Breakfast of Champions

The most important meal of the day can also be the most delicious way to start it. This Month: Opa Taverna

A visit to Opa gets me excited three days in advance and keeps me swooning for a full 24 hours. No real reason I hadn’t checked out their brunch yet; just the oppressive sports schedule of three kids in the suburbs. The fact that my “job” coincides so perfectly with my appetite is the icing on the cake, or should I say the Merenda on my Tsoureki (definitions pending).

My time with Sofia, the beautiful, ebullient, and welcoming manager at Opa proved just as much of a treat this visit as my last. The brilliant mind behind the cocktails, she started us off with a round of Bloody Marys. This drink is my kryptonite, so I can assuredly say I’ve tried too many versions to count. Every drink at Opa is house made from tip to tail, and these gorgeously crafted cocktails presented with flair are so fantastic and, much to my delight, with a flavor that matched the presentation. The Bloody Mary has a menu all its own, fully customizable down to the rim (go with the jalapeño salt). You can “upgrade” your cocktail by adding a skewer of Chicken Souvlaki; Old Bay shrimp; bacon-wrapped asparagus; or cheese and cherry tomato (my pick is the shrimp—seared off the griddle and perfectly spiced). A mini meal in its own right, it’s a great way to start off your brunch if you’re looking for a little hair of the dog or you’re just hungry enough. Tomato juice not for you? A mimosa menu—again, completely customizable, is in the works.

Now, if a robust meal that’s as free of carbs as you can get is in the cards, look no further than Yiayia’s Breakfast Plate; with two fried eggs, bacon, Opa’s famous loukaniko sausage, grilled tomato, sautéed mushrooms, and their eponymous fries, this plate will make you feel borderline uncomfortably full (a great dish to split). You could pair that with perhaps the lightest option, a perfectly portioned bowl of thick, tangy Greek yogurt topped with fresh berries and homemade granola.

If authenticity is what you’re after, go with the Strapatsada: eggs scrambled in a spiced tomato sauce with feta, heaped over their rustic, dense Horiatiko bread. A very generous portion, this dish seems daunting until you taste your first bite and just can’t stop. For a little more Greek flavor you could also try the Youvetsi fries. A nod to poutine (or if you’re from Jersey, Disco Fries), Opa’s famed short rib Youvetsi is heaped over their Greek fries and topped with a perfectly cooked fried egg. The meat itself is flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; warm spices that denote Greek cuisine to the fullest.

If you have kids in tow (or still eat like one), the menu has you covered with pancakes and a classic omelet. The “simpler palate meets upscale foodie” tastes best in their French toast; made from Tsoureki bread. This traditional Easter bread made with milk, eggs, and sugar (similar to challah or brioche), is flavored with orange zest and Mastic resin, setting it apart from the expected. It’s plated with chocolate, crisply griddled but pillowy soft inside and served with Merenda (think Greek Nutella) and fresh berries. It was a showstopper and I had to swat my kids’ forks away long enough to take a picture. Lastly, I sampled the avocado toast. A hearty, seeded bread, toasted and topped with flavorful avocado, radishes, pomegranate seeds, strawberries, arugula and a poached egg. The chef knew how to balance flavors and every bite was perfection.

If breakfast is what you’re looking for in West Chester, your options abound. If, however, you’ve got to-die-for cocktails on the brain, served with a mouthwateringly delicious, curated menu sure to appeal to every age and appetite, look no further than Opa’s for brunch—serving up wins from 11-3 on Saturday and Sundays.