Brunch for a Bunch

Last weekend, I had friends in town from Birmingham. No strangers to the Art of Dining Well, they were excited to see which restaurants I led them to. And I was excited to show off my city again.

Friday night we met for Happy Hour in the Yazoo Taproom. I'd taken the brewery tour before but never just had a drink in the taproom. Overflowing with suds and twenty- and thirty-somethings all gathered to kick off their weekends, we had a hard time working our to the front of the room and finding a table. The one we did find was not cleaned off so we had to drink with caution to avoid setting our elbows in spilled beer. But the atmosphere was fun and the beer was good. And Justice even bought a growler to enjoy his Yazoo the next week.

For dinner, we walked down the sidewalk to Urban Flats, not exactly local but fun and enjoyable nonetheless. We topped off the night with mojitos from The Greenhouse, a literal greenhouse-turned-bar in Green Hills that boasts introducing mojitos to Music City. At $9 a pop, they are definitely an indulgence, but a delicious one at that. I'm fairly certain they grow their own mint and serve up the rum-based concoction in a mason jar.

The next day, we breakfasted at Fido, went to the Tomato Arts Fest, and toured the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Frist.

Sunday morning's brunch was probably one of the highlights of the weekend for me. We were ready to go early, so I had to find somewhere that started serving at 10. That nixed Tin Angel, 55 South, and Bosco's. With my usual spots out of the question, I did a quick Urban Spoon search for other options and was reminded of the Copper Kettle's brunch buffet.

Both locations (Granny White across the street from Lipscomb University and Downtown on Hermitage Ave.) serve Sunday brunch beginning at 10 a.m. Downtown starts serving at 9 on Titans Sundays. I chose to take them Downtown for the view.

The buffet is a little pricey ($16.95 for adults) but it's all you can eat, and if you choose wisely, you can have fruits and cheeses, main courses, pastries, and desserts all in one sitting. I tried a little bit of everything but didn't notice the bread pudding until the very end, when I was too full to enjoy it. We tried everything from cream puffs to caprese salads, to eggs Benedict (yes! eggs Benedict on the buffet!) to roast beef to bacon, hashbrown casserole, and biscuits & gravy. Wow, I'm getting hungry again just remembering it all.

Coffee, teas, and juices were offered with unlimited refills. Though our waiter did not offer mimosas or Bloody Marys, the restaurant did have a liquor shelf, so we probably should have just asked. While the total with tip was bordering on $20, but we ate and ate and ate. I didn't need to eat again until 7:30 because I was so full all day. I justified it by thinking if we had gone anywhere else, I'd ordered something like an omelet and a side dish, a coffee, and a breakfast cocktail, it probably would've been the same price. And the best part of a buffet is there is something that appeals to everyone!

If you have in-town company, need to entertain the in-laws or parents, or just want something to break your usual Sunday morning routine, I highly recommend checking out the buffet at Copper Kettle. Enjoy!