WAKE UP WITH BRUNCH

Brunch Wake up BY NICHOLAS DEKKER

with

PICTURED: Bourbon Bacon cocktail at The Pearl. RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: Hush Pups and Grain Mustard Cream and Fried Chicken Breakfast Sandwich at Soho Chicken + Whiskey.

In my nearly 15 years of writing about breakfast and brunch, I’ve been amazed at how the morning meal constantly grows and changes. I’ll think I’ve seen it all — eggs Benedicts, Bloody Marys, corned beef hash — but then restaurants across Ohio will surprise me with creative renditions of classic dishes. It’s what keeps me exploring on my blog, BreakfastWithNick.com.

Nothing beats cozying up to a filling brunch and a breakfast cocktail during the winter months, and here are a few favorites across the Buckeye State. The Pearl is an upscale gastropub with locations in Dublin and Columbus’ Short North Arts District. The accommodations are both cozy and modern, the perfect backdrop for brunch. We got started with oysters on the half shell, plus the deviled eggs and the Devils on Horseback, aka baconwrapped dates. Don’t miss jalapeño corn spoon bread, the Tavern Benny with buttermilk biscuits, and decadent shrimp and grits. To accompany it all, we had to order the Bourbon. Bacon. Beautiful. cocktail, a salty and sweet concoction blending fat-washed Larceny Bourbon, grapefruit shrub, maple syrup, and candied bacon.

Located close to Cleveland’s West Side Market, Soho Chicken + Whiskey features two of my favorite things in their name. The Sunday brunch infuses new ideas into Southern favorites like beignets with chocolate and raspberry jam, cornmeal hush puppies with sausage gravy, fried chicken with rosemary waffles, and eggs Benedict with fried green tomatoes. The brunch cocktails lean heavily into whiskey and tequila, with hits like the Tee Time with bourbon, Pimm’s and peach shrub, or the De La Soul with tequila, blood orange, grapefruit, agave, and lime. I gravitated towards java-based cocktails like the hot Kitchen

The Pearl is known for its fresh oysters.

BOURBON + PANCAKES =

A MEMORABLE OHIO BREAKFAST

There’s no better way to enjoy spirits over breakfast than with a bottle of Bissell Maple Farm’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup. One taste and there’s no turning back from the rich vanilla and oak flavor of this syrup aged in whiskey barrels. Stop at the farm in Jefferson to pick up a bottle.

IRISH WHISKEY AMPLIFIED

Triple casked for more flavour.

Get your veggies with breakfast at Sunrise Cafe.

Brew with whiskey, coffee, and bourbon cream, or the Cold Brew Highball marrying rye, coffee, cacao, bitters, and soda.

Any visit to Yellow Springs has to include breakfast at the Sunrise Cafe. With its cozy confines and creative decorations, the cafe appeals to the entire family through its locally sourced menu. Our boys love the kid’s offerings like cheesy omelets, silver dollar pancakes, and French toast, while the adults savor huevos rancheros, portabella and spinach omelets, and a cocktail. Their Bloody Mary uses a zesty house-made mix and an over-the-top veggie garnish, while the Irish coffee blends Jameson, Irish cream, locally roasted Brother Bear’s Coffee, and a dollop of whipped cream. We love combining breakfast at Sunrise with a hike through Glen Helen Nature Preserve.

The Pour House at Machinery Hall

sits in an historic building in downtown Chillicothe, with a lovely rooftop terrace and plenty of local live music. They go for

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Street tacos at The Pour House at Machinery Hall.

Bloody Marys at Twisted Citrus.

PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY. Responsibility.org

all the weekend brunch classics: chicken and waffles, avocado toast, street tacos, and eggs Benedict, plus Bloody Marys and mimosas. They get creative when it comes to cocktails, though, offering delights like Bourbon Coffee, Honey Crisp Apple Mule, and the Cowboy Killer with bourbon, orange curaçao, and chocolate bitters, all infused with hickory smoke.

Bloody Marys are the name of the game during brunch at Twisted Citrus. This brightly colored North Canton eatery offers “breakfast with a twist,” with a menu offering plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. So while you come for the breakfast nachos or the veggie sprout hash or the Badass Breakfast Burrito with spicy reapers, you’ll stay for the half-dozen varieties of Bloody Marys or mimosas. Your options are wide open: the Hottie Mary with pepper vodka, spicy Bloody Mary mix, horseradish, and jalapeño juice, or the Bloody Maria with tequila and lime juice. My personal favorite is the Dock of the Bay Mary. It blends vodka, clamato, lemon juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire with an Old Bay rim and shrimp garnish.

KY. Louisville, Brown-Forman Beverages. by (80 proof) Tequila imported by Vol. 40% Alc. reserved. ©2022 Brown-Forman. All rights trademark. a registered HERRADURA is

The best thing about a Bloody Mary is that, well, anything goes. Prefer it smooth and mild? You got it! Like it spicy and with loads of garnishes? Still counts.

1 c. tomato juice 1 tsp. Bloody Mary spice mix 2 oz. vodka 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 1–2 dashes of Tabasco or Frank’s Red Hot (depending on spice preference) Salt and pepper for the rim

Dip rim of glass in water, then dip in bed of sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper. Combine all ingredients with ice in glass and stir. Garnish to your heart’s content.

GARNISHES

There’s no wrong answer when it comes to Bloody Mary garnishes, but I try to hit most of the food groups. Some of our favorites include: • Celery (so you can tell Mom you had your veggies) • Lemon and lime wedges • Gorgonzola-stuffed olives • Pearl onions • Green beans tossed in spicy chili crisp • Slices of crisp bacon • Cocktail weenies • Cubes of cheddar or colby jack • Onion rings • Grilled shrimp (or even better, grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon) • A slider • Tiny grilled cheese sandwiches

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