Scrumptious Brunches

From migas to tapas to scrambled eggs, Bethesda-area restaurants make getting out of bed on Sunday morning worthwhile

By Virginia Myers

Lazy Sunday mornings mean lolling about in bed, reading more of the newspaper than you’d ever read on a rushed weekday and perhaps a leisurely brunch. To help you choose where to eat, we’ve sampled some of the best and most popular spots in the Bethesda area and come up with 10 options to extend the luxury of a Sunday morning into midafternoon.


Black Market Bistro

Approaching this picturesque Victorian charmer tucked away in Garrett Park feels like coming upon the country general store where locals gather around a potbelly stove for gossip and a cup of coffee. Black Market Bistro, which occupies about half the building, strikes the perfect balance between that kind of friendly, Sunday-morning familiarity and the polish of a more urban restaurant that happens to be located in a building, snug up against the railroad track, which also houses the town hall and post office.

The menu here features an impeccably fresh, sophisticated selection that draws diners not only from down the street but across the Bethesda area. Once seated, in the gregarious main room, intimate dining room or, in good weather, on the front porch, you can choose from light fare like crunchy house-made granola, chunky with dried fruit and served with freshly made yogurt tangy with orange zest; go for a more substantial meal of grilled skirt steak and scrambled eggs; or shift to lunch mode with grilled panini sandwiches stuffed with fresh vegetables and pesto.

There are also sumptuous beignets, hot and airy; crispy latkes with tart, chunky, house-made applesauce; and a light version of eggs Benedict with either prosciutto or house-cured salmon on a light, sweet “angel biscuit” served beside pencil-thin asparagus. The French toast comes with Chantilly cream and a gorgeous pile of fruit, including, during one visit, juicy, plump blackberries; a Market Egg Sandwich features challah with applewood-smoked bacon and cheddar. A couple of specials fill out the menu, along with a salad topped with oranges and goat cheese. For kids, a special menu includes grilled cheese, chocolate chip pancakes and other simple fare.

Barbara and Jeff Black (who own the bistro) and Chef Allison Krzyminski keep the atmosphere friendly and refined. 4600 Waverly Ave., Garrett Park, 301-933-3000, Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.


Jaleo

Who says tapas are only for dinner? Small plates tailored especially for brunch are just as much a delight during the day, and Jaleo presents them beautifully in its sunny, brightly colored Woodmont Avenue restaurant.

Even the plates are in bright, Fiestaware shades and the world music will make you want to get up and dance.

Jaleo’s selection is far from predictable American breakfast fare, so it’s a good thing the wait staff is thoroughly trained to explain it. The menu is written in Spanish—with translations—but helpful waiters can give details you might not otherwise pick up. For example, you might not know that Ibéricos, a delicacy made from the black-footed pigs of Spain, has made a limited appearance in this country. Jaleo was among the first in the Washington region to offer the translucent slices of melt-in-the-mouth, earthy cured meat, just last summer. It is served with pan con tomate, chewy bread infused with bright, fresh tomato slices.

More brunch-based is the smoked salmon and hard-boiled egg with toast and goat cheese—the important detail here is an anchovy sauce and capers that punch up the flavor.

There’s also that Spanish staple, Tortilla Española, a dense omelet that is more potato than egg, and a favorite in bars all over Spain. Eggs appear again in Manchego stew, a savory melding of zucchini, eggplant and peppers, crowned with a fried egg. The grilled beef loin with a Cabrales sauce similar to a blue cheese sports fried egg on top as well.

For your sweet tooth, Torrijas Castellanas is faintly reminiscent of our French toast but more like bread pudding or flan—crusty with cinnamon on the outside and soft inside, accented with a tart apple compote.

All of this can be accompanied by the refreshingly tasty Jaleo mimosa, made with Cava, pomegranate juice and studded with pomegranate seeds. 7271 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, 301-913-0003, Sundays 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.


The Irish Inn at Glen Echo

This Glen Echo restaurant looks like a cross between Irish cottage and roadside pub, and does indeed include a cozy pub, but a hearty Irish brunch draws most diners to its country-charm dining room.

Owner Christy Hughes is one reason this place is the Real Thing and as popular as it is. Not only does he hale from the Emerald Isle himself, he also ran the Dubliner and the Four Provinces (aka the Four P’s) in Washington before he took over the Inn three years ago, and has a friendly and familiar twinkle for regular customers and newcomers alike.

Executive chef Ross Vandiver, formerly with Grapeseed, holds down tradition in the kitchen. His shepherd’s pie omelet may sound like an odd pairing, but the meat-pie filling somehow works, along with roasted “spuds” on the side. Or, you might want the Dubliner, scrambled eggs with a generous helping of in-house smoked salmon mixed in and topped with cream cheese. Our favorite dish was the Irish Benedict, with boiled baby ham, or “Irish ham” in place of Canadian bacon. Vandiver explains this is the real corned beef of Ireland; what Americans think of as corned beef is an Americanization. It comes with parsley sauce instead of hollandaise, and a warm, thick tomato slice brightens the whole package.

Our waiter, also from Ireland (as are several staff members), explained the difference between bangers (soft-and-savory Irish sausage) and rashers (smoky slabs of bacon), both included in the Irish Breakfast entree, along with black and white “pudding” (another sausage variation) and Bachelor’s (baked) beans imported from Ireland.

Other items on the menu shift every few weeks. Salads like warm pumpkin with roasted butternut squash, fried speck (a cured ham), polenta croutons and frisee (offered during our visit) alternate with those featuring figs with candied pecans and arugula, and roasted red and yellow beets with red oak lettuce and goat cheese. Potato leek soup is another popular item, or try Hughes’ favorite, the Kildare Melt, a slice of Irish ham with caramelized onions, roasted tomatoes and Irish cheddar finished with Guinness mustard on toasted bread.  6119 Tulane Ave., Glen Echo, 301-229-6600, Sundays 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.


Jackie’s Restaurant

From the casual welcome at the door—you could imagine owner Jackie Greenbaum as a friendly neighbor delivering a hot mug of coffee and The New York Times—to the lower prices and Southern flavor on the menu, brunch at Jackie’s is more jeans and T-shirts than the dressed-for-the-evening event you’ll encounter at this restaurant’s dinner seating. Guests linger over the paper and perhaps an extra mimosa or two, says Greenbaum, who was “hell-bent” on brunch since she and partner Patrick Higgins opened the restaurant two years ago. “There’s a different feel to the restaurant during the daytime,” says Greenbaum. “We play much more casual upbeat music; it has a certain liveliness…It’s also more luxurious…People hang out a little bit longer for brunch.”

The menu—and the retro-garage décor—is just as quirky and fun as it is at dinner. One of the most popular items is also a signature dish: Eggs in a Nest, a fried egg atop a crisp nest of shredded potatoes, Swiss chard and onion confit. Decadent challah French toast is served with candied walnuts, or sometimes candied fruit and crème fraîche. Also popular is fried chicken with a house-made biscuit and sausage gravy.

These top three sellers share the menu with an omelet that varies each week; most recently it was spinach and Asiago cheese. Or you can get two eggs with bacon, often smoked in-house with meat from an organic farmer in nearby Virginia; smoked salmon with red onion and cream cheese on a bagel; or that biscuit and sausage gravy, with sausage made in-house.  Lunch-style entrees like salmon or leg of lamb vary, and sometimes there’s brisket hash served with egg. 8081 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, 301-565-9700, Sundays 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.


Austin Grill

If you thought Tex-Mex was only about burritos, think again. Brunch at Austin Grill in Bethesda (and Silver Spring), is a great time to combine natural partners: eggs and tortillas, eggs and salsa, eggs and chorizo…you get the picture. Add to that friendly servers and a lively dining room with Austin-flavored blues and acoustic rock and you have an energetic jump-start for the day.

Everything on the brunch menu involves eggs (for something un-eggy, the weekday menu is also available during brunch), but in all likelihood, these aren’t your mother’s eggs. The Benedict comes on a Canadian bacon quesadilla with hot chili hollandaise; eggs and sausage mean spicy Mexican chorizo wrapped in tortillas and served with rice and beans. Migas is perhaps the most typical of border meals—eggs scrambled with pieces of corn tortilla, green chile, onions and tomatoes topped with cheese—spicy enough to wake you up but as close to comfort food as you can get. Huevos rancheros is another familiar choice, two fried eggs over a tortilla with ranchera sauce, topped with cheese and roasted poblanos. There’s also a chorizo burrito, with Anaheim peppers and jack and cheddar cheese, or an avocado and tomato omelet.

On the sweet side, Texas toast is like French toast on steroids, thick slices dusted with cinnamon and served with pecan butter and maple syrup; or there are cornmeal pancakes, served with the ubiquitous eggs any style. Delicious applewood-smoked bacon complements many entrees, or you can get it and a list of other items, like griddle potatoes or spicy, creamy chipotle cheddar grits (one of our favorites), on the side. The kids will be happy with their own menu—not specific to brunch—and an activity sheet that teaches them about wind power, the source of electricity for all Austin Grill restaurants. 7278 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, 301-656-1366; 919 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, 240-247-8969; Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.


Levante’s

Here’s another place you can come when you’ve had your fill of omelets and pancakes, bagels and French toast. Levante’s puts out an all-you-can-eat buffet of Turkish, Greek and Lebanese food that allows you to sample myriad tastes and textures of the Mediterranean region—all for $12.95.

But the best items are the more exotic, like Levante’s “Cigars,” savory phyllo dough wrapped around feta and flavored with dill, then deep-fried until the cheese melts and melds with the pastry. The lentil soup is pureed, rich with tomato and refreshed with unlikely—but tasty—peppermint. The Lahmacun is another favorite, a kind of thin, crispy pizza topped with ground lamb or beef; there are also the “pizza boats” popular on Levante’s regular menu. The canoe-shaped dough comes with various toppings; the day we visited it was covered with feta and the bottom crust formed on a base of kaser cheese, a bit like cheddar. Feta also appears in deep-fried blocks, dry inside and crispy outside.

More common Middle Eastern items include dolmas, stuffed grape leaves, though Levante’s are the sweetest I’ve tasted, laced with not only raisins but sugar. There is also a tahini-heavy hummus that’s great with Kalamata olives and the fresh bread that comes from the wood-fired oven; baba ganouj, the traditional eggplant purée; tabouli, falafel and tsatziki, smooth yogurt with tiny chopped cucumbers, garlic and dill.

For traditionalists there’s also an omelet station, a tray of French toast triangles, eggs benedict, waffles, crepes and even beef tenderloin.

Atmosphere at Levante’s is pretty much what you make it—music tends toward what was once called “adult contemporary” (think Karen Carpenter) but large parties liven up the place and the open kitchen makes for interesting activity almost-behind the scenes. You can’t beat the variety if you want to sample something different on a Sunday morning. 7262 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, 301-657-2441, Sundays 11 a.m to 3 p.m.


Mrs. K’s Toll House

Mrs. K’s Toll House is as much a tradition as it is traditional. Set in a quaint, historic home filled with antiques and famous for its Sunday brunch, it draws loyal patrons from all over the region to stand in line, piling their plates at the all-you-can-eat buffet.

That’s after they’ve picked their way down the walkway, where they might spy bird seed or bubble wands left from a wedding staged in the garden, passed through the tiny gift shop and into a little foyer to wait to be seated. Look for the antique clock with a mouse that runs up the face, and vintage menus advertising lamb chops for $1.25 and Long Island duck for $2. Prices have risen considerably: The buffet runs $29.95 per person, with an additional $12.95 for unlimited champagne and mimosas.

The mood is busy and festive; the dining rooms airy and bright with views of the picturesque garden, and people maneuver relatively easily around the tables to make second, third and fourth trips to the buffet. It takes that many to sample the enormous variety here, most of it more high quality than you’d expect from buffet trays.

Many of the selections change weekly, but staples featured every Sunday include the carving station for prime rib, a custom omelet station and the busy waffle irons, where you can get a full- or quarter-size Belgian waffle with fresh strawberries and cream. Also always available: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and ham, oysters on the half shell, terrific home fries perfectly seasoned and jazzed up with red and green peppers, and an entire table of pastries and desserts like a classic coffee cake, miniature napoleons, bread pudding with lemon sauce and two kinds of brownies.

The day we visited, the menu included sesame scallops, a shellfish stew, Swedish meatballs and a lovely spread of smoked salmon with red onions, capers and a variety of dressings. Also set out was baked chicken, beef tips, Caesar salad, creamed spinach, in short a gigantic smorgasbord. Table service, especially for a buffet set-up like this, is friendly and brisk, and turns a large crowd through every week. 9201 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, 301-589-3500, Sundays 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.


New Orleans Bistro

Somehow, New Orleans and brunch go together like beignets and chicory, and New Orleans Bistro offers a lovely take on breakfast in the Big Easy. The quiet and calm dining room feels upscale, but retains a casual approach to down-South Cajun cooking.

The menu offers a variety of authentic dishes: You can choose those beignets, fluffy and warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar, along with the signature chicory-flavored café au lait, or go for more substantial classics like Eggs Sardou, a standard in New Orleans of two poached eggs on artichoke bottoms and creamed spinach, topped with hollandaise. Or, there are Eggs Hussard, on rusks (rolls) with Canadian bacon and marchand de vin (wine) sauce, grilled tomato, eggs and finally hollandaise. A favorite is the Oysters Benedict, especially delectable for the thin cornmeal-batter crusts coating fresh fried oysters with a pleasant crunch.

Other New Orleans-based selections are chicken and sausage or seafood gumbo, Creole salad with eggplant and sweet potato and two omelets—one with Andouille sausage and goat cheese and the other with crawfish. Shrimp and cheese grits presents perfectly cooked shrimp in a mildly spicy sauce with roasted red peppers and a kick from tasso, a highly seasoned, smoked pork.

Along with plates full of rich flavor and spice, New Orleans Bistro offers the company of jazz greats depicted in elegant black and white photos and background music to go with them. But don’t let the air of sophistication at the Bistro put you off—it’s come-as-you-are friendly. 4907 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, 301-986-8833, Sundays 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.


Parker’s American Bistro

You can tell from the football posters on the wall that you’re going to get an all-American breakfast at Parker’s. It’s a great place to pull up a high chair and kids’ menu at a comfy booth—i.e., family friendly—but you can also indulge in a way no other restaurant we encountered allows: Parker’s offers a Bloody Mary bar, a spice-it-yourself extravaganza of peppery refinement for the traditional Sunday morning libation.

But first, the food. You can try one of four kinds of eggs Benedict: the traditional, with that slab of Canadian bacon; with filet mignon (again, that all-American “oomph” comes through); with spinach; or, with a nod to the state of Maryland, one served with lump crabmeat in addition to spinach and Canadian bacon. There is a variety of omelets: one made with egg whites and hearty with mushrooms, red onions, tomatoes, peppers and topped with salsa. A garden omelet is stuffed with veggies and Swiss cheese; and a “bayou” omelet features shrimp, Andouille, ham, veggies, two kinds of cheese plus hollandaise.

Taking things south, Parker’s offers huevos rancheros with chorizo and black beans; there’s also lox and bagels, waffles, French toast and a steak and eggs entree that will fill you up with seven ounces of New York strip, three eggs and peppery home fries, chunky and coated with Cajun seasoning. The potatoes come with several dishes, but are so good you might want order them as a side. 

Back at the Bloody Mary bar, you’ll find stacks of celery and jars of hot sauce, from hair-singeing to mild, along with horseradish, wasabi, spiced green beans and pickled asparagus. 4824 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda, 301-654-6366, Saturdays and Sundays 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.


Ri Ra Irish Pub

If  you’ve been tipping pints of Guinness or drams of Jameson you know a hearty breakfast the next morning is sometimes just the thing to kick-start the day. Ri Ra has exactly that, set in a restaurant that’s enough bar to feel familiar from the night before.

Of course you don’t have to be a drinker to enjoy a hearty brunch—just hungry. And, if you’re interested in Irish tradition, you’ll be especially pleased with the fare at Ri Ra, which includes corned beef hash, Irish soda bread and other harbingers of the old country. To top it off, if you take your time—as Sunday morning often dictates—you’ll be rewarded: every Sunday at 3 p.m., brunch winds up when local musicians bring out fiddles and the bodhran (Celtic drum) for an upbeat session of Irish music.

For brunch, choose your own personal pot of Bewley’s tea or pressed coffee in individual pots brought right to the table, or go for one of three kinds of bloody Mary, a couple of mimosa variations or Irish coffee.

Then dig into eggs, rashers, bangers, black and white pudding, grilled tomato and baked beans—with Irish soda bread. Our Irish-accented waiter happily explained the more unusual items here: rashers are wide slices of bacon distinct from either American strips or Canadian slabs; bangers are a soft-inside sausage, moister than American variations. You won’t get a detailed explanation of the “pudding” unless you ask, but those familiar with such things know it as a sausage, the black traditionally made of pig’s blood and the white from meat, suet and oatmeal.

Going from meat to the Irish potato, try boxty, a smooth potato pancake wrapped around scrambled egg. Killcullen hash brings corned beef to the table—the real thing, chunky and accented with red onions and white and sweet potatoes. There’s also an omelet with smoked salmon and cheddar, another with sirloin and a Benedict over soda bread, plus a handful of “American standards” like eggs and bacon or a fried egg sandwich.

For children, you’ll be served cups of crayons and drawing paper for busy hands as well a menu that will appeal to the wee folk. 4931 Elm St., Bethesda, 301-657-1122, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Freelance editor and writer Virginia Myers lives in Takoma Park.