Yay! Our first guest post at NibbleNoshNom! Kalamata Jenn is a dear friend, fellow cook and a fabulous maker of brunch-tastic bloody marys. If anyone knows brunch in OKC, it’s this classy lady, so read on and get your brunch on!
When my partner and I want to take each other on a ‘date’ (i.e. leave the house for something besides cat litter) our favorite meal activity is brunch. And then we get the litter on the way home.
Ah, brunch. The bastard child of breakfast and lunch, somehow this meal has transcended its stuffed-shirt parents: its name implies a decadent, satisfying, and unhurried mid-day meal. And, of course, an excuse to drink in the morning.
And come on, it’s a great word. The word brunch can be used as a noun (Look at this brunch I’m eating!), a verb (So we were brunching when the meteor hit.), an adjective (These are absolutely brunch potatoes, because they have rosemary on them.), and a command: Brunch! Okay the last one hasn’t really caught on yet, but if my dog ever learns it he is going to be ROLLING in milk bones.
Around the OKC metro, we have some fantastic brunch options. I want to give a shout-out to a few of my favorites (below). Also, I’m vegetarian. Yes it’s relevant.
La Baguette- (7408 N May Ave. ~ Sunday brunch 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Breakfast available everyday.) A classic and our hands-down favorite, this bistro offers DELICIOUS crepes, omelets, and a really great cup of coffee. While you wait for your main dish, you can enjoy what the French have for breakfast most days- simple but good quality bread, butter, and fruit preserves. Quality rules here. Just say oui!
Picasso’s on Paseo- (3009 Paseo Dr. ~ Sunday brunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) Newest of this list and awesome. They have a great fruit crepe special and they serve you DIY mimosas (they give you the juice and bubbly separately so you can mix to your preference). I love the atmosphere in the Paseo, and I can’t remember what else they serve because the crepes are so good I always get them.
Café Do Brasil- (440 NW 11th St., Suite 100 ~ Saturday and Sunday brunch 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. ) Some delicious dishes with a south-of-the-equator twist. I’m not sure what spices they use in the beans, but whoa mama. They have a number of vegetarian brunch dishes and $3 zing zang bloody marys. Just be careful and don’t drink a Brazilian of ‘em!
Red Cup- (3122 N Classen Blvd. ~ Sunday brunch 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Breakfast served everyday until 11:00 a.m.) no booze here, but I love their breakfast burrito so much I would co-sign on its next car loan, even after reviewing its rocky credit history. Fresh salsa, seasoned black beans, all kinds of goodness. I love that the Red Cup has switched to an all-vegetarian menu, by the way, although eating somewhere with more than two veggie options was a little paralyzing at first. (What do I do????)
The Boom- (2218 NW 39th St.) Drag queens. Gospel music. Bloody Mary bar. Need I say more? Oh, I do? Well, my meat-eating friends also raved about the Eggs Benedict here. Raved. I’ve only been here once but it was so much fun. It was on my birthday and so they served me communion- Schnapps, obviously. The show was truly hilarious; this is a great place to go with a group.
Ingrid’s Kitchen- (3701 N Youngs ~ Saturday breakfast buffet 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Sunday brunch buffet 9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.) So when I tell other vegetarians that I enjoy eating brunch at Ingrid’s, they usually look at me skeptically, like maybe I’m a spy from Planet Beef. The vegetarian options are definitely fewer than the meat options, but it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet so you won’t leave hungry. A little fruit on cottage cheese, a little authentic German potato dish, a trip or twelve to the dessert bar. Like you do. There are plenty of delicious options for those wanting to eat healthy or not-so-healthy. Even better, it just feels really friendly here. The last time I ate here I saw a table of firefighters next to a post-church family outing next to a table of hungover hipsters- truly the world passes before you.
So- there are some standout options for those occasions when brunching out (see, verb) is what you want to do (and I’m probably missing a LOT of really good ones so let me know if your favorite isn’t on this list). Enjoy them in good health, or I guess it’s okay if you’re not in good health as long as you’re not contagious in public. Happy brunching!
