With restaurants having reopened, many people are seeking out favorites they may have missed during the shutdown. That is a perfectly reasonable and logical thing to do, especially at brunch.
After all, brunch is all about comfort and familiarity. Properly cooked eggs, toast that’s burned just the right way, freshly squeezed orange juice — these are all necessary components of proper Sunday respite.
Still, novelty does have a certain appeal. Whether that means eating at a recently-opened restaurant or one with a substantially new menu, Houston’s dining scene offers a range of tempting options.
In keeping with the times, all of these restaurants offer their menus for both dine-in and to-go. Again, brunch is about comfort, and that includes where someone chooses to eat.
BOH Pasta
Chef Ben McPherson puts an Italian spin on brunch at his stand inside Bravery Chef Hall. Dishes include summer squash frittata, green eggs and ham pizza, poached egg bucatini carbonara, and McPherson’s personal favorite — eggs in purgatory, sunny-side-up eggs baked in fresh tomato sauce with Italian spices. Served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm.
Cherry Block Craft Butcher and Kitchen
Get a taste of the Gulf Coast at this stand inside Bravery Chef Hall. The menu includes green tomato with pickled Gulf Shrimp, pimento cheese biscuits, a classic grillades and grits made with braised short rib, and chef Jess Timmons’ favorite — croissant French toast made with bread from Cake & Bacon, chevre cream, and bourbon-Steen’s syrup. Served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm.
Eighteen36
The Upper Kirby bar has a Greek-influenced brunch menu courtesy of The Roadster Grill. That means beef or chicken souvlaki skewers served with eggs and pita; a Greek pita stuffed with gyro meat, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onions, and feta; omelets with a range of toppings; and a decadent breakfast burger topped with bacon, cheese, and a fried egg. Served Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 3 pm.
Eugene’s Gulf Coast Cuisine
The stylish restaurant on the border of Montrose and River Oaks looks to Louisiana for its brunch menu. Choose from a selection that includes Benedicts (topped with boudin, spinach, or Tasso ham), avocado toast, shrimp and grits, and more. Pair it with a Bloody Mary, carafe of sangria, or other eye-opening options. Served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm.
Musaafer
The Galleria’s ultra-stylish Indian restaurant puts eggs in the spotlight for its brunch menu. Highlights include a riff on a Scotch egg (Nargisi Kofta) and the Raan, a slow-cooked goat leg designed to feed four to six people that costs $245. Be sure to save room for a dessert such as the Banana Malpua (fermented banana, clear banana glass, motichoor, and cooling spices). Served Sunday 11 am - 3 pm.
State of Grace
The River Oaks restaurant rolled out a new brunch menu as part of its reopening. Start with a cinnamon roll, biscuits and ham, or deviled eggs before diving into a pork belly Benedict, T-bone steak and eggs, or a lobster roll. Enhance the meal with a seasonal dishes that features fresh peaches, tomatoes, or summer squash. Served Sunday 11 am - 3 pm.
Traveler’s Table
Take a trip around the world at this Montrose restaurant. Start with biscuits, churros, or shiitake-edamame dumplings. Entree options include Benedicts, flatbreads, shrimp and grits, and a Korean-inspired kimchi fried rice with short rib and fried egg. Bloody Marys — including a riff made with Irish whiskey — boozy coffee, and other cocktails all provide a little hair of the dog. Served Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm.
State of Grace features this lobster roll.
