< Previous10 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 Y ears ago, a single, more youthful and less enlightened me considered brunch merely a free pass to consume alcohol with breakfast. Friends and I would gather, a little bleary-eyed after a night of revelry, to recap the highlights, fill in the gaps and apologize as needed. Often, this repast featured something eggy, invariably with asparagus, and always hair of the dog. Later, married and a little wiser, I came to associate brunch with lazy Sunday mornings, Tom Waits playing low as I feasted on French toast and tried to keep the syrup from gluing together the pages of my newspapers. Maybe it’s the company keep on Sunday mornings, but brunch, for me, always has been a sexier, jazzier version of breakfast. My appreciation for the meal was solidified after reading a persuasive essay written in 1895 by British author Guy Beringer, who coined the word “brunch.” In his essay “Brunch: A Plea,” written for Hunter’s Weekly, Beringer set out to make a case for a Sunday meal that served as an an- tidote to a rollicking Saturday night and the social inadequa- cies of breakfast. Beringer put forth a winning argument for brunch, among them the ability to have your sleep and eat your pancakes, too. You snooze, you win. “In the first place, it renders early rising not only unnecessary but ridiculous,” Beringer wrote. “You get up when the world is warm, or at least, when it is not so cold. You are, therefore, able to prolong your Saturday nights, heedless of that moral ‘last train’ — the fear of the next morning’s reaction.” But what exactly makes a meal brunch? We know it’s typically enjoyed from 11 a.m. to about 2 p.m. and often involves drinking. But what besides the hours makes it not breakfast and not lunch? Beringer argues brunch, for which beer and whiskey are admitted as substitutes for tea and coffee, is more a state of mind. If we all gathered with our friends and brunched more, the world would be a kinder, more chari- table place, he wrote. “To begin with, brunch is a hospitable meal; breakfast is not. Eggs and bacon are adapted to solitude; they are con- soling, but not exhilarating. “They do not stimulate conversation. Brunch, on the con- trary, is cheerful, sociable and inciting. It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper; it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings.” Although I still enjoy a lazy at-home brunch, I find myself more these Sun- days — and even Saturdays — enjoying brunch with friends and family at local restaurants. Maura Judkis of The Washington Post is of the same mind. “Restaurant brunches are more than just destinations, they’re communal experi- ences,” Judkis wrote in an article titled “Brunch, the most important meal of the day. In busy Washington, sometimes the weekend morn- ings are the only time groups of friends can manage to get together.” It turns out, according to The Post, love of brunch isn’t universal and largely is enjoyed along the coasts. That makes sense. Enjoying a crab cake Benedict al fresco with Gulf breezes, shorebirds in sight and friends at hand makes for the perfect brunch setting. This issue, while not comprehensive, lists some of the most popular brunch spots in these parts. We suggest trying them all. Bon appétit. LAURA ELDER Coast Monthly editor FROM THE EDITOR YOU SNOOZE, YOU WIN WHEN IT COMES TO BRUNCHA trusted name with over 50 years of real estate experience Carolyn T. 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G aido R eal e state G Roup12 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 SHORELINES WE ASKED ON FACEBOOK: Marais in Dickinson. Great bloody marys and fabulous food right on the bayou! Dawn Castille Tholcken Marais is a favorite. Delicious gum- bo, fabulous Sunday brunch, beauti- ful venue and amazing waitstaff. Jane Deats Hayley Marais in Dickinson. Not only is the food excellent but the price is good, too. Kathy Silva Garza Sunflower Cafe — extensive break- fast/brunch menu and mimosas, of course! The waffles with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream are delicious. plus, you can visit the bakery on your way out for amazing bread, cakes, pies and more. Regina Lee Just went to the new brick & Spoon in Texas City, and brunch items were super, especially the crab cake/fried green tomato combo. I love that you can order a la carte if you just want a piece of French toast or bacon, or if you want a giant breakfast, plus French toast or bacon. Bernice Torregrossa brick & Spoon because of the fried green tomato stack. It’s yummy. Ginny McDonald I really enjoy the Sunday brunch at Galveston Country Club. boiled shrimp is one of my favorites. And Mario makes a killer omelet, however you want it. Our new chef is doing some great things. Jo Daily Galveston Country Club for sure is the greatest, and it doesn’t cost $50-plus. Knute Lund Love the Galveston Country Club! by far — it is delicious and beauti- fully displayed. Andrea Pieri Sunseri Miller’s! The French toast is next-level! Barbara Madeline Vollmer Miller’s was my go-to when I worked in Galveston. Great food and service. Jamie Allaun Mario’s Seawall — has a wonderful brunch menu! Jacki Hart pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House bal- ler bloody Mary and a Hot Chicken Donut for the Sunday funday win! Seth Alford blake’s at The San Luis has a great breakfast buffet at an affordable price! Wanda Buttner Shrimp ‘N Stuff Downtown on the weekend. Robert Darst No doubt about it for me, The Galvez Sunday brunch is the bomb. Not only for the variety of food, but with the newly restored atmosphere, it’s just the place to be in G-Town. Bobby Martin Grand Galvez hands down. It’s an island tradition. Donald Nurdin The Grand Galvez. Julie Ghidoni The Galvez. Sherri Greytok The Sunflower bakery & Cafe. Karen Barbier Shark Shack — their Cajun shrimp fondue is mouth-watering. Yummy. Stacey Gottlob bLVD.! Where else can you get a waffle made of crab cake? Great food, service and pricing is excel- lent! Also, the bS benedict is a nice twist on the traditional benedict but salmon is the protein — my person- al favorite! Barbara Reid Falkenhagen best brunch is bLVD. Seafood — crab cakes, pancakes and eggs benedict. plus, their bartenders’ fabulous bloody mary. Leona Pleasant bLVD. Seafood — excellent food and choices for Sunday brunch! Janine Gormley Karnes Number 13 has a wonderful brunch. Inside or outside on the pa- tio. excellent service. bloody mary bar is over the top. Marilyn Taylor Zwirek Where’s your favorite place for brunch and why? STUArT VILLANUeVA The Baller Bloody Mary at Pier 6 Seafood and Oyster House in San Leon is topped with shrimp and a fresh oyster.Leading Medicine IN CLEAR LAKE houstonmethodist.org/clearlake 281.333.8899 Advanced Care Close to Home Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital provides specialized services, comprehensive emergency care and the most advanced technology and procedures available, ensuring patients receive the highest quality treatment and care — right here in our community. We are proud to offer: •Advanced imaging •Breast Care Center •Cancer Center •Cardiovascular care •Emergency services •Neurology •Orthopedics and sports medicine •Primary care •Urology and urogynecology •Weight loss surgery •Women’s services 45 225 146 146 45 HOUSTON Deer Park Pasadena Nassau Bay Friendswood WEBSTER League City DICKINSON Texas City14 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 FEATURE RISE AND DINE When it comes to easy Sunday dining, these restaurants are among the best of the brunch complied by LAURA ELDER, SARAH GRUNAU, KERI HEATH and JOSÉ MENDIOLA E veryone has different notions about what makes a good brunch, that magical merger of breakfast and lunch most often enjoyed on Sundays and late into the day. Unlike breakfast, which easily is a solitary pursuit, brunch is synonymous with good food and friends and sometimes an extension of and a cure for a late night out. After all, brunch usually involves day drinking. Although there isn’t a lot of data to support it, some industrious researchers, in- cluding those at The Washington Post, have found brunch isn’t a universal endeavor, but rather concentrated along the coasts. That doesn’t surprise us. Brunch is laid back and unhurried, much like islanders and visitors seeking some down time by the sea. So, whether you’re hankering for hash browns or hair of the dog, these restaurants serve brunch with coastal and Texas twists and often with beautiful views. Call ahead for brunch hours, reservations and availability. COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 15 STUA r T VILLANU e VA Kristi Gonzales, from left, her son, Jackson, and husband, Doug, look over brunch selections while visiting Yaga’s Cafe in Galveston.16 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 FEATURE BLVD. SEAFOOD The atmosphere at BLVD. Seafood’s brunch falls some- where between relaxed and a little upscale. “BLVD. is fine-dining seafood, traditional plate presentation with a kind of casual atmo- sphere,” owner Mike Dean said. The seafood-focused restau- rant serves crabcake waffles and a deluxe bloody mary, with add-ins like bacon-wrapped shrimp, green beans, celery, lemon and bacon. “It’s more of a meal,” Dean said of the cocktail. The brunch also offers a dish called Barbara and Sheryl, named after two regulars. The eggs Benedict-style dish features salmon, dill, blackened shrimp over poached eggs and English muffin. 28th Street and Seawall Boulevard, Galveston, 409.762.2583 pHOTOS: STUArT VILLANUeVA (From top) Brick & Spoon in Texas City offers a wide variety of brunch fare, includ- ing bananas Foster beignets, made-to-order bloody marys and savory egg dishes like the Killer Creole Omelet; the Mimosa Trio for those who can’t choose just one. BRICK ’N SPOON At Brick ’N Spoon, brunch isn’t just on the menu, it’s the mission. This relative newcomer to the Texas City scene prides itself on being a Southern-based and inspired eatery, as evident in such menu items as shrimp and grits, every manner of eggs Benedict you can imag- ine — plus some you probably wouldn’t — along with beig- nets, pancakes and the house specialty bananas Foster French toast, made with caramelized bananas, Foster sauce, pecan pieces, whipped cream and powdered sugar. With a “sophisticated yet totally casual” environment, the restaurant offers a welcoming atmosphere as soon as you step in the door. With an entirely customizable bloody mary menu, imbibers can choose from a variety of vodkas, veggies, herbs and seasonings, meats and cheeses and rim- mers. Other favorites include a mimosa trio, and a variety of alcoholic coffee drinks. 10000 Emmett F. Lowry Expressway, Suite 1134, Texas City, 409.440.8535 GRAND GALVEZ Brunch at Grand Galvez is meant to be a high-class expe- rience within the 1911 hotel, which is undergoing signifi- cant refurbishing. Renovations at the seawall hotel include the addition of some new brunch stations, including an extra omelet station and more meats, General Manager Darryl Hill said. The hotel goes through hundreds of pounds of shrimp in a few hours during brunch, he said. Oysters, crab, other meats and pastas also are very popular, he said. The hotel’s COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 17 chef takes special care to make everything in-house, he said. “She hand-crafts every- thing,” Hill said. “She doesn’t want anything out of a can. She doesn’t take anything as pre-packaged.” Hill feels a responsibility to hold up the tradition of the Galvez brunch, especially for families who have been enjoy- ing it for generations. “Multiple generations have been coming through,” Hill said. “That warms my heart. To be able to facilitate that on a level that we do, it just speaks to me.” The Sunday buffet features everything from ham to gumbo and oysters and a whole host of desserts. To add to the stately seaside ambience, an ice sculp- ture of sea creatures, for exam- ple, usually sits around a bed of crab legs, oysters or shrimp. 2024 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, 409.765.7721 pHOTOS: HANNAH STUrTeCKY Grand Galvez on the seawall in Galveston serves up a veritable smorgasbord of food at its Sunday brunch buffet, including fresh seafood, pasta and carving stations and an entire wing dedicated to desserts. 18 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2022 FEATURE HEARSAY This downtown restaurant offers an elegant brunch set- ting it bills as “chic antique” in the Galveston’s Historic Strand District in the Fadden Build- ing, which was constructed in 1898. Tall ceilings, glass chan- deliers and a one-of-a-kind wood slab wall behind the bar all work to set the sophisticat- ed scene. The options are many and include such fare as fried chick- en with a Belgian waffle and buttered maple syrup. Other specialties include chicken chi- laquiles verdes and bread pud- ding French toast. Gluten-free and vegan dishes are available. 2410 Strand St., Galveston, 409.539.5914 HUBCAP GRILL Historic Galveston ambience is abundant in this downtown island restaurant. Brunch is available all day on Saturdays and Sundays at Hubcap Grill, known for burgers, beer and bourbon. Pair a Big Tex Bloody Mary or Blood Orange Mimosa with a waffle burger, chicken and waffles or LuLu’s Pimento Cheese Grits, to name a few brunch items. 2021 Strand, Galveston, 409.220.3551 LIL’ BUFFALO GRILLE John McAleer, whose family owns Lil’ Buffalo Grille in Gal- veston and The Buffalo Grille restaurants in Houston, aptly describes brunch this way: “It’s a kind of lazy, roll-out-of- bed meal,” he said. “It’s late, but you’re still hankering for breakfast. It’s getting close to noon and you want a little hair of the dog after a big night before.” Outdoor seating is abun- dant at Lil’ Buffalo Grille in the idyllic West End Galveston neighborhood Evia, where residents actually can roll out of bed and walk or drive golf carts a short distance to this brunch destination. But people from all around — not just Evia residents — flock here for the food and views of charm- ing island homes, fresh-water lakes and constant sightings of shorebirds. Popular brunch orders include Tex-Mex dishes such as migas and huevos burritos. Also popular with the brunch crowd are the banana and strawberry French toast, fish tacos, chicken quesadillas, blueberry pancakes and pe- can-smoked peppered bacon. 13 Evia Main, Galveston, 409.740.3663 At Lil’ Buffalo Grille in Galveston, breakfast is served all day, but on weekends, dishes like the banana and strawberry French toast, huevos burrito, fish tacos, blueberry pancakes, migas, chicken quesadillas, and pecan-smoked peppered bacon are popular with the brunch crowd. J e NNIF er re YNOLDSNext >