What do you get when your favorite Chinese dishes and American classic brunch items have a love child?
We're picturing Peking duck and waffles; fried rice with scrambled eggs and sausage; and an omelet stuffed with Szechuan beef.
Blackbrick's Richard Hales must be reading minds, because that's exactly what he's serving at his new weekend brunch, offered in addition to his dim sum menu.
Hales tells Short Order that the idea came from the success of his Sunday midmorning offerings. "The dim sum menu has been very popular, with the restaurant packed every Sunday. We decided it was a good idea to offer dim sum Saturday as well, and to offer some brunch items to complement it."
See also: Blackbrick Offers $10 Lunch Special Featuring Local Produce
So Hales went into the kitchen and pretty much let his imagination run wild. "We're playing around with ideas of doing classic American brunch staples with Chinese ingredients and preparations. It's fun stuff."
The Blackbrick team has taken items from the regular menu and turned them into more breakfast-friendly options. Chinese flatbreads are stuffed with bacon, egg, and cheese. Chinese duck sausage is served over biscuits and smothered in Southern gravy. Peking duck rests on cinnamon bun waffles.
Other brunch-worthy Chinese/American mashups include a basket of Parker House rolls with char siu pork shoulder and Chinese hot mustard; the General's chicken liver toast on Zak the Baker's Jewish rye; and mala shrimp 'n' grits with Miami Smokers' bacon bits and a poached egg. If you've had a long, booze-filled evening, the Chinese salt-and-pepper tater tots with jalapeño and scallion will sop up any residual alcohol in your system.
Speaking of alcohol, bloody marys with spicy mustard and an MSG rim (yes, they went there); spicy peach and chili bellinis; and other specialty cocktails will be served, in addition to local beers such as Wynwood's La Rubia and Funky Buddha's Hop Gun.
Dim sum shouldn't be forgotten, and for $20 you can get a pot of Blackbrick's seven-year aged Tou Cha hot tea and a selection of buns, bites, and dumplings.
Prices aren't set yet, but everything costs between $5 and $29. Brunch (and dim sum) will be served every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Saturday, April 19.
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