What’s the best thing about the weekend? Brunch, of course! The best new brunches of 2015 will have you drooling – and perhaps planning a brunch tour of the country for 2016!
Oso Market Adventure Brunch (Portland, OR)
You might not expect brunch from a wine bar, but Oso Market in Portland, OR, will take you around the world with its Adventure Brunch! For a month once each quarter, the brunch menu features 4 or 5 dishes from a different region to give the team of talented chefs a chance to experiment with new types of cuisine. The places highlighted so far include Vietnam, Scandinavia, Morocco, Montreal, and check the Oso Market blog to see where they’ll take you next!
Chiku Tip: Even when Adventure Brunch isn’t going on, Oso Market has a lot to offer on their regular brunch menu, like polenta-bakes eggs and bacon and duck fat hash. Brunch is served from 10am-2pm every weekend.
How to get there: Turn brunch into an adventure with a trip to Portland from Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, and many more places!
Dirt Candy (New York, NY)
Dirt Candy is a crazy popular in NYC for its creative vegetarian cuisine, so when chef Amanda Cohen decided to start serving brunch, it was destined to be one of the very best! Dishes like the Canadian Cracker (a waffle with two fried eggs, melted cheddar, and roasted tomatoes), spinach ramen salad, and carrot granola definitely prove that good things come in meatless packages.
The brunch cocktails also incorporate vegetables in fun ways – try the Bloody Carrie (a bloody mary with grilled carrot and mezcal) or a dash of yellow pepper, cucumber, or beet mimosa.
Chiku Tip: Though brunch is available from 11:30 am-2:30 pm Saturdays and Sundays, Dirt Candy attracts crowds and doesn’t take reservations for brunch, so show up after 12:45 pm to avoid the lines and devour these tasty veggie treats!
How to get there: Eat your (delicious!) vegetables at brunch by visiting New York City from Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC and beyond!
Compass Rose (Washington, DC)
Compass Rose was inspired by owner Rose Previte’s travels around the world with her husband, and her restaurant is “dedicated to taking you on a tour of the world, but making you feel right at home.” The brunch menu lists the country that each dish was inspired by, so you can easily eat your way from Israel with shakshuka (baked eggs in tomato pepper sauce) to Thailand with jok (porridge with pork meatballs and quail eggs) to Uruguay with chivito (cheesesteak on a roll with chimichurri).
The cocktails also represent different countries, so you can add drink destinations to your globetrotting meal.
Chiku Tip: Compass Rose offers brunch on Sunday only, from 11am-3pm.
How to get there: Follow your compass to brunch in Washington, DC from New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and around the country!
Compère Lapin (New Orleans, LA)
Compère Lapin perfectly captures the essence of New Orleans in brunch form. The restaurant name means “brother rabbit” in French, and this rabbit is also a star of traditional Caribbean and Creole folktales. Chef Nina Compton brings these influences to her new brunch with zucchini fritters and green bean remoulade, goat bolognese with potato gnocchi, and, of course, the best New Orleans breakfast pastry, beignets.
Complement your meal with an Americano coffee cocktail made with a cold brew, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
Chiku Tip: You can enjoy brunch at Compère Lapin from 10:30am-2pm both Saturdays and Sundays.
How to get there: Enjoy a true Big Easy brunch when you make your way to New Orleans from Houston, Atlanta, Jacksonville, FL, and many other cities!
ICHI Sushi (San Francisco, CA)
Sushi for brunch?! Yes, if it’s as delicious as what ICHI Sushi is serving in San Francisco! The menu features Japanese twists on traditional brunch dishes, like tamago french toast with kuromitsu syrup and miso scrambled eggs with pork fat, as well as a traditional Japanese breakfast with umi masu, marinated ramen egg, rice, and miso soup.
Shochu is the star of the Japanese-influenced brunch cocktail menu, in both the dashi bloody mary and the Platonic drink with shisho leaf.
Chiku Tip: ICHI Sushi serves brunch from 10am-2:30pm on Sundays. Brunch at ICHI is on hiatus until the end of 2015 for holiday events, but will start back up again for the new year in January!
How to get there: Savor a sushi brunch in San Francisco with a trip from Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and many other locations, too!
Izzy’s Fish & Oyster (Fort Meyers, FL)
Izzy’s Fish & Oyster brings the tastes of Cape Cod to South Beach – and to brunch! Sure, Florida is known for its fresh seafood, but Izzy’s makes it special with fried clam bellies, a Maine lobster benedict, and the iconic Maine lobster roll. Izzy’s clearly knows New England, since the lobster roll is offered either warm with butter or cold with mayo, so you can fight it out over what is the true lobster roll. You might have to try both to decide!
Plus, there’s even lobster poutine on the menu, though that might be from a little bit north of New England – Canada, eh?
Chiku Tip: Enjoy brunch at Izzy’s Fish & Oyster from 11am-3pm, both Saturdays and Sundays.
How to get there: Have a taste of New England in Miami with a trip from Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and lots of other cities!
Illegal Food (Atlanta, GA)
If you’re not looking for a light meal, Illegal Food in Atlanta is serving up a brunch to fill you up! As you scan the menu, you’ll notice a signature dish that stands out, for both its name and what it is – the O.D.B. is a cheeseburger topped with bacon and egg, served on a Krispy Kreme glazed donut bun.
To wash it down, try the Caucasian, with vodka, house-made coffee liqueur, and half-and-half. The Dude abides…
Chiku Tip: Go big at brunch at Illegal Food from 11am-4pm Sunday.
How to get there: Indulge in a decadent brunch by heading to Atlanta from New Orleans, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and other places, too!
Trois Familia (Los Angeles, CA)
A fusion of French, Mexican and California flavors await your tastebuds at Trois Familia in Los Angeles. Savory options include a delectable beet tartare tostada with avocado milk or a double-decker potato taco with carrot pico de gallo.
And if you have a sweet tooth, you will be in heaven when you order the churro french toast, topped with famous Salt & Straw vanilla ice cream.
Chiku tip: Trois Familia is open for breakfast and lunch 7 days a week from 10am-3pm, so you can get your brunch on daily! Even if there’s a line, get your name on the waiting list by 3pm, and you will be seated.
How to get there: Try the flavors of Trois Familia when you take a trip to Los Angeles from San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and all around the country!
