Chalk Food + Wine
318 Greenup St., Covington
859-643-1234 or www.chalkfoodwine.com
Brunch noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; regular hours are 4:30 p.m. to close (bar) and 5:30 p.m. to close (kitchen)
"The brunch is tailored for people who wish to sleep in. The motto is 'Stay up, have another drink, sleep late,' and that's really what it comes down to," says Chalk Food + Wine event coordinator Brittany Sullivan of the restaurant's Sunday brunch.
"We want it to be an atmosphere where people can come right back in and, in all of our hung-over-ness, have a great time. ... If people are looking for a stuffy brunch, we're not for them."
Chalk began serving brunch in April, and it's already become a popular feature of a place that's sophisticated and fashionable. You can hang inside in the restaurant's classy but not intimidating interior, but there's never been a better place to enjoy brunch than the enclosed, greenhouse-like veranda, the shaded patio with cascading wisteria and streetside tables in front of the restaurant.
Chalk's brunch menu is an exercise in unexpected, creative treats - and no dish may be a better example of this than the sticky bun sandwich ($9). With a generous amount of spiced pork, a sunny-side-up egg and black pepper smoked bacon in between pastry "buns," the dish is a brunch version of the infamous doughnut-bunned Luther Burger - and delicious. Throw in a DJ spinning tunes, a rotating menu with choices such as poached egg (with beet terrine, smoked salmon and dill crème fraiche, $9), drink specials such as $2.50 mimosas and $7 bloody Marys, and Chalk's brunch can't be beat.
Nectar
1000 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout
513-929-0525 or www.dineatnectar.com
Brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday; regular hours are 6 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday and 6 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Like to eat locally in a comfortable setting? Head to Nectar for brunch and enjoy treats such as Challah French Toast (with hazelnut and local honey butter and maple syrup and apple and rhubarb compotes, $9.50) and spice-rubbed carnitas with fried farm eggs, corn tortillas, tomatillo salsa, feta cheese and guacamole ($10.50) in the restaurant's stone-wall-enclosed courtyard.
Grand Finale
3 E. Sharon Road, Glendale
513-771-5925 or www.grandfinale.info
Brunch 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday; regular hours are 4:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday, 11:15 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11:15 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Whether you choose to relax at one of this neighborhood mainstay's three outdoor tables or dine in its sizable, temperature-controlled courtyard, the brunch buffet ($15.50 per person; $7.50 ages 11 and under) features plenty of treats. Belgian waffles, homemade bread pudding and cheese and garlic grits are worth every penny.
Melt
4165 Hamilton Ave., Northside
513-681-6358 or www.meltnorthside.com
Brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; regular dining hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
It's double the brunch! Head to Melt Saturday or Sunday and feast on a monthly-changing menu featuring dishes such as waffles ($8.75), vegan Southern sausage ($8.75) and the "monkey melt" with your choice of organic peanut butter or Nutella spread over focaccia bread baked with sliced bananas and almonds ($7.75).
