Austinites love brunch as much as their happy hours, and new options keep popping up to everyone’s delight. From casual to elevated, these new brunches showcase global flavors, great libations, and even a soccer match on the side.
827Ray's Kitchen + Cellar
This cozy yet elegant Lakeway newcomer serves filling fare with a French slant at affordable prices, including a righteous Sunday brunch. Chef/owner Wayne Brooks has crafted a menu that’s inventive yet familiar — with everything made on premise except the ketchup — and guaranteed to wow. Start with the poached lobster served over Béarnaise sauce and topped with crispy shoestring fries, or sample the creamy lobster bisque, served cleverly with a tiny shot of dry sherry on the side to sip or pour into the soup. The shirred eggs, baked in a ceramic bowl with roasted tomato and thin-sliced Rosette de Lyon dry sausage, offer a nice break from the average brunch dish, and the chicken pot pie is a heavenly serving of piping-hot comfort food. For something completely different, try the oak-fired artichoke and octopus in a rich mimolette cream and topped with persillade panko crust, with plenty of French bread to sop up every last drop. The wine list is extensive and well-curated, and there’s a varied cocktail list to match.
Bullfight
Start the day Spanish-style, enjoying high-end tapas and sharable dishes while watching live futbol matches from Spain’s La Liga in a lively atmosphere. Every Saturday and Sunday, Bullfight opens at 10 am to dish out delectable, beautifully presented fare, including egg dishes like the huevos rotos with spicy patatas bravas and serrano ham and snacky bites like tomato bread, sautéed garlic prawns with Aleppo pepper, and montaditos (slices of toasted bread topped with various ingredients). As with all Parkside Projects restaurants, the beverage list is outstanding, heavy on Spanish vino, cider, sherry, and aperitifs, and featuring a nice selection of signature cocktails. Feel free to wear your favorite team’s jersey and join the cheering section.
Second Bar + Kitchen — Domain Northside
The Archer Hotel location of the popular downtown staple is relaunching weekend brunch, served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am until 3 pm. Expect SBK favorites like the black truffle pommes frites with grana padano and truffle aioli or the Congress burger topped with shallot confit, gruyere, seasonal greens, tomato and horseradish pickles, as well as large entrée salads. Brunchy options include an excellent fried chicken and bacon-cheddar waffles with maple gastrique or a sunchoke potato hash with over easy eggs and grilled scallions. Save room for dessert and try the passionfruit mousse with pickled raspberries. Inventive house cocktails and a superb wine list round out the perfect way to start your day.
St. Genevieve
This swanky Rock Rose lounge serves a tasty weekend brunch in a lively 21-and-up atmosphere. Expect classic brunch dishes like crab cake Benedict and local gravlax served with toasted bagel, herbed cream cheese, red onion, and capers, but also signature dishes like a Korean steak with fried rice and two sunny side up eggs or an English toffee French toast with brandied bananas and Nutella whipped cream. But the real star of the show is the Bloody Mary bar, featuring the complete lineup of Revolution mixes (made by the owners of the bar) to mix and match, and a wide array of seasonings (wasabi, ponzu, Worcestershire, and more) and garnishes (house-made pickles of all sorts, crispy bacon strips, celery, and carrot sticks). You can also go for a $20 bottle of sparkling wine with three different mimosa set-ups.
Vinaigrette
New Mexican cuisine is underrepresented in Austin, but this healthy SoCo transplant is looking to change things with a New Mexican red and green chile weekend brunch, served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. Diners can expect tasty brunch classics like huevos rancheros and steak and eggs, spiked with your choice of red, green, or Christmas. Their traditional red is made with Chimayo red chiles, which are harvested ripe and dried, and is thickened with masa roux and seasoned with earthy spices. The fiery green chile is made with fresh roasted green chiles, the most famous is Big Jim, which is grown in the Hatch valley. The menu also features some unique dishes like a kale and corned beef hash and savory cilantro-corn pancakes topped with cilantro-lime crema, chile-infused maple syrup, and a side of arugula and corn salad tossed with cumin dressing. Vinaigrette offers delicious libations made with fresh-squeezed juices and infusions, including a killer Kale Mary and a refreshing orange-turmeric mimosa.
Visconti Ristorante
This scenic Italian outpost at Hotel Granduca is now offering a lavish Sunday brunch. Guests will receive a complimentary glass of prosecco to enjoy along with a buffet-style selection of assorted salads, cured meats, gourmet cheeses and breads, a fresh juice bar, eggs any style, and house-made desserts. Chef Mario Alcocer's menu of creative brunch dishes includes entrees like pan-roasted red fish, rosemary roasted NY strip loin with pink peppercorn sauce, and more. Brunch is served Sundays from 11 am to 2 pm at $46 for adults and $19 for kids, with complimentary valet parking.
A Bloody Mary is the perfect complement to brunch at Bullfight.
And that's what an Asian-inspired pizza looks like.Photo courtesy of Sterrato Italian Specialties