfellows. The only thing strange about Oddfellows is that we hadn’t been here sooner. Strolling inside this hip eatery we were greeted by a hostess that took our name and cell phone number down on an iPad to text us when our table was ready. Oh you fancy huh? We scored a coveted outdoor table in the shade, with plenty of fans pointed our way to keep it breezy. The only catch to our prime seating was that their picnic tables are community style seating which means sharing your table with other people. Going against everything that your mother has ever taught you, in this setting it is highly encouraged that you talk to strangers. Our tablemate, however, wanted nothing to do with us. Obviously he didn’t realize he was sitting next to the one and only Dallas Brunch Club bloggers – poor schmuck! After all this adventuring into the unknown, we decided to order up something familiar, a bloody mary and a mimosa, naturally. The bloody mary, arriving in a darling little mason jar with garnishes a plenty, had a delightful flavor with just the right amount of kick to it. The mimosa was just average. After a little friendly banter with our waiter (shout out to our boy Slaughter) and a lot of cold shoulder from our neighbor, we placed our orders. The Duck Chilaquiles was absolutely fabulous and two gold stars for you if your waiter applauds your pronunciation of this dish, not to brag or anything! This dish includes duck confit covered in spicy ranchero sauce over a bed of black bean corn relish and tortilla strips topped with a fried egg. Boom-shacka-lacka! We also tried the Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Skillet, which was pretty amazing itself served up in a miniature black skillet of salmon, egg, goat cheese and avocado scramble goodness with tortillas on the side for some DIY taco construction. We also ordered one Red Velvet Pancake to share, because well…why the hell not? It came topped with a cream cheese icing and deliciously sweet syrup, a happy ending to our splendid little adventure. Dish it & Take itThe Crowd: Expect a steady crowd of cool cat Bishop Arts brunchers throughout the day. We got there around 1:30 and there was a very short wait, but by 2:00 the wait was going strong again. Dress to Impress: Summer’s-Coming-Chic. Ladies donned their best sundresses and the gents kept it casual. Sounds Like: Florence + The Machine sitting at a communal table with Imagine Dragon. Best Bite of the Day: For the first time ever, I cannot choose just one. I’m sorry. It just can’t be done. All of my bites were pure bliss. Worst Thing About Oddfellows: Sharing your table with a dud. Best Thing About Oddfellows: It’s location, food, charm and great wait-staff. We left here saying that we would definitely be returning soon! Make sure to squeeze in a few more patio brunches before it gets hotter than Hades out there, Dallas! See you soon!
Top of the morning to ya! The Dallas Brunch Club was up and at ‘em this morning to celebrate Dallas’ favorite holiday – St. Patrick’s Day! There is nothing quite like putting on your finest green ensemble, packing onto Greenville Avenue with thousands of others boasting their “Irish roots” to anyone who will listen (“no, really…I swear I’m one-eleventh Irish”) whilst sloshing around giant mugs of green beer. Pretty much just one gigantic green-themed frat party. To prepare, it was important that we get at least one solid meal under our belts before the festivities began, so we decided to meet up for brunch at Taverna. For those already familiar with this Lombardi family owned establishment it is important to note that they have recently changed locations and can now be found just around the corner on Knox Street, next door to Toulouse. They now have an even larger patio dining area that opens up into the restaurant and a cute little courtyard on the outside, as well. Any true Taverna fan knows that the main reason to brunch at Taverna has nothing to do with their food. It’s all about the $2 mimosas and bellinis! And with the waiters constantly coming by to top off your glass it’s easy to lose track of how many you’ve had. Definitely the perfect place to get your St. Patty’s Day buzz on! Sometimes if you look really ravenous or your order is taking awhile they will even bring out some complimentary parmesan focaccia bread with a side of rosemary olive oil. Cheap booze and free bread, are you feeling lucky yet?? For entrees you can’t go wrong ordering off the special’s board. The Taverna Frittata and Taverna Breakfast change daily and are usually crowd pleasers, though sometimes a little costly. Today’s Breakfast Special came with two pancetta wrapped pork medallions topped with hollandaise and crabmeat with two eggs over easy, breakfast potatoes and a side of broccolini. This can easily be shared between two people. I’ve personally sampled nearly every entrée on their brunch menu (what can I say…the $2 mimosas keep me coming back for more) and while all are pretty good, my go-to dish that never disappoints is the Classic Eggs Benedict with crabmeat. It’s magically delicious! Dish It & Take ItThe Crowd: People looking to get their drank on without running up a large tab. Make sure you get here before 11:30 or risk having to wait a bit for a table. Dress to Impress: Casual Cute, this place is always hopping and it’s likely you’ll run into someone you know so make sure you comb your hair before heading out the door. Sounds Like: Honestly, I don’t recall any music playing at all. But that may have been on account of the mimosas. Best Bite of the Day: Eggs Benedict with Crabmeat. Worst Thing About Taverna: Taverna does not sell liquor. Therefore, no Bloody Mary’s, no Bailey’s for your coffee, no fun. Best Thing About Taverna: The $2 Mimosas and Bellinis, duh! May the luck of the Irish be with you this week and for all your brunches to come!
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. Dish it & Take itThe 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. Dish It & Take ItThe 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. Dish It & Take ItThe 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. Dish It & Take ItThe 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! |
BRUNCHERS.Just some ladies who brunch, looking for the best places in Big D to grab a mimosa and a bloody mary! Archives
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