
The perfect Sunday is hard to come by but we all know one thing...it involves brunch. You wake up Sunday morning (hopefully with your dignity) and say "Self, what shall I do today??" The little angelic voice inside you says "Oh it's about time you did some laundry. And maybe you should go for a run, you know you haven't exercised since last Thursday. And really...call your mother, she worries." All those things are fine and good and make you feel swell about yourself. But they are about as boring as watching Proactive commercials.
Just when you start to get all bummed out you hear another much more gruff voice (I like to call mine Earl) and it says "Trick please, you want about five bloody marys right now, don't even kid yourself. Eggs need to happen like NOW. And your mom won't want to chat right now, she's probably observing the lord's day and all. Call your buddy friends and get yourself to brunch. A day of Sunday fun awaits you!!!" So you do just that. You've already spent Friday and Saturday basically giving the finger to your liver so when Sunday rolls around this all comes very naturally to you. 
For me the perfect Sunday has to involve two things. A) a GOOD bloody mary and b) recapping the weekend with friends via stories of who peed in their pants, etc. Without these two things my whole Sunday is off. I turn bitter and the aforementioned phone call to mom is not a pleasant one. In Dallas, Sunday brunch is bigger than Christmas. This is especially true in the summer months. It's the day to spread your weekend wings, enjoy the sun, entertain friends/family in town from (insert city), extend the previous night's bender, get rid of your hangover, the list goes on. Being a Dallasite now I've done extensive research into this category and what I always find at the top of Dallas lists is this lil place called Breadwinners. Umm, scu'me folks...their BMs (bloody marys) SUCK!! Anyone can squeeze a whole tomato into a glass and call it a sunday cocktail. And it's super crowded and not all that resonably priced for what you are really getting. Give me cheap eggs or give me death! If you are looking for Breadwinners onthis list turn back now before I really hurt your feelings. Sure, I'll still go there maybe once or twice a year when I'm too weak to punch my friends but I"M NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT WHEN I DO!!! That being said here is my top five list, in no particular order, of Sunday brunchy brunch spots around town:
1.) TABC- Say what you want about Uptown but this place has jalapeno gravy and one of my favorite BMs around town (tangy, spicy, salty, mouth watering) so that's enough to put this on my list. The have all the traditional brunch fixins and an amazing patio that feels a bit like a treehouse. Don't go unless it's warm. The inside is depressing.
2.) Angry Dog- All hail the grease pit. Anything greasy you could possibly want to line your stomach you can find here. Service can be a little iffy sometimes ( I think the "Angry Dog" part may be referring to members of their staff) but the wings and burgers are awesome. Tons of beer on tap too.
p.s. This picture makes me laugh. That other dog is like "WTF!!!"
3.) Hattie's- Yes you have to maybe put on something other than last night's dirty underwear (not speaking from experience) but its SO worth it. I love the atmosphere in the historic Bishop Arts district (great for a little walk afterwards) and equally love the tomato-basil soup. It's all about southern comfort here. Antiqued silver, crisp white tableclothes, fried chicken, bratty children in Burberry. For a minute you may just let a Scarlett O'Hara accent slip out I do declare.
4.) Buzzbrews Kitchen- On a recent visit my friend told me I was dressed like I had escaped a mental institution. And it was true, I really did. But it was also New Year's weekend and I had misplaced the dress I wore no undergarments with and I was wearing someone else's baggy clothes and sandals in the 30 degree weather. All that being said I'll get to the point...this is a great family-friendly establishment. It's also open 24 hours so that means they see alot of crazies/drunkies at all hours. Around brunchtime you get a little bit of both....the crazies (myself)...and the families (everyone else). Good people watching. The staff is friendly and informational, and the menu is FUN! Every single thing that came out of the kitchen looked good. Loved the Mr. C eggs. Downfall: No bloody marys, they dont serve hard liquor. But they do have mimosa specials if thats your thing. If Shittake Mushroom soup is the soup of the day you are IN LUCK! (haha...I said SHITtake, get it?)
5.) Ozona's Grill and Bar- LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. And their is one extremely important reason why. Build-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar!! But not just any build your own bar...this one has options galore. And i'm a girl that likes options. Do I go horseradish and hot sauce today?? Do I add five pickles to that?? The answer is yes and yes. One lime or three? Is that shrimp!!!?????? The beauty of this is it's all about YOU. The food is also delicious. I've had more off the regular menu than the brunch version but I recommend the breakfast tacos, didn't actually try them but they look scrumpdiddlyumptious when my friend ordered them...I wanted to slip her some drugs and eat it all while she was passed out. I got the breakfast casserole, it was MEH (that means neither here nor there). Rosemary potatoes are a must. The other great thing is the patio TO END ALL patios that is pretty conveniently open year round. It also feels like a treehouse, something I hold in high regard. Maybe because I never had one, thanks alot Dad.
Honorable Mentions a.k.a The Little List That Could
- Vickery Park on Henderson Ave. This place rocks anytime of day or night. YUM.
-Capitol Pub also on Henderson Ave. The brunch is only served 11-3 which sucks if you are a late Sunday riser but they have pretty potent bottomless mimosas and a really good brunch menu. The Capital Omelette is delish!!
Happy eatin, ya'll. Make it a Sunday to remember....(or forget, depending on your level of fun)
* If you dont like bloody marys I bet reading all that really sucked for you. I apologize. But get on board. Seriously.