Thursday, April 24, 2014

Adapted from Austin Price's April 2014 THRIVE Magazine article
Luna Bar & Grill's Omelet Mamou by Michelle Higginbotham
When the English writer Guy Berringer coined the term “brunch” in 1895 and proposed that England make it a staple of their weekends, his reasons were as social as they were gustatory. In fact, he wasn’t particularly interested in what kinds of meals might make up a brunch, suggesting only that the cook provide “everything good, plenty of it, (and) a variety of selection.” His concern was more with the human element, how it should be “sociable and inciting…” so that it would in turn “put you in a good temper… with yourself and your fellow people,” confident that if it was doing its job right a healthy, post-church brunch would “sweep away the worries and the cobwebs of the week.” Maybe that’s why he chose the word “brunch” to represent this proposed meal. Sure, it’s linguistically appropriate, but it’s always a fun word, the kind you might expect children in the back of a car ride to come up with just to keep themselves amused, a word light and inviting and playful, just as a good “brunch” should be.

                It’s nice to see, then, that his proposal didn’t go ignored. Flash forward  to the present and you’ll see that Sunday brunch isn’t simply acceptable or even merely liked: people love their brunches. From New Orleans, where Sunday mornings find roughly half of the city’s population sitting on street corners just waiting to get inside for a nip to New York, which boasts many of the most avant-garde cooks in the brunch business (where else can you pick up a dish that couples oysters-on-the-half-shell, scrambled eggs and steel-cut oatmeal?), everyone can find a perfect excuse to stay in a little later Sunday mornings and delay their breakfast just a little. Whether you’re hung over and looking to recover with heartier fare or part of a church group that’s eager to continue socializing well beyond the service, there’s no reason to skip out on the many brunch options available in your own backyard. Lake Charles may not rival New Orleans, New York or Seattle for diverse morning fair, but it’s not without its attractions. Just consider the following:

BRUNCH OPTIONS IN LAKE CHARLES:

- Luna Bar & Grill (11 AM – 2 PM)
"I love sitting on the patio to watch the jazz band. You must try the Eggs Calcasieu, which are topped with boudin and Hollandaise sauce over French bread. I substitute the fried oysters for shrimp." Megan Monsour Hartman
Luna Bar & Grill's Eggs Calcasieu by Michelle Higginbotham








- Pujo Street Café (10 AM – 2 PM)
"I like getting to Pujo Street Cafe early around 10:15 a.m. to start my lazy Sunday with the fried chicken and waffles!  I mean, how can you get any better than a fried chicken breast, topped with bacon, and sandwiched between waffles?" Chris Berryhill
Pujo Street Cafe's Chicken & Waffles

"Pujo Street Cafe's brunch is actually reasonably priced and the mimosas and bellinis are BOGO." Leigh Ward

- Le Beaucoup Buffet at L'Auberge Casino Resort (11 AM – 3 PM)

- KD’s Diner (all day)

- Le Peep Café (all day)

- Pitt Grill  (all day; Eggs Benedict breakfast meal served exclusively on Saturdays and Sundays)

- IHOP (all day)

- Waffle House (all day)

- Le Café at L'Auberge Casino Resort (all day)

- O'Charley's (10 AM - 3 PM)
"O'Charley's serves a brunch menu as well as their regular menu. I take my four-year-old granddaughter after church when we are together. She loves the popcorn shrimp and fruit and I always get the Cajun Chicken Pasta." Martha Damian 
- The Buffet at Isle of Capri (7 AM - 3:30PM; Bloody Mary Brunch Bar)

"The build-your-own Bloody Mary Bar at the Isle of Capri is a nice bonus. They have a spread of garnishes that you would never expect, but it's really impressive." Christie Guidry
Isle of Capri's Bloody Mary Brunch Bar

- Otis & Henry's at Isle of Capri (11 AM - 3 PM on Saturdays and Sundays; Blues Brunch)

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