8 minute read
PRESTON HOLLOW BRUNCH
Brunch where everybody knows your name
the brunch bunch
WHERE TO EAT THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF
THE WEEKEND
Story by RENEE UMSTED | Photography by KATHY TRAN
woodlands American Grill has been called the Cheers of Preston Hollow. For 13 years, it’s been a gathering place for locals, who often see someone they know there. And its standing as a neighborhood spot that serves weekend brunch has existed for almost as long.
The current menu has undergone no substantial changes since it was created a decade ago. John Nickolas, the managing partner, says people love the crab cake eggs benedict. That’s served with citrus hollandaise, ranchero, avocado cream and a side of Parmesan-truffle potatoes. Another favorite is the French toast, stuffed with strawberry mascarpone and topped with honey berries and maple syrup.
“We’ve just made minor changes because our guests like what we have, so it’s just not necessary to change on a regular basis,” Nickolas says.
Many of the brunch offerings incorporate the restaurant’s spins on the classics. And some items available at the Preston Forest eatery, like the Hillcrest pita and the Preston Hollow plate, are named to reflect our neighborhood.
All of that food needs to be washed down somehow. Adults have found the Bloody Mary and mimosas do just the trick.
The crab cake eggs benedict is a popular brunch option at Woodlands. It comes with Parmesan-truffle potatoes.
Woodlands will have daily features throughout the summer to keep the menu as fresh as its fruit skewered on kabobs. In the past, those specials have included options such as a jalapeño barbecue-brisket eggs benedict and a breakfast burger.
If it’s a nice day, neighbors might opt for a wicker chair on the patio. But if it’s one of those hot and humid days that will inevitably occur in the coming months, guests can eat inside. The dining room is blanketed in inviting, warm tones and earthy materials like wood planks and stacked stones.
A brunch at Woodlands is sure to offer neighbors the relaxed experience they crave on an easy weekend morning. In the words of Nickolas, it’s “a fun, light, casual atmosphere.”
So you’re hungry for brunch, eh?
by early afternoon one Monday in June, 80% of all credit cards swiped at Maple Leaf Diner that day had been used at the restaurant in the past. Only 20% were swiped for the first time to buy a bloody Caesar, nanaimo bar or poutine from the restaurant. Maple Leaf is a place where locals eat. There’s one man who visits four or five times a week. Another group of men orders meat for breakfast every day. People expect “not to go away hungry, that’s for sure,” says Canadian-born Michael Delaurier, who opened the restaurant near Preston Road and LBJ in 2015. Sometimes the appearance of a restaurant on a TV show will lead to an influx in customers, causing regulars to avoid the place and crowds. That hasn’t been the case with Maple Leaf. It’s been featured on programs including Incredible Edible America and Food Paradise. Locals just keep coming. Savvy neighbors will join the waitlist online, especially on the weekend, as Delaurier recommends. The most popular breakfast order by far is the chicken, bacon and waffles, which includes fried chicken, bacon and a waffle, topped with strawberries, whipped cream and cream puffs. It can be ordered in the morning or evening. The same goes with the rest of the menu. Delaurier’s favorite item is the Canadian eggs benedict, which comes with peameal bacon — the real Canadian bacon. Originally, pork loins were cured with salt and coated with ground peas, which would absorb moisture. Now, producers use cornmeal instead of peas. Maple Leaf had to make peameal bacon in house for a while, due to a lack of suppliers. But Delaurier eventually found a smokehouse in the Northeast that made it “almost identical” to the stuff he used to eat at home. Food offerings stay the same, though there’s a special poutine each month.
Maple Leaf Diner, 12817 Preston Road, 214.434.1626, mldiner.com
Mexican-inspired morning munches
abrunch at José is just as colorful and vibrant as the golden booth cushions lining the restaurant’s interior.
In the huevos rancheros, sunny side up eggs are topped with chorizo, black beans and fresh avocado. Steak and eggs could be heavy, but José freshens up the dish with bell peppers, kale and tomatillo sauce.
It’s not just the food that makes a brunch at the restaurant on Lovers Lane and upbeat. It’s the loud music, too. Sometimes it’s Luis Miguel. Sometimes it’s Latin indie. And it’s the guests. They often come in larger groups, looking to reunite after a year of lockdowns, looking to celebrate postponed remembrances of birthdays and anniversaries.
“We’re pretty lively and loud and fun all the time,” says chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman.
When she became the chef almost three years ago, Quinones-Pittman wanted to bring back the classics, like French toast. But José’s is not the average French toast. It’s Mexican French toast. Instead of brioche, José uses a Mexican sweet bread called concha. Instead of a berry sauce, José hits the egg-soaked bread with cajeta, a Mexican caramel sauce. Instead of maple syrup, José tops the dish with piloncillo syrup, made with Mexican brown sugar.
There’s also the Mexican eggs benedict. A sope, which is like a thick tortilla, replaces the traditional English muffin as the foundation for a pile of black beans, avocado, poached eggs and chile de arbol hollandaise.
The Mexican influence on José’s brunch menu is strong. Many of the offerings — like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros — and the ingredients that form them are common in Mexican households.
Quinones-Pittman expects the menu to stay basically the same throughout the summer. The most recent addition to the menu is the watermelon frosé, which became permanent after being a popular special feature for Mother’s Day. But if that doesn’t strike a fancy, Quinones-Pittman can vouch for the mimosas, too.
José, 4931 W. Lovers Lane, 214.891.5673, info@jose.mx, jose.mx
By MATTHEW RUFFNER
Healing our world
Iwas surprised at how good it felt to stand in line at the newly re-opened Central Market. As I stood in line with my bounty of Pam’s Pimento Cheese, a memory came rushing back of standing in that same checkout line a few years ago, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. My daughter, Olivia, who was four at the time, and I had made our extravagant final selections. We were ready to justify our splurges in the name of thankfulness when the cashier asked, “Would you like to feed a hungry family in Dallas and ensure they have a Thanksgiving meal by making a $1, $5, or $10 donation?” Olivia replied immediately, “Yes, we would!” And the cashier asked, “Would you like to give “1, 5, or 10?” Olivia, without missing a beat, said, “10!” The cashier looked at me, and I confirmed with a nod of the head and a brief verbal confirmation, “Yes, 10.” I figured it would be the cheapest thing in the cart! As we drove home, I asked Olivia why she was so quick to reply to the cashier and donate. She replied, “Because the cashier said, ‘There is a family that is hungry in Dallas and wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving meal.’ Daddy, we have to do our part to repair the world.” She took a long pause and then said, “Isn’t that right, daddy?” “That’s right, sweetheart.” We drove a bit more, and I had to ask her. “Olivia, where did you learn that we are to repair the world?” “Don’t you remember daddy? That’s my classroom name at Temple Emanu-El! Remember, dad; we are the Tikkun-Olam class,” she said “That’s right. You are the Tikkun-Olam class,” the Hebrew phrase meaning to repair/heal the world. I paid for my Pam’s Pimento Cheese and walked to my car. The memory lingered and settled just on top of my heart. As I put the car in reverse, I had a sense of gratefulness for the memory that revealed what was true about the renewed building I had just exited. It always takes longer to repair and heal than it does to tear down. So, my friends, may we be a people and a community that seeks to repair and heal our world.
With great hope, Matthew
Rev. Matthew Ruffner is the Senior Pastor at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. He is husband to Sarah Ruffner and a father of two. You can follow Matthew on Instagram at @thismatthewruffner and visit phpc.org to watch the church’s live stream and listen to sermons.
WORSHIP
BAPTIST
PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org Bible Study 9:15 / Worship Services 10:45 Traditional, Contemporary, Spanish Speaking / 214.860.1500
ROYAL LANE BAPTIST CHURCH / 6707 Royal Lane / 214.361.2809 Christian Education 9:45 a.m. / Worship Service 10:55 a.m. Pastor - Rev. Dr. Michael L. Gregg / www.royallane.org
WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100 Pastor George A. Mason / Worship at 9 & 11 a.m. Sunday School at 10 a.m. / wilshirebc.org
PRESBYTERIAN
PARK CITIES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH/ 4124 Oak Lawn Ave Sunday Worship 9:00 & 11:00 A.M. To all this church opens wide her doors - pcpc.org
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
