Liz BalmasedaPalm Beach Post
Brunch season swept in with new flavors and settings all across Palm Beach County, and there’s no shortage of “bottomless” options at local restaurants. There’s no shortage of new and unique brunch experiences, either.
Sure, there’s brunch with water views — it is South Florida, after all. And there’s a good mix of a la carte and buffet-style brunches. But there’s also brunch with a live jazz band, brunch that’s all about pizza, a museum restaurant brunch that’s served steps away from world-class art and brunch that offers a steakhouse New York strip as a side dish.
Here’s our new-brunch cheat sheet:
Ember Grill’s sophisticated brunch, Delray Beach
Tucked into The Ray boutique hotel in downtown Delray Beach, Ember Grill has introduced a brunch menu with an Italian steakhouse feel to it.
Menu highlights: The Ray’s executive chef, Vic Casanova, has created a sophisticated, a la carte menu with a dinner-on-the-town feel to it. The chef, whose extensive experience includes helping to open the celebrated Miami Beach location of Carbone, offers main-course dishes that range from brunchy (Maine lobster Benedict, $34, lemon-ricotta pancakes with blueberries and Meyer lemon curd, $18, hanger steak-and-eggs with bearnaise sauce and breakfast potatoes, $28) to dinner-worthy (bone-in veal Milanese, $65, branzino with blood orange, pomegranate, fennel and black olive, $45, 44-ounce prime porterhouse steak for two with roasted potatoes and salsa verde, $195).
Luxurious touches include caviar service that ranges from $185 to $350 per ounce and raw bar dishes such as a “Grand Platter” that features one lobster, a dozen oysters, a dozen shrimp and six Florida stone crab claws ($150).
Price: a la carte
Bottomless cocktails? No, but in addition to a full bar and wine list, there are boozy brunch drinks served by the glass or pitcher. They include Bloody Marys, mimosas and Bellinis ($12, $48), a gingery Blackberry Smash and a rum-infused Citrus Ginger Spritzer ($14, $52).
Hours: Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ember Grill is at The Ray hotel, 233 NE 2nd Ave., Delray Beach 561-739-1705.
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Beacon’s waterfront brunch, Jupiter
Apart from its sparkling views of the Jupiter Lighthouse, Beacon now offers Sunday brunch.
The brunch service, which started March 12, is served buffet-style at the restaurant, which is part of the Charlie and Joe’s at Love Street waterfront complex that’s partly owned by NFL icon Joe Namath.
Menu highlights: The buffet spread includes breakfast pastries, crab cake eggs Benedict, build-your-own pancakes, omelets, a steakhouse hash with tenderloin tips, a raw bar station, breakfast sides and desserts.
Price: $60 per person, $25 for kids age 12 and younger.
Bottomless cocktails? No, but you get two free mimosas or Bloody Marys with your brunch.
Hours: Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations are accepted online at TheBeaconJupiter.com.
Beacon is at 1116 Love St., Jupiter, 561-532-3280.
Lewis Prime Grill’s brunchy weekend breakfast, Loxahatchee
Brunch lovers in the western communities won’t have to drive too far for a sumptuous weekend morning meal, thanks to Okeechobee Steakhouse’s little sister restaurant Lewis Prime Grill. The new favorite Loxahatchee dinner-and-drinks restaurant just launched a tempting breakfast/brunch service on April 1.
Menu highlights: Eggs Benedict on a buttermilk biscuit with sugar-cured ham, cheddar and hollandaise ($17.99), breakfast sandwiches layered with ham, eggs, cheddar and smash browns on a brioche bun ($13.99), biscuits and sausage gravy on buttermilk biscuits ($11.99). Plus, you can order a 6-ounce New York strip steak as a breakfast side dish ($17.99).
Price: a la carte
Bottomless cocktails? Yes, bottomless mimosas ($18). There’s also a Bloody Mary cocktail that’s made with bacon-infused vodka for $14.
Hours: Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lewis Prime Grill is at 7040 Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd., Loxahatchee, 561-619-5115.
The Regional’s new Southern brunch, West Palm Beach
Star chef Lindsay Autry recently brought back her popular Southern Sunday brunch buffet, a destination-worthy spread.
Menu highlights: Brunch service offers the best of both worlds. There’s a buffet that features hot and chilled-food stations, including Autry’s famous fried chicken and biscuits with honey and hot sauce, deviled eggs are Southern banana pudding.
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Or you can order made-to-order dishes, brought to your table from the kitchen. They include loaded grits topped with crispy bacon, hoop cheddar, roasted jalapeño and grilled scallions, a fried green tomato Benedict with smoked hollandaise and country ham and a petite smash burger patty melt.
Price: $55 per person (Easter Sunday brunch is $85 per person), $25 for children age 12 and younger. (An 18% tip and 7% tax are added to all brunch checks.)
Bottomless cocktails? No, but for $14, you can have a peppery Bloody Mary with pimento cheese-stuffed olives. Other a la carte brunch cocktails include mimosas and Bellinis ($13 glass, $48 carafe) and a bourbon sweet tea ($15).
Hours: Sundays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.-ish. Reservations are recommended and can be made online at EatRegional.com
The Regional Kitchen is at 651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561-557-6460.
Galley’s buffet at your table, West Palm Beach
Galley restaurant, the airy indoor/outdoor spot located at the Hilton West Palm Beach, recently introduced its Sunday Bottomless Brunch.
Bottomless as in the unlimited, shareable tapas you can order for a set price. And, bonus, those dishes are brought to your table, family-style.
Menu highlights: The menu, now in the hands of Galley’s new chef de cuisine Nicholas Salanitro (formerly of Elisabetta’s), features breakfast pizza, short rib empanadas, chicken and waffles, burrata toast, Peruvian-inspired crispy sushi rice, churros and other sweets. For $14 extra, you can order Galley’s South American-style parrillada (grilled meats and seafood) from the restaurant’s elaborate wood-fire grill.
Price: $50 per person. (A 20% tip is added to all dining checks, and there’s a maximum of four split checks per table.)
Bottomless cocktails? Yes, for a $20 upcharge, you get unlimited brunch drinks.
Hours: Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Time limit: The brunch may be unlimited in food and drink, but not in table time. There’s a two-hour limit at brunch tables.
Galley is located in the Hilton West Palm Beach, 600 Okeechobee Blvd., 561-231-6100.
The Norton’s artsy brunch, West Palm Beach
How about weekend brunch before or after a turn about the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach? With views of the museum’s sculpture gardens, The Restaurant at the Norton recently introduced a small but varied brunch menu by the Constellation Culinary Group team.
Menu highlights: French toast served with zabaglione and mixed berries ($16), smoked salmon atop an “everything” bagel with onions, cream cheese, boiled egg, cucumbers and capers ($22), avocado toast topped with pesto, radishes, mozzarella and baby tomatoes ($18) and crispy duck confit hash ($20).
Price: a la carte
Bottomless cocktails? Yes, bottomless mimosas ($22, single $13). Singular brunch drinks include blueberry-lavender mimosas ($14), Bloody Marys ($14) and seasonal Bellinis ($13).
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are accepted at Norton.org/TheRestaurant
The Restaurant is located at the Norton Museum, 1450 S. Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, 561-268-0500
Sophia's pizza brunch, Delray Beach
Pizzeria Sophia, the suburban Delray Beach spot that takes its name from Italian film icon Sophia Loren, serves a Sunday brunch that showcases the sunny-side of its pies.
Menu highlights: Popular for its New York-style pizza, the restaurant offers a range of breakfast pizzas such as the Boca Special (smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onions and capers, $15), the Boynton Special (eggs, spinach, tomatoes, feta, tomato sauce and mozzarella, $25) and the Delray Special (fresh garlic, mozzarella, pancetta, roasted potatoes and caramelized onions, $25). The menu also includes a variety of brunch salads.
Price: a la carte
Bottomless cocktails? No, but mimosas made with prosecco are served by the glass ($3).
Hours: Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Pizzeria Sophia: 15065 State Rd. 7, on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and US-441, suburban Delray Beach, 561-359-2606
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Double Roads’ Sunday jazz brunch, Jupiter
Newly transplanted and reborn in Jupiter, Double Roads Tavern and live music venue serves a decadent, comfort-food brunch on Sundays with a live jazz jam on the side.
Menu highlights: Chef Beau Grant’s menu features a tempting pulled pork frittata with peppers, onions, spinach and smoked Gouda ($16), Caribbean French toast with ginger and allspice ($16), candied salmon avocado toast with pickled onions and cream cheese ($18) and the Hangover Burger, which is lavished with a fried egg, candied bacon and a heap of other toppings ($22).
Price: a la carte
Bottomless cocktails? No, but there’s a signature brunch drink, the loaded Double Roads Bloody Mary with candied bacon, a shrimp skewer and celery ($18), plus the full bar.
Hours: Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Double Roads Tavern is at 103 U.S. Hwy 1, Jupiter, 561-437-3348.