My earliest recollections of brunch in Detroit involve gorging on the
Renaissance Center Big Boy all-you-can-eat breakfast bar after church
on Sundays.
The ritual began with a sort-of reconnaissance
mission on the part of my brother and me, scoping out the buffet’s
merits on that particular Sunday, the freshness of the pineapple,
selection of baked goods, the eggs’ fluff quotient, etc. If we
deemed it of a high-enough caliber, the back-up strawberry waffle was
abandoned, and we would descend on enemy territory with reckless
abandon — well, before actually placing the order anyway.
When
we finally had witnessed one too many dirty-fingered kids reaching into
the bacon tray and then replacing their selections, I sensed my
brunching life was easing its way into extinction.
About two decades later, during a weekend trip to Chicago, a friend suggested we grab brunch. My initial reaction: “Gross.”
Little
did I know that brunching had evolved into an art form in my absence,
and in the Windy City especially, it’s an event to be anticipated all
week. I moved to Chicago a few months after that weekend visit, and, in
the course of a year, ingested way more than my fair share of oversized
mugs full of perfectly creamed coffee, eggs Benedicts, tofu scrambles,
bananas Foster pancakes, chocolate chip crepes and bottomless mimosas
and bloody marys.
When I moved back to Detroit a few years ago,
I sought something similar here. At first, it was slim-pickings, but
the more I sought, it seemed, the more I found, which is kind of an
analogy for Detroit itself — the gems here aren’t obvious, and the
folks who find them, for whatever reason, seem to like to keep “their
spot” under wraps.
As of late, however, it’s hard to travel a
few blocks down a main thoroughfare without passing a new banner
proclaiming, “Now serving brunch!” "Everybody seems to be doing brunch.
Maybe it's because so many new people are settling downtown. Possibly,
the casino-goers have found they need to branch out from the Motor City
buffet from time to time. Or maybe there's been pent-up demand for
chorizo breakfast burritos and mushroom-leek frittatas. Likely it's all
of the above.
From the swanky Southern grub at the posh Detroit
Breakfast House and Grill at Merchant’s Row to the $2 breakfast and old
time music in Corktown, the Motor City is branding its quirky spin on a
Sunday tradition. It’s not necessarily Chicago-style, but if we wanted
that, we’d still be living there, right?
Following is the result of much lazy-Sunday “research.”
Hair of the dog Sometimes
the best way to ease out of a Saturday hangover or make up for a
lackluster weekend is to get a little afternoon buzz going on Sunday.
Enter the bottomless mimosa.
La Dolce Vita
on Woodward has got a great one. I have yet to discover a better way to
spend a sunny summer Sunday in the city other than seated at a table on
the outdoor patio of this northwest Detroit restaurant with a group of
friends, sunglasses in place, mimosa in hand and a steaming quiche of
the day on a plate in front of me. A wrought iron fence wraps patrons
inside a pleasant garden hideaway complete with a dribbling, stone
fountain. Live music and bimonthly “pajama brunches” spell quirky and
comfy luxury.
The
Majestic Cafe,
the classy midsection of the Majestic Theater center complex on
Woodward in Midtown, also offers delicious brunch specials on Saturdays
and Sundays, along with affordable regular fare in a casual atmosphere.
It’s a flexible, comfortable space where patrons feel welcome whether
they’re in a big group or seated alone at the bar with a newspaper. The
art displays and crowd — a mingling mix of bed-head hipsters from last
night’s rock show, couples and after-church folks — makes for
interesting eye candy. And who doesn’t love bowling after breakfast?
The Garden Bowl is right next door — you don’t even have to step
outside.
Across the street, however,
Union Street
is giving the Majestic a run for its money with a massive and
imaginative new brunch menu and later hours in which to order from it.
Lobster Benedict will set you back $13.95, but most of the yummy
frittata-style omelets (open-faced and oven-finished) are in the
just-under $10 range. They’ve also got bottomless mimosas and bloody
marys. Brunch selections, along with lunch and dinner items, are
available until 7 p.m. on Sundays.
Head a few blocks south on Woodward, and you’ll arrive at
Atlas Global Bistro.
The restaurant has been open since July 2003. White tablecloths and a
single yellow bloom on each table signify a simple elegance, which is
reflected in the menu and in the rest of the decor, which includes
graceful metal map sculptures, hence the “atlas” theme. The lunch and
dinner menus have adopted the theme, but the brunch menu includes your
typical eggs, pancakes and salmon dishes. The time I went, the portions
were way more than my brunch partner and I could handle, so splitting
might be a good option if you have a light appetite.
Even further south on Woodward is the newest entry in Detroit’s brunch cannon.
Detroit Breakfast House and Grill
at Merchant’s Row seeks to serve Detroit’s “power elite.” The
atmosphere is bright, upbeat and jet setting with dramatic beams
reaching up to high ceilings and almost-discreet, flat-screen TVs hung
on impressionist-sponged walls. The food is upscale, down home and
delicious — fare one might expect from the owners of Sweet Georgia
Brown and Seldom Blues. Since its Oct. 3 opening, I’ve heard a few
stories from embarrassed dress-code violators, but during my weekend
visit, I saw about a half-dozen brunchers wearing jeans and at least
one sporting a baseball cap. I guess even the power elite need a casual
day every once in a while.
A Midtown favorite,
Twingo’s
on Cass Avenue, reopened this month under new ownership. Owner John
Lopez (Union Street, Agave, Atlas) joined with executive chef Shawn Mac
(boocoo, Forte, Emily’s, Chimayo) to jumpstart the European-style cafe,
which had been a hip Cass Avenue mainstay for years. Right now, they’re
serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They’re starting a Sunday brunch
Jan. 22. It promises to be fabulous, at least if the wonderful choices
on the weekday breakfast menu are any indication (don’t miss the crepes
filed with fruit and topped with yogurt and berries, and do get a side
of chorizo with your eggs).
Family fare Even
the beloved Big Boy has evolved when it comes to Sunday brunch. The
Renaissance Center site isn’t with us any longer, but a few blocks east
on East Jefferson across from Belle Isle, the Elias Bros. keep their
breakfast/lunch bar stocked with soul food specialties such as greens,
pulled pork, cornbread and more every Sunday. Almost the entire
restaurant orders the bar, so everything you grab was probably put out
less than a minute before. With all the busy churches in that area, the
Jefferson venue Big Boy is a hot spot for the worshippers. Expect to
see lots and lots of fancy church hats and suits on Sundays. Also
expect to eat a lot. I suggest taking a walk around Belle Isle after
eating.
Russell Street Deli in
Eastern Market is not open on Sundays. They don’t serve liquor and they
close at 3 on Saturdays. But everything else about this place screams
brunch —green eggs and ham and omelet specials; interesting soups of
the day, like squash-ginger; French toast with a mountain of fresh, red
strawberries on top; coffee cups that are never less than half-full;
waiting — sometimes outside in the cold — for a table in the tightly
packed restaurant, and not caring. You will sit with strangers, and you
will like it.
Grease, please Another
cure for too much fun on Saturday is a greasy breakfast on Sunday.
Wherever you’re standing, look around; chances are, you’ll see a Coney
Island. Go there.
If you’re in the mood for a mimosa with your hash browns, try
Honest Johns on Selden near Second in Midtown. The neighborhood bar serves good and cheap breakfast every morning — that includes Sundays.
If you’re looking for a little olde tyme music with your “cheap and good,” try the
Steak Hut
in Corktown. From 10:30 to 12:30 a.m. Sundays, you can hear live music
— banjo, fiddle, washtub bass, etc. — while eating a meal that will
only cost you $2.
Anywhere you go, though, most of the fun is in
the experience. Anytime you get churchgoers, jetsetters, gamblers and
sleepy hipsters together, it’s bound to be a good time.
Seldom BluesLa Dolce VitaTheresa and a vicious Bloody Mary at Union StreetDetroit Breakfast House and Grill
All Photographs Copyright Dave Krieger