Brunch options abound for a weekend getaway
I have a friend, Mara, the kind of friend I think everybody should have.
Mara, who is in her 40s but looks and acts like she’s 22, is a religious brunch planner. She researches the places, plotting if there is all-you-can-drink mimosa option or an most impressive menu. She sends out Facebook invitations to our friend group and follows up with sternly worded warnings to make sure we all RSVP.
And because of Mara, I have grown to appreciate all the wonderful brunch options of Orlando, which has easily become my favorite meal of the week.
When it was Mara’s birthday, we used it as an excuse to book the $49 a person brunch buffet at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. There were crab cakes, oysters and delicate desserts. I drank unlimited mimosas so it took the edge off when I saw the final bill.
Mara and the gang were regulars at Kasa Restaurant & Bar, near the downtown Orlando movie theater. We munched on the miso bacon we adored as we sat surrounded by stylishly dressed people. If the bacon didn’t appear on the buffet on some days, we grumbled.
Another favorite was Santiago’s Bodega. I brought my boyfriend so I could have somebody snap the crab legs for me. The croissant French toast was heaven. We ate and ate until our stomachs felt like they would rip open. I contemplated signing up for Overeater’s Anonymous afterward. I was thankful I wore my stretchy pants.
My neighborhood option was Dexter’s of Thornton Park, a relaxed venue that used to be an old Publix. We ordered omelets and Bloody Mary’s at an outdoor table as people streamed past us to the farmers market in Lake Eola.
One of Mara’s top choices was Stubborn Mule, where the menu featured dishes like “Who Woke Up First” — a dish with "funnel cake fried chicken."
There were times we ventured out of the downtown Orlando area to brighten our horizons.
We sipped on beer sangria at Bulla Gastrobar, a tapas style restaurant in Winter Park.
The appeal was always the food, the alcohol and the booze, as Mara put it.
“It almost feels like a dinner party or family gathering but with the family I got to choose for myself,” she told me. “None of the annoying uncles or cousins you don't like.”
Until the next brunch, Mara.