Two Hot New Brunches to Scope Out This Weekend

It's too damn hot to be outside during daylight hours right now, but don't let that stop you from making brunch plans. Two hot restaurants of the moment have just debuted weekend brunch service, and yes, they both have plenty of alcohol and air-conditioning.

First up is Deep Ellum's Braindead Brewing, which held its inaugural brunch service last weekend. Served Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the drink to get here is cidermosas — locally made strawberry Bishop Cider mixed with champagne. The star dish of the food menu is undoubtedly the bacon flight, which includes four different bacon varieties including lamb, duck, and beef paired with four beers; there's also biscuits with andouille sausage and poblano gravy, and buttermilk fried chicken with sourdough corn pancakes and a sweet cream cheese sauce. You probably shouldn't sit on the patio unless you want to burst into flames, though.

For the north-of-635 crowd there's Ida Claire, Addison's funky new Southern-fried spot from the creators of Velvet Taco and Whiskey Cake. Expect fried chicken and cornmeal waffles with chicory coffee-infused maple syrup, shrimp with bacon-studded parmesan grits, and "knife and fork" biscuit sandwiches including one stacked high with fried chicken, peppered bacon gravy, and a fried egg. Drinks created by cocktail master Bonnie Wilson go far beyond the usual bloody marys and mimosas, like the Family Reunion made with white whiskey, watermelon, Aperol, and housemade lime bitters. Brunch starts this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.