DIAMOND BILLIARD’S WEEKEND Brunch

Monte Cristo sandwich, where have you been all my life?

This week, during my interview with Diamond Billiard Club General Manager Jesse Howard, I learned about this cultural phenomenon of an eat — which is a fried ham and cheese sammy.

But move over, Monte Cristo: Diamond is now serving its own take on the classic, dubbed “The Full Monty.”

“You know how we do it around here,” Jesse said, in regards to the dish’s tongue-in-cheek title.

Diamond’s sandwich is made with turkey, ham, Swiss and American cheeses — all wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep fried, and topped with raspberry puree and powdered sugar. The decadent dish is now featured on Diamond’s weekend brunch menu, every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

And Diamond’s brunch is no stranger to indulgence. Another big item is one that Jesse unofficially calls “the hangover breakfast plate,” which comes with two eggs, hash brown casserole, grits, fried potatoes, and a biscuit and gravy. Weekend brunch also features $12 bottomless mimosas.

“Brunch is a big hit with football kicking off,” Jesse said, adding that Diamond offers the full NFL ticket — as well as 75-cent wings, and $12 buckets of Bud Light or Michelob Ultra, during games on both Saturday and Sunday.

Chattanooga can expect that same level of ingenuity and festivity, served at Diamond every weekend, during this year’s Scenic City Wing Cook-off at the Chattanooga Market, where Diamond will contend against some of the best wing cooks in town. The event is scheduled for Sept. 24.

“I have a new sauce I’m just dying to release to the public,” Jesse said.

And in my experience, Diamond’s introductions do not disappoint.