Feed your
indulgent side for brunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ at Disney Springs, writes Lauren Delgado.
A word of warning: I lay on my couch refusing to eat anything else for the rest of the day following brunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’. Southern fare is not something to indulge in if you’d like to run errands afterward.
It didn’t help that we ordered two of what sound like the most indulgent plates on Homecomin’s brunch menu.
In your cup
Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ is not your brunch spot if you’re looking for drink specials. A blueberry mimosa ($13) is a tasty, tart twist to the usual makeup of champagne and orange juice — but the Bloody Mary’s are where Homecomin’ really shines.
Five varieties offer different takes on the drink. For me, the Southern Mary ($15) sounded the most appealing to me, particularly with the fried green tomato, pimentostuffed olive and pecansmoked bacon toppers. Crop Tomato Vodka and Whiskey Willy’s Bloody Mary Mix made the quintessential mix of tangy, sour and spicy that goes with a Bloody Mary.
A few of Homecomin’s standards are also poured during brunch: the Florida Crush, which sounds like an upgraded screwdriver; two sangrias and, of course, moonshine cocktails.
On your plate
Understanding the full plates ahead of us, we didn’t opt for one of the starters: biscuits ($8), housemade doughnuts ($8), deviled eggs ($12) or fried green tomatoes ($14). Other entrees include French toast ($17), a short rib hash ($22) and shrimp and grits ($26).
Housemade hush puppy cakes form the unique base of the Hush Puppy Benedict ($20). The Southern bent on this classic breakfast dish leads to the inclusion of griddled country ham, pimento hollandaise, poached eggs and pieces of fried chicken tenders on top of the hush puppies. All the components work together — it’s when you separate that bland hush puppy patty that things go a little haywire. Keep it together people.
The Hallelujah Biscuit ($22) was the winner out of the set. More fried chicken, two over-easy eggs, pimento cheese, bacon and gravy were piled onto an openfaced biscuit. Don’t try to close that biscuit — this is a fork-and-knife affair.
After a few bites, my guest commented, “I’d say hallelujah, but that seems cheesy.” Need I say more?
One side comes with each entree. We opted for the pecan-smoked bacon and the grits, which are a coarseground brand called Bradley’s grits. The bacon was delicious, but the creamy grits stole most of our attention.
In a doggy bag
Here are a few things about Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’s brunch: When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays
Where: Disney Springs, 1600 E. Buena Vista Drive in Lake Buena Vista. Mimosas: $10-$12 Bloody Mary’s: $13-$16 Phone number:
407-560-0100
Reservations: Disney World.Disney.Go.com Live entertainment:
None Bottomless options: None