Dallas: The Brunch-er’s Paradise

I, like many twenty-somethings, truly believe in the healing power of brunch.

The finest meal of the week (in my opinion), brunch has the restorative powers that only pancakes, mimosas, omelettes, and bloody marys can provide. Couple the delicious food with pleasant company, and you’re in a good mood for the rest of the day.

Uptown, Dallas, is a brunch-er’s paradise. Some of the best brunches I’ve seen since leaving New York City, but with the wonderful, utterly non-New York City prices.

My favorite place by far is Nick & Sam’s Grill (meal pictured). Located at the corner of Fairmount Street and Cedar Springs Road and serving brunch every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 10:00AM – 4:00PM, Nick & Sam’s has a brunch that can really only be described as a brunch-er’s heaven. Carafes of mimosas, bellinis, and poinsettias for $10 each. The best seasonal fruit plate I’ve ever had (partially due to the delicious banana bread served with it… not to be missed!), for only $8. Captain Crunch French Toast – I repeat: CAPTAIN CRUNCH FRENCH TOAST – for $11. Also, one of the best gluten-free brunch menus I’ve ever seen.

Another one of my Uptown favorites for brunch is The Social House, located on Routh Street between Howell Street and Howland Street. Social House’s brunch runs from 11:00AM – 4:00PM every Saturday and Sunday and features delicacies like banana foster french toast and “The Elvis” (Caramelized banana waffle served with applewood bacon and peanut butter). Social House also has something wonderful on their menu called the “Bottomless Mimosa”. It’s trouble. And it’s only $9.95, so it’s trouble at a total steal.

Next up, we have Bread Winners Café and Bakery. Located at the corner of McKinney Avenue and Hall Street, Bread Winners really knows their clientele. They have an entire section of the menu titled “Hangover Elixirs” – consisting of mimosas, bloody marys (and bloody diablos), and frozen bellinis. Bread Winners also has more styles of eggs benedict than I’ve ever seen on a brunch menu before in my life. Texas eggs benedct (beef brisket hash and tabasco hollandaise), Southern eggs benedict (pulled pork, buttermilk biscuit, and tabasco hollandaise), Vegetarian eggs benedict (don’t really know how they incorporate eggs into that one, but I’m sure it’s magical regardless). The restaurant’s arsenal of breakfast tacos looks divine, as does its banana bread french toast (for $9.99), cinnamon roll french toast (for $7.99), and bananas foster waffle (for $9.99).

No list of Uptown brunch places would be complete without Dream Café’s heavenly brunch. Located in the Quadrangle in Uptown, Dream Café is a quaint and very casual diner. With amazing cloud cakes (for $12). The entire menu is a steal, and while everything I’ve had at Dream Café has been nothing but delicious, their cloud cakes are the real thing of beauty in the restaurant. My other favorites include the popovers, the 2×3 (two eggs and three mini buttermilk wheat pancakes… for $7), the Ode to Roscoe’s Chicken Waffle (waffle topped with fried chicken, gravy, and maple syrup; for $12), The New Yorker (bagel and lox; for $13), and the 90210 (eggs benedict featurning artichoke hearts, spinach, and grilled sliced tomato; for $10).

Where’s your favorite place to brunch (yes, it’s a verb) in Uptown? What do you get?

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