Hub and I have been on a quest for the perfect brunch. It really is amazing how many brunch places there are in this city. Bill Addison and his team at the Dallas Morning News are about to do a piece on favorite brunch spots around town. He’s previewed the list on the Eats blog and I thought we should try The Grape. Afterall, it’s on our side of town.
First and foremost, the Oxtail over Banana Pepper Hash was probably the best brunch dish I’ve ever tasted. I had the Texas Benedict. Tomatillo and cheddar cheese sauces served over jalapeno cheese biscuits with the traditional poached eggs and ham. It was very good. Although, after tasting Hub’s oxtail dish I was almost willing to sit there until I got hungry again and order the oxtail. The meat was melt in your mouth tender and the wine demiglaze really rounded out the richness of the dish. I want it bad. The prosecco mimosas were a good deal at $4.00. For those of you who have not been to The Grape. It’s a small place. I would prefer a few less tables since the center area of the room seems almost like communal dining. But, it is quaint and a little rustic. Reminds me of a few places we ate in Italy. Small dining room but outstanding food. Their patio looks nice. It is just past sitting outdoors weather for me. We made a pact to come back for dinner sometime. We paid about $60, including tip, for a couple of mimosas each and brunch, no dessert. Upside – best brunch dish I’ve had recently. Downside – $60 is still a lot for breakfast.
Weekend before last we went to Alo, the newest La Duni clan endeavor. You would never guess how well designed the decor is for their dining room from the outside of the building. I thought I heard that this was supposed to be their “affordable” spot. I didn’t really notice it being anything like cheap. We shared a modestly sized pitcher of sangria for $25. More ice than wine. It was very tasty, though, and not too sweet. Their queso verde was excellent and a nice little opener for the meal at 3.00 for a small dish. I had a ham sandwich with crispy chips of chorizo inside a marvelous roll accompanied by a small salad. The flavor was great and it really hit the spot. Hubbard had the Gorditas Dona Coco. He loved it. I failed to taste it. So, I can’t really describe the dish. Hub ordered the warm milk chocolate cake. Again, those people are some kind of bakers. Beautiful presentation and beyond excellent. Upside – great looking place, brunch on Saturday and Sunday starting at 10:30, excellent food. Downside – no real drink special and the price of $67 total with tip. That’s not much of a down. Although it does keep it from being the “perfect” brunch place.
We continue our search. And what a labor of love it has been! I’m sure we’ll go back to both of these restaurants again and again.
